The Haiti earthquake dominates the front pages — it's too chaotic to say precisely how many were killed or injured, but it's not looking good. The Post, meanwhile, splashes on a bad op-ed about Obama. What else would they do?

You can imagine the meeting: "well guys," says editor Col Allan, "there's just no big story today so we may as well plug Michael Goodwin's [horseshit] column with something provocative." One lone voice bravely suggests that a huge earthquake in one of the world's poorest countries, one of those least equipped to deal with natural disasters, might be newsworthy. Or at least more newsworthy than a crappy thesis about the President hating New York. This anonymous hero is thrown into Andrea Peyser's cage to be devoured slowly, at her leisure.

Here are some good stories in other newspapers:

  • The news that Google may leave China for human rights and privacy reasons is pretty much everywhere.
  • There are a few sinister GOP stories too, like this one in the Washington Post.
  • And the Wall Street Journal continues the combination of national security and food it started yesterday by disclosing that chefs are now struggling to smuggle salami through customs.

Disclosure: I freelance write and report for newspapers that are included in this roundup. Where there is a direct conflict of interest I will make it clear.

The New York Times: dissects Google's possible decision to leave China for human rights and free speech reasons. The Haiti quake gets the lead picture, and one would imagine will be even bigger on the front page here tomorrow when everyone gets a sense of the damage. NBC have created one of those stories that crosses the tabloid/broadsheet divide, which must be the last thing they wanted to do when they resolved to move Conan. There's some nice analysis of recent terror threats and bankers' hollow apologies, an interview with Harold Ford Jr and Jim Dwyer's Metro column breaks the news that the city shreds counterfeit clothes it seizes, instead of giving them to the needy.

The Washington Post: opens itself up to all sorts of annoying 'did you mean trembler' letters by choosing to use the word 'temblor' — the Spanish for Earthquake — for their Haiti story. They also go big on the news that Google may leave China. The GOP in Virginia plans to do some sinister things with their new-found power, and the party is also pushing for an upset in the race for Ted Kennedy's senate seat. Apparently it's only 30 days to the winter olympics, so they also have a feature about a speed-skater.

The LA Times: have the same combination of Haiti, Google, and GOP as the Washington Post — with a slightly different GOP story. The feature is about deli waiters, there's a picture of the arrested Mexican drug baron (who used to boil people alive in lye FYI) and piece on USC's new coach.

The Wall Street Journal: Haiti! Google and China! Harry Reid struggles in Nevada! And chefs can't smuggle salami (not a euphemism) because of the terror security crackdown.



The New York Post: doesn't care about Google, or Haiti, but does manage to use a bad handwriting font on the front page. Score.

The Daily News: aaaaaaand we're back to a normal world where Haiti's earthquake is news.