Best Defense
Thomas E. Ricks' daily take on national security.

Dopes about John Hope

The New York Times appears to have been asleep at the wheel on the passing of John Hope Franklin, the great historian. This was a significant moment in American life, but you wouldn’t know it from the Times, which didn’t front page the death, and (in my edition, at least) ran its obit on B12. ...

587444_090326_hoperesize2.jpg
587444_090326_hoperesize2.jpg

The New York Times appears to have been asleep at the wheel on the passing of John Hope Franklin, the great historian. This was a significant moment in American life, but you wouldn't know it from the Times, which didn't front page the death, and (in my edition, at least) ran its obit on B12. Contrast that with the performance by the Washington Post, which ran an appreciation by Wil Haygood on page one, an editorial, and a fine op-ed by Walter Dellinger, who had called Franklin from the Democratic convention in Denver last summer after Obama received the presidential nomination. The Times' negligence appalled my wife, who relied often on Franklin's work, especially From Slavery to Freedom, when writing her own book on the biggest attempted slave escape in American history.

The New York Times appears to have been asleep at the wheel on the passing of John Hope Franklin, the great historian. This was a significant moment in American life, but you wouldn’t know it from the Times, which didn’t front page the death, and (in my edition, at least) ran its obit on B12. Contrast that with the performance by the Washington Post, which ran an appreciation by Wil Haygood on page one, an editorial, and a fine op-ed by Walter Dellinger, who had called Franklin from the Democratic convention in Denver last summer after Obama received the presidential nomination. The Times’ negligence appalled my wife, who relied often on Franklin’s work, especially From Slavery to Freedom, when writing her own book on the biggest attempted slave escape in American history.

The lapse by the Times is significant especially because, in an age when newspapers often follow breaking news by many hours, their role has become  to provide context, scope and meaning. 

Thomas E. Ricks covered the U.S. military from 1991 to 2008 for the Wall Street Journal and then the Washington Post. He can be reached at ricksblogcomment@gmail.com. Twitter: @tomricks1

More from Foreign Policy

A photo illustration shows Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden posing on pedestals atop the bipolar world order, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Russian President Vladamir Putin standing below on a gridded floor.
A photo illustration shows Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden posing on pedestals atop the bipolar world order, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Russian President Vladamir Putin standing below on a gridded floor.

No, the World Is Not Multipolar

The idea of emerging power centers is popular but wrong—and could lead to serious policy mistakes.

A view from the cockpit shows backlit control panels and two pilots inside a KC-130J aerial refueler en route from Williamtown to Darwin as the sun sets on the horizon.
A view from the cockpit shows backlit control panels and two pilots inside a KC-130J aerial refueler en route from Williamtown to Darwin as the sun sets on the horizon.

America Prepares for a Pacific War With China It Doesn’t Want

Embedded with U.S. forces in the Pacific, I saw the dilemmas of deterrence firsthand.

The Chinese flag is raised during the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics at Beijing National Stadium on Feb. 4, 2022.
The Chinese flag is raised during the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics at Beijing National Stadium on Feb. 4, 2022.

America Can’t Stop China’s Rise

And it should stop trying.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky looks on prior a meeting with European Union leaders in Mariinsky Palace, in Kyiv, on June 16, 2022.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky looks on prior a meeting with European Union leaders in Mariinsky Palace, in Kyiv, on June 16, 2022.

The Morality of Ukraine’s War Is Very Murky

The ethical calculations are less clear than you might think.