Washington City Paper: Contents for May. 9

Off Target
In his sniper coverage, former New York Times reporter Jayson Blair appeared to be embarrassing the Washington Post. Actually, he was embarrassing the New York Times.

Cover Story

On Oct. 22, 2002, Montgomery County bus driver Conrad E. Johnson was getting ready to begin his morning route in Aspen Hill when he was shot in the abdomen. Johnson died later that day at an area hospital. Two days later, authorities arrested Lee Boyd Malvo and John Allen Muhammad as suspects in the region's sniper shootings.

Authorities combed a wooded area near the Aspen Hill shooting and found ballistic evidence linking the crime to the alleged rampage of the suspects.

Most media outlets treated the story cautiously, reporting that the suspects had worked as a team in the alleged attacks. The New York Times, however, went further. For starters, the country's paper of record cited evidence that Malvo, who was 17 at the time, had pulled the trigger not only in the Aspen Hill shooting but in others as well. That was a surprising conclusion given that Muhammad, 41 at the time, is a former Army infantryman trained in marksmanship.

But in its sniper coverage, the Times specialized in providing surprising story lines backed by provocative details. Around the time of the Johnson slaying, said the Times, Malvo may have been sucking on a grape stem. His DNA, Times reporter Jayson Blair revealed in a Dec. 22 story, had been found on a stem left at the crime scene—helping investigators compile their case against Malvo as the shooter.

It wasn't the first time grape stems had appeared in news coverage of the case. In previous reports, the Washington Post had passed along tips from authorities about grape stems.... Continued

Issue of May. 9 - 15, 2003

News and Features

Off Target
In his sniper coverage, former New York Times reporter Jayson Blair appeared to be embarrassing the Washington Post. Actually, he was embarrassing the New York Times.
Cover Story By Erik Wemple and Josh Levin
Monster Truck Rarity
Public-works equipment operators get their chance to rumble.
The City By John Metcalfe
The Prying Nun
At Bishop O'Connell High School, English class doubles as the confessional.
The City By David Morton
The $25,000 Rectangle
Off-street parking goes off the charts.
The City By Felix Gillette
SARS Search
Was I Shanghai's First Case of SARS?
The City By Julia Ross
SARS Search
Why Haven't We Heard About Suspected SARS Cases in D.C.?
The City By Annys Shin
I'll Finish Stealing Your Stuff by Next Tuesday
Nimby Tribunal By Josh Levin
Stealing Home
The Mail By William Young
Out at Home
The Mail By Jake Turner
Poor Sportsmanship
The Mail By Eric A. Green
Mod Cons
The Mail By Joel Hettger
Renewable Resource
The Mail By Diana R. Smith
Case for Carryout
The Mail By Ken Jarboe
Torturous Reform
The Mail By James Pridgen
Damage Control?
The Mail By Kevin Berrill
A Place Apart
The Mail By Sharon J. Chambers

Columns

The Greatests
Cheap Seats By Dave McKenna
The Norton Anthology
Loose Lips By Elissa Silverman
Stripped to the Corps
City Desk By David Morton
Not Dead Yet
City Desk By Jason Cherkis

Eats

Movies

Rough Landing
Film Review By Mark Jenkins
Novel Strategies
Film Review By Joel E. Siegel
Affairs of the Art
Film Review By Christopher Hawthorne
Seeing John Malkovich
Talking Pictures By Mark Jenkins
Daddy Day Care
Film Review By Sean Daly
Only the Strong Survive
Film Review By Christopher Hawthorne
Stevie
Film Review By Mark Jenkins
Cet Amour-La
Film Review By Mark Jenkins

Music

Bowing to Pressure
Music Review By Andrew Beaujon
Songs of the Pogo
Music Review By Glenn Dixon
Fake Songs
Music Review By Arion Berger
Pretest
A few of the things we're listening to this week, in no particular order
Music Review By Brent Burton
When I Was Born for the 7th Time
A few of the things we're listening to this week, in no particular order
Music Review By Pamela Murray Winters
Blink
A few of the things we're listening to this week, in no particular order
Music Review By Leonard Roberge
Steve Lawrence Sings Sinatra
A few of the things we're listening to this week, in no particular order
Music Review By Sean Daly
A Grown-Ass Man
A few of the things we're listening to this week, in no particular order
Music Review By David Dunlap Jr.
Pittsburgh's Favorite Oldies: "At the Hop III"
A few of the things we're listening to this week, in no particular order
Music Review By Dave Nuttycombe
The Director's Cut
A few of the things we're listening to this week, in no particular order
Music Review By Mike Kanin

Theater

Imaginary Friends
Theater Review By Bob Mondello
One Flea Spare
Theater Review By Janet Hopf
No Appointment Necessary
Theater Review By Trey Graham

Arts and Events

Who Do Voodoo?
Books By Alexander C. Kafka
Under Construction
Art Review By Glenn Dixon
Creature Comforts
As long as he gets to have his giant insects, talking troll dolls, and genetically engineered assassins, director Philip Cook doesn't care if Hollywood ignores him—at least not that much.
Arts By Aimee Agresti
Not for Art's Sake
Artifacts By Sarah Godfrey
Missed Manners
Artifacts By John Metcalfe