Re “Why ‘The Post,’ when the Times got the scoop?’’ (Opinion, Jan. 9): Roy Harris’s op-ed reminds us that, although The Washington Post’s contribution to Richard Nixon’s downfall was significant, it was The New York Times that broke the Pentagon Papers story, leading to more questioning of the Vietnam War.

However, the far more important story is the role of a free and curated press in a functioning democracy. Without journalists uncovering and accurately reporting the stories that affect us today and in the future, we are at the mercy of a political system that is weighted toward the wealthy and powerful.

Edwin Andrews

Malden