"Beach-Gate" Conclusion: Zipp Responds with Editor's Note

Prompted by yesterday's widespread condemnation of the Netroots article that appeared in Sunday's edition of the Statesman, editor Fred Zipp published a short note in today's paper admitting that they had "failed" in their attempts to amuse. "Readers expect front-page stories to speak directly and clearly about events and issues," wrote Zipp. "Eliminating the possibility of misunderstanding from our work is a critical part of our daily newsroom routine ... In trying for a humorous take on the Netroots phenomenon without labeling it something other than a straightforward news story, we compromised our standards." The article in question, by feature writer Patrick Beach, was later reposted to the Statesman's website, sans original comments. [Editor's note]