Major newspapers inappropriately humanize brutal dictators in their obituaries
Source: Brianna Lyman. "NYT, WaPo Remember Ayatollah As 'Cleric' With 'Easy Smile'." March 2, 2026. thefederalist.com
The Gist
The author argues that major newspapers like the New York Times and Washington Post are acting like propagandists by writing obituaries that make Iran's brutal leader look sympathetic instead of focusing on all the terrible things he did. She thinks this misleads readers and shows the media has no shame.
Conclusion
The New York Times and Washington Post are engaging in propaganda by writing sympathetic obituaries that humanize Ayatollah Khamenei rather than accurately portraying him as a brutal dictator
Premises
- The Washington Post described Khamenei with positive language like 'easy smile' and 'avuncular figure' while downplaying his brutality
- The New York Times called him a 'Hard-Line Cleric' instead of using more accurate terms like 'brutal dictator' or 'terrorist'
- Both newspapers emphasized his modest lifestyle, literary interests, and humble beginnings rather than his crimes
- The coverage minimized or glossed over his role in executions, torture, censorship, and sponsoring terrorism
- This follows a pattern, as the Washington Post previously called ISIS leader al-Baghdadi an 'austere religious scholar'
- The newspapers focused on relatively minor harms (like COVID vaccine refusal) while ignoring major atrocities like mass executions
Assumptions
- Obituaries of dictators should primarily focus on their crimes and brutality rather than humanizing details
- The language choices in these obituaries constitute propaganda rather than balanced journalism
- Readers will be misled by this sympathetic coverage
- There is an objective standard for how brutal dictators should be described in media