Washington Post sells access, $25,000+

[kpete]

Source: Politico

Washington Post sells access, $25,000+

By MIKE ALLEN | 7/2/09 8:04 AM EDT


For $25,000 to $250,000, The Washington Post is offering lobbyists and association executives off-the-record, nonconfrontational access to "those powerful few" — Obama administration officials, members of Congress, and the paper’s own reporters and editors.

The astonishing offer is detailed in a flier circulated Wednesday to a health care lobbyist, who provided it to a reporter because the lobbyist said he feels it’s a conflict for the paper to charge for access to, as the flier says, its “health care reporting and editorial staff."

The offer — which essentially turns a news organization into a facilitator for private lobbyist-official encounters — is a new sign of the lengths to which news organizations will go to find revenue at a time when most newspapers are struggling for survival.

And it's a turn of the times that a lobbyist is scolding The Washington Post for its ethical practices.



Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0709/24441.html

[FreakinDJ]

1. How dare the WaPo compete with lobbiest

[tom_paine]

2. ROFL. Our "Liberal Media" at work!

Gosh, they're so liberal!

[Jackpine Radical]

3. Unbelievable. And Obama people are playing along with it,

allowing themselves to be "accessed?"

[lindisfarne]

4. "Sources at the paper say the marketing offer may be getting ahead of what the newsroom is prepared

to deliver. The newspaper recently hired someone to organize conferences, and his primary mission is to stage on-the-record events about topical subjects in Washington."

I find it hard to believe members of Congress need the Washington Post to broker meetings with lobbyists.

[high density]

6. How are they supposed to know how the Washington Post is marketing the event?

???

[Jackpine Radical]

7. They could maybe read Politico?

[high density]

8. You're saying they should read a future article from Politico that didn't exist when they signed up.

OK.

[LiberalFighter]

5. Would they be required to register with Congress for this type of activity?

[DeSwiss]

9. That's an extremely good point....

- K&R

[Doctor_J]

10. They've been printing right-wing propaganda for years.

I am glad they're taking off the facade of be journalists.

[Joe Bacon]

11. Ah, the WHORESHINGTON POST lives up to its name

I wonder how many press whores Pimp Freddy Hiatt is going to share from his stable?

[Romulox]

12. WaPo = Rightwing trash. Maybe wealthy donors will get to meet Broder, Krauthammer, Will... nt

[lumberjack_jeff]

13. Didn't I see the WaPo solicitation on Craigslist?

Except I'm confused because the ad said "$25,000 roses".

One of these mysteries I'll never understand, I guess.

[Jkid]

14. It's Official...WaPo has completely sold out

I'll be only reading the Washington Post for local news. At least newspapers are a lot better than the "local news" the local tv stations shovel out.