In some circles the news media is called the Fourth Estate, recognizing the power the press has as a counter-balance to powers within the government and business. Though this title was created in the 18th century, it is still true today.

Why bring this up? Because power is at the root of why news organizations are struggling with their ethical regulations to such a degree. I suggest that those organizations that we see suspending personnel, or firing them, over violations that some of us may find inconsequential, are the news organizations that we can trust for original, fact-checked, opinion-free news.

NOTE: I’m not saying that these organizations are handling everything correctly, but they recognize the impact their journalists can have.

Organizations that want to be considered reputable news sources DO need to make sure that their personnel aren’t doing insider trading, or fixing the horse race — however you want to think of political donations coupled with favorable news coverage — when it comes to one of the most important stories they cover, our ELECTIONS.

It also seems fair for news organizations to watch for clear biases along racial, gender or religious lines.

That’s what we’ve seen happening in the past couple of months, and I for one applaud the effort. Sure, all the internal memos reminding reporters that they shouldn’t be seen carrying signs on the National Mall sound silly to the public, but we need our Fourth Estate intact. We need a strong, virtuous press corps willing to look at journalism as a sort of public service, because at its best, that’s what it is.

By all means, politicians and pundits have important roles in our system, too, but it is dangerous to rely on them for news.

I come back from vacation to learn that once again The Washington Post is in the news, which is a crazy sort of meta situation that I’m learning to live with. Journalists like to write about journalism and Washington likes to talk about one of its oldest employers. But this is just silliness.

If there was a fight in your office, what would happen? Would there be gossip in the lunch room? Chats in the parking lot? Not here. A spat in The Post newsroom gets splattered onto blogs all over town and blown out of proportion.

Here are some of the stories that posted around town. My favorite is the perspective from Gene Weingarten, a veteran Washington Post columnist, who still writes for The Washington Post Magazine.

• Mediabistro: Fishbowl DC
• The Washingtonian’s Capitol Comment blog
• Politico’s Click
• Washington City Paper’s City Desk
• The Washington Post: Gene Weingarten’s Chatalogical Humor
• Wonkette: Brawl At WaPo Office
• update: Washington City Paper’s YouTube video
• update: Tonsil: Hank Steuver
• update: Washington City Paper’s Final Thoughts

As I find more response and feedback, I’m adding it. The way this story is unfolding is really intriguing to me for obvious reasons.

Not too long ago, a New York Post cartoonist upset a large number of people by drawing an unfunny and tasteless editorial cartoon, and it’s screwing things up for me personally. (And I’m sure some other folks too.)

The Washington Post subsequently published a preemptive apology, regarding a funny and tasteful cartoon illustration running in The Washington Post Magazine. What is this world coming to?

I happen to like monkeys. (For the sake of this post, I’m including gorillas and chimpanzees in that category, although I am an educated person and I know that is incorrect usage.)

When my sister was young, we said she was the monkey of the family. She was great at climbing trees and rarely sat in a conventional position in a chair. She was proud of this nickname as a kid, and as an adult, she is certified to teach yoga. We call my nephew a silly monkey. He loves Curious George.

Last year, I bought a beautiful book called Monkey Portraits of photos of monkeys (apes, gorillas and chimps too) for a number of my friends, all of whom find monkeys intriguing or endearing for one reason or another.

I confess to be anglo-saxon-American. However, I’m also quite sure those apes in that photo book and I are distant cousins, in a Darwinian sort of way. But neither has to do with why I dig simians.

I also like cats and bears.

Monkeys are funny and remarkable because they are like us. Like ALL of us. So I’ll be keeping my monkeys.

Obama visited The Washington Post today, and it stirred up two city blocks and untold numbers of office workers, who quickly got word of who was in the area. The Post’s neighbors are accustomed to VIPs darting in and out of the building. Condoleeza Rice was here earlier this week and no one batted an eye. But they had to lock down the block for Obama, and everyone knew what that meant. So people just poured out of their offices waiting for him to appear. And the POTUS-elect strolled through the newsroom shaking hands. No one got any work done.

We’ve been combing through some old front pages of the Post here at the office, in preparation for an exhibit that will be open to the public around Inauguration time. Keep your eyes open for that. It’s been mesmerizing to see how the more things change, the more they stay the same.

1) Advertising on the front page was in vogue decades ago, and many papers have brought it back.

2) The twitter, or short quotable thought, was also quite popular ages back. News was more personal and personable.

3) The Post was more locally focused. The news came back to how Washingtonians were effected. And that’s the newest ‘change’ in how the paper is operating. More local focus.

For your enjoyment, here’s a vintage front page. The big news of this day: the atomic bomb changes war and science. And, in local news, Major Bong is hit.

I am seriously beginning to wonder. Every time I turn around, another blog or publication is spending time, effort and ink spouting off on what The Washington Post should be doing with their business.

Whose business? The Post’s business. I hope The Post is flattered by the concern that the city is showing.

• This Bag Is Too Heavy – Washington City Paper
• The slow, painful death of the Washington Post – The D.C. Universe
• Weymouth: WaPo ‘must be the indispensible guide to Washington – Politico
• Post Watch: Washington Post to Increase Newstand Price – Washingtonian

And I hope these other folks have their ducks in a row; they seem to have time on their hands to deal with other publications’ business.

The Washington Post sold out within hours today, and newspaper boxes were empty all over town. When they announced a special edition was coming out, lines formed. CVS on K Street was so thick with people that shopping was impossible, and The Post itself saw something it hasn’t seen in a while. People hungering for that paper edition.

Sure, I was huddled around my phone watching Post updates during the concert last night. Because electronic news fits in a smaller pocket than a newspaper does.

But this afternoon I watched as a line formed up 15th Street, at the Post’s back copy window. All the way up the street to M Street, Washingtonians waited until the familiar cyan blue Washington Post delivery van pulled up to the driveway to deliver the afternoon commemorative edition with the headline “Obama Makes History.”

And Washington made a little tiny history as they hungered for this paper, that’s documented so many other moments for our nation. And Marcus Brauchli, the new editor, came out to see the people he’s just begun to serve. And Kathryn Weymouth came out to see that Washingtonians do still care about news on pages you can turn.

You just can’t scrapbook a website.