Ted Vaden’s day job is the public editor of the News and Observer, but his latest column suggests he might be onstage at the Improv soon.

He points out some of the obvious: “As a general proposition, journalists side with the underdog. Many get into this business out of a reformist impulse to right wrongs, pursue social justice and root out government wrongdoing.” But then throws in quote that begs a number of questions about “conservatives” and “reformers”: “reformers always are going to make conservatives uncomfortable to an extent because conservatives, by and large, want to preserve the status quo.”

The real howler, though, is this one:


If there is a bias at newspapers, it’s in favor of the disadvantaged and those less able to advocate for themselves, and it’s against government and big institutions.


This is the paper that wants to delay more charter schools, supported this year’s $20.7 billion budget because it spends money on schools and other government expansions, advocated higher taxes on people who sell their homes, and left people thinking that Wake County’s school construction costs are just fine (they’re not).