Question: With passing of ‘Last Newspaperman’, is Matt Drudge the future?

WorldTribune, July 18, 2019

Question of the Day, July 18, 2019: Today, we observe a moment of silence in honor of Wesley Pruden, the subject of yesterday’s Question of the Day with some of the responses (below). We would however direct your attention to a related story today about another media legend who wears a fedora. After visiting Pruden for the first time at The Washington Times about 18 years ago, Matt Drudge confided to the founding editor of WorldTribune.com: “Whew. I just met Mr. Pruden. I got a lecture!”


Wesley Pruden, 83.

Question of the Day, July 17, 2019:

Several of us at WorldTribune.com worked under Washington Times Editor in Chief Wesley Pruden who completed his last day at the newspaper yesterday and then passed away at 83. He was among the last of a dying breed of newspaper professionals who put responsibility to the reading public at the top of his priority list. His motto for all staff was: “Get it first and get it right.” Do you trust the editor or news director of your local news source to have your best interests at heart or is he or she primarily serving a separate agenda?

Answers:

True journalism is dead & has been replaced with sensationalism. – Wayne Everingham

Dead and gone. They’re an extension of the Democratic party. – Sharon LaFond

Haven’t seen actual reporting since Cronkite told America we couldn’t win the war. – Bruce Hayes

What happened to the journalistic code of ethics?!? – Jerry Heying

The Last Newspaperman‘: Wesley Pruden passed away at 83 on Tuesday after putting in a full day at The Washington Times, where he served as editor in chief from 1992 to 2008. The man’s look screamed newspaperman; his life’s work screamed newspaperman louder. He spent almost 68 years in the business. Today marks the first day in the 37-year history of The Washington Times that Wes Pruden does not work there. We lost something when we lost Wes Pruden but we really lost it prior to losing him. His existence reminded us of what we lost. Now he no longer exists to demonstrate what a journalist looks and acts like. – Dan Flynn, American Spectator