Andy Alexander has been a newspaper reporter and editor for almost 40 years. He grew up in the small southwestern Ohio town of Urbana and graduated with a journalism degree from Ohio University. Before joining The Washington Post in February of 2009, he had spent his entire career working for the Cox Newspapers chain. He began at a Cox paper in Dayton and in 1976 was transferred to the Cox Newspapers Washington Bureau. In addition to reporting from the nation's capital, he reported from over 50 countries before moving into editing roles beginning in the late 1980s. In 1997, he was named Cox Washington bureau chief, overseeing a Washington staff of roughly 25 as well as six foreign and two domestic bureaus. He is a member of the board of the American Society of Newspaper Editors and is a former chairman and current co-chairman of its Freedom of Information Committee.

As The Washington Post ombudsman, he serves as its internal critic and represents readers who have concerns or complaints on a wide range of topics including accuracy, fairness, ethics and the newsgathering process. In his role, he also promotes public understanding of the newspaper, its Web site and journalism more generally. He is operates under a contract with The Washington Post that guarantees him independence.