The Washington Times will mark three decades of publishing a daily newspaper in the nation’s capital Oct. 2 with a symposium and banquet that will highlight the paper’s founding values of family, faith, freedom and service.
“The 30-year legacy of The Times is a strong one, from coverage of the Cold War to political scandals to the election cycle of 2012,” Editor Ed Kelley said. “The Times is no longer just a daily newspaper for the Washington area but a digital news organization with a national reach. But the values that sustain The Times today remain the same as they did in 1982 … and the anniversary events next week will clearly reflect them.”
The Washington Times, founded in 1982, was conceived as a conservative counterweight to publications such as The Washington Post and New York Times, with full-service coverage of current events, local news, sports, business and the arts. At the time of the paper’s founding, shortly after the death of the Washington Star, The Post was the only daily newspaper covering the greater Washington market.
“Though some critics once predicted we wouldn’t last a month, The Washington Times has held its own in the news media landscape for three decades. We owe that to loyal readers who have appreciated credible news coverage and shared our values over the years,” Thomas P. McDevitt, president of The Washington Times, said.
Tuesday’s banquet, hosted by John Stossel of the Fox Business Network, will be held at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington and will feature keynote speaker Donald Rumsfeld, former secretary of defense, and entertainment from YouTube singing sensation Krista Branch, best known for her 2010 song “I Am America.”
The Rev. Hyung Jin Moon will deliver the founder’s address for his late father, the Rev. Sun Myung Moon, who died Sept. 3. Business interests linked to Rev. Moon’s Unification Church founded The Washington Times in 1982.
The symposium, “Renewing Our Common Legacy,” will focus on issues such as healthy families, individual worth, the war on faith and the dangers of big government.
Speakers for the faith portion of the event include Cal Thomas, a syndicated conservative columnist, and Rabbi Shmuley Boteach. Maggie Gallagher, co-founder of the National Organization for Marriage, and Nisa Muhammad, founder of Wedded Bliss Foundation, will speak on issues affecting the family.
• Tim Devaney can be reached at tdevaney@washingtontimes.com.
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