Moreover, I'm sad for The Columbian and newspapers in general and for the country, whose citizens are increasingly content to get their information from openly biased sources in talk radio, cable TV, narrowly focused Internet pages and blogs -- or from nowhere at all.

Well, I would much, much rather get my information from 'openly biased sources' than from a self-proclaimed 'objective' source that is anything but.

Not talking about Harrington specifically - though his bitterness is telling - but there's a reason the print media is falling on hard times. And it can't be blamed solely on the Internet taking more market share.

Thanks, David.

We Columbian folks, not to mention thousands of Clark County political geeks, will miss Gregg deeply, too.

Gregg, you make a good newspaperman and you've made good newspapermen and women. Few of us will work at newspapers for much longer, but we'll always be newspapermen and women, some from your training, some from your example and some just from your inspiration.

Gregg's openly leftist mantra is legendary. That he actually seems to perceive himself as lacking that far left tilt means he's long past his expiration date.

I wish I could say I will miss him. But frankly, the bizarre positions of this newspaper, including their lying about polling on issues such as the unwanted and unneeded multi-billion dollar bridge replacement boondoggle are made even more bizarre by a leftist claiming to be unbiased.

Gregg, you've done far more damage then good. Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

Gregg Herrington has more integrity by himself than several newspapers. His stellar career as a reporter, editor and, finally, editorial writer and columnist (those latter two categories are the ones in which people express opinions, Jim and Hinton. Just for your information.) speaks for itself.
We'll miss Gregg, and the better era of newspapers in general, and The Columbian in particular, he represents.

Gregg Herrington is a true professional. His reporting was always balanced, in the traditional sense, not the Fox Noise-Hinton sense. For anyone to describe Herrington's editorials as leftist is ridiculous.

The Columbian seems at some risk of a downward spiral here. There are some fine individuals who work there, but the editorial stance has been needlessly and relentlessly pro-Republican, to the exclusion of virtually any progressive viewpoints. I won't subscribe again until they manage to include at least one semi-progressive voice in their editorial rotation.

Here we have a community of over 400,000 people about to be served by a newspaper with an absurdly small staff and shrinking news space. Since Portland media generally doesn't cover Clark County very well, the information vacuum will only get worse.

It would be a bold move if The Columbian would hire about ten or twenty reporters to actually cover Clark County more, but it seems like they are headed in the other direction.

Get ready for a Don Brunell column every day I guess.

I stopped In Weed, California for lunch yesterday.
I bought two newspapers from the nearby gas station to read while eating - as is my habit.
The cashier said, "Oh my, you want TWO...I can't read newspapers anymore...too depressing."
I joked that the newsstand price keeps going up while the news just gets worse.
She taped the Sacramento Bee with her finger and said, "This one's the worst...the fires, the election, the war...ohhh!....I just can't read it anymore."
Her demeanor changed as the lovingly stroked the Mount Shasta Herald.
"I still read this one though...my grandson plays football...he's in here sometimes...lots of good news...this is a good newspaper."
Another shopper piped-up from a nearby aisle.
"I like television better...it's not as depressing..."
"Oh, yes, "relied the cashier. "Television is much better because they'll tell you something good, you know, before you get too depressed..."
"You need that or you can't watch the news..," answered the shopper.

Point is - aren't these two women typical of a growing trend to rate news and information by the intangible standard of how it makes one feel, instead of its tangible objectivity and truthfulness?
News, opinion, entertainment...I wonder if most Americans even know the difference beyond what they're told they're consuming at the moment, which itself is usually a stretch.

I'd like to think there'll always be a place for the Greg Herringtons.
But they're obviously losing the battle to entertainment, and a conservative political agenda so dogmatic it calls foul on relative objectivity to further it's cause (Hinton) and taking-out the providers of printed news and information - left, right and objective and otherwise - in the process.

JimD, perhaps you may understand this about the liberal media! They are depressing because liberals are depressing people, generally. Liberals are very self-centered and complain nearly all the time. If not about their politics, about their parents, their children, their jobs, everything. They believe complaining about everything makes them somehow "interesting". It doesn't. It makes them miserable people who want to make others as miserable as they are.

Newspapers and liberal television are losing readers and viewers because people are sick and tired of being constantly depressed by them.

Another thing is what they print is not the whole truth. Papers were full of Iraq stories, with no balance whatsoever, while things were grim. Now, when the surge has shown to be working, nothing. Not a peep! Instead, they write stories about how the Iraqis government wants the USA and its allies out. Not true, but why allow the truth to get in the way of a good depressing story, eh?

those latter two categories are the ones in which people express opinions, Jim and Hinton. Just for your information.).

Gee. I never knew that. Thanks.

You do realize you just underscored my point, right? That Herrington decries 'openly biased' sources when he - as evidenced by his OPINIONS - is a far cry from being unbiased himself.

Just for your information, of course.

"...liberals are depressing people...Liberals are very self-centered...miserable people... people are sick and tired...Iraq stories...how the Iraqis government wants the USA and its allies out..."

Gosh, could you post a more depressing string of complaints?
But thanks for illustrating my point.
You don't want objective news, you want feel-good, happy entertainment.
Nice :-)

In my book, Gregg Herrington was not the sterling straight shooter you seem to think he is regardless of his minor role in a great campaign story. As a serious and well-qualified candidate (twice) for statewide office more than a decade ago, I found Herrington's manner rude and his preparation for candidate interviews almost totally lacking. It seemed that he enjoyed his position, perch if you will, too much and really was not interested in the facts or the issues involved. This included him ignoring a "scoop" on a national story. Maybe, if there is another media incarnation for Herrington, he will exhibit a little less hubris and stick to the story. That is something everyone in the news business needs to understand. Perhaps, this is the reason that people have gone to internet for news and opinion.

"...Maybe, if there is another media incarnation for Herrington, he will exhibit a little less hubris and stick to the story.... Perhaps, this is the reason that people have gone to internet for news and opinion."

Are you connected to the same internet I am?

Just wanted to point out that another longtime editorial page editor from Western Washington also retired last week... Dave Seago at The News Tribune in Tacoma.
http://www.thenewstribune.com/opinion/story/409951.html