A New Voice for a Familiar Institution

The Federal Diary is back.

It's been two months since Stephen Barr wrote the last Federal Diary column. Now I've been selected to continue what is a true Washington Post institution. The Federal Diary has been around since 1932, longer, as far as anyone here can tell, than any other staff-written feature.

Following Steve and the others who preceded him, including Mike Causey, is a tall order. During its 76 years, the Federal Diary has developed a strong relationship with readers. I don't intend for that to change on my watch.

A couple of comments by one-time Post people struck me as I thought about taking on this role:

"People make news. The more people, the more news." -- George D. Riley, in the first Federal Diary on Nov. 29, 1932.

"The first mission of a newspaper is to tell the truth as nearly as the truth can be ascertained." -- Eugene Meyer, after purchasing The Post in 1933.

Those words will guide me during this exercise, which will include an enhanced Web presence, in service and accountability journalism.

The Diary provides an important service to federal employees and contractors by covering issues critical to them. I am keenly aware of the need to provide readers with news, information and insight that affects not only their roles as employees, but also their lives as parents, spouses and retirees.

Sometimes, that will take the form of exposing situations that might otherwise escape public notice. This newspaper has seen many changes since Meyer purchased it, yet nothing has been more long lasting than his seven Post principles, with truth-telling being No. 1 . A critical component of truth-telling is accountability journalism. The column will be a vehicle to hold accountable decision makers who directly affect the lives of federal workers. Accountability applies not just to the bosses, but also to workers who should be held accountable for providing the best service possible to the nation's taxpayers.

In preparing to take over the column, I've contacted various movers and shakers in town. Among other things, I asked them about important federal workplace issues. Here's some of what they told me.

Sen. Daniel K. Akaka (D-Hawaii), chairman of the Senate subcommittee on oversight of government management, the federal workforce and the District of Columbia: "The broken [federal] hiring processes and lack of investment in the current workforce has left agencies vulnerable. As agencies prepare for the transition, they must look at streamlining the hiring process, attracting talent from diverse backgrounds, and ensuring that federal pay, leave, retirement, and other benefits are competitive to make the federal government an employer of choice."