Washington Post Does Emily Latella Imitation Says "Nevermind."

Will Malven
7/02/2009

UPDATE: Well that didn't take long, looks like the Washington Post publisher couldn't fade the heat. Again from the Politico:

Washington Post cancels lobbyist event amid uproar

By MIKE ALLEN & MICHAEL CALDERONE
7/2/09 8:04 AM EDT

Katharine Weymouth said today she was canceling plans for an exclusive "salon" at her home where for as much as $250,000, the Post offered lobbyists and association executives off-the-record access to "those powerful few" — Obama administration officials, members of Congress, and even the paper’s own reporters and editors.

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

With the Post newsroom in an uproar after POLITICO reported the solicitation, Weymouth said in an email to the staff that "a flyer went out that was prepared by the Marketing department and was never vetted by me or by the newsroom. Had it been, the flyer would have been immediately killed, because it completely misrepresented what we were trying to do."

Yep, turns out Ms. Weymouth was "Shocked! Shocked I say!" to discover the flyer issued by the marketing department.

I suspect the only thing that shocked Ms. Weymouth was either a.) the fact that they were caught selling access, or b.) the level of reaction to the announcement. Either way the "newspaper" was forced to cancel their plans.

"Earlier this morning, [Executive Editor Marcus] Brauchli sent an e-mail entitled “Newsroom Independence” to his staff explaining his position.

Brauchli said. “A flier was distributed this week offering an 'underwriting opportunity' for a dinner on health care reform, in which the news department had been asked to participate. The language in the flier and the description of the event preclude our participation.

"We will not participate in events where promises are made that in exchange for money The Post will offer access to newsroom personnel or will refrain from confrontational questioning. Our independence from advertisers or sponsors is inviolable. There is a long tradition of news organizations hosting conferences and events, and we believe The Post, including the newsroom, can do these things in ways that are consistent with our values."

...If there's anybody watching...

Don't buy the act people. This "news organization," such as it is, has been in bed with the Obama Administration from the start and gone to great lengths to advocate their policies.

The only thing restraining them this time was their being caught.

Who knows this may even shame the journalists at the Post into actually asking a few tough questions of Obama, just to show the world their independence (after they clear the questions with the Obama screeners, of course).

This time I am reminded of that famous line from the Wizard of Oz...

"Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!"

Long Live Our American Republic!!!!

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