Washington Post's Internal Response to Selling Access Story
Politics Daily — ... This morning, Mike Allen of Politico.com reported that the Washington Post is selling access to Obama Administration officials and Post staff. Below is an internal e-mail circulated to the paper's news room in response. ...

WashPost Peddling Access to Health Care Reporters?
Hit & Run — ... According to a flier obtained by Politico from a health care lobbyist, the Washington Post is selling access to its top employees. Literally. ...

Washington Post: Your Paper of Ill-Repute
Patterico's Pontifications — [Posted by Karl] From the Politico (via Allahtwitter): For $25,000 to $250,000, The Washington Post is offering lobbyists and association executives off the record, non-confrontational 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 ...

WaPo a WaPimp?
Hot Air » Top Picks — ... We’ve long argued that the national media has been in the bag for Barack Obama, but we didn’t realize that the Washington Post had been appointed to the position of White House Pimp.  According to Politico’s Mike Allen , the WaPo has begun offering a new service — matching up lobbyists with administration officials for face time, or whatever else the client has in mind.  Like any pimp, er, business manager , they’re not offering it for free, either: For $25,000 to $250,000, The Washington Post is offering lobbyists and association executives off the record, ...

Washington Post Whores Itself to High Bidders
RedState: Conservative News and Community — It’s not the state run media, it’s media to the highest bidder. For $25,000 to $250,000, the Washington Post is offering lobbyists and association executives off the record, non-confrontational 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 ...

POLITICO: Washington Post sells access, $25,000+ For $25,000 to $250,000, The Washington Post is…
Instapundit — POLITICO: Washington Post sells access, $25,000+ 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 ...

Washington Post sells access, $25,000+
Democratic Underground Latest Breaking News — ... 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

Matt Lewis: Politico: WaPost Sells Access
Townhall.com Blog's TownHall Blog — This raises serious questions ... 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 ...

WaPo blatantly peddling influence "access"
Ace of Spades HQ — WaPo blatantly peddling influence "access" We have the best politicians, media, and judges money can buy . 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. Phat contracts for your company? - billions. Hush money payoff to WaPo - $25,000 Not being attacked by WaPo? P.R.I.C.E.L.E.S.S.

Washington Post Sells Its Soul?–UPDATED
Dr. Melissa Clouthier — ... Since no assumption of a soul or journalistic integrity has been made, it’s not surprising that the Washington Post would sell access to the Media-Obama power-broker axis. Mike Allen of the Politico breaks the story: ...

Time For Another Blogger Ethics Panel
Eschaton — Emergency! 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. ...

Stomach-turners of the morning
Michelle Malkin — ... has learned exclusively. Family, friends and VIPS will have seats on the main floor for The Tuesday, July 7th Staples service, first reported by RadarOnline.com, while the general public will be plucking down $25 to sit in the stands. The memorial service will feel like a concert production featuring guest speakers, a lot of music and video screens inside and outside of Staples, a source close to the planning tells RadarOnline.com. While we’re on the subject of pimps, how about those Washington Post mack daddies? For $25,000 to $250,000, The Washington Post is offering ...

Morning Links
The Agitator — ... Wow. “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.” ...

Washington Post Sells Its Soul?
Right Wing News — Since no assumption of a soul or journalistic integrity has been made, it's not surprising that the Washington Post would sell access to the Media-Obama power-broker axis. Mike Allen of the Politico breaks the story : 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. ...

Time For Another Blogger Ethics Panel
pandagon.net - we are the public option — by Jesse Taylor The Washington Post is selling its access to its own reporters and to Obama administration officials: 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 ...

The Washington Post-Pimp? Paper Offers Lobbyists Access to Top Officials at Publisher's House
NewsBusters.org - Exposing Liberal Media Bias — ... Former Washington Post reporter Mike Allen has broken a shocking media-ethics story for the Politico about his old media home. The Post is offering lobbyists "off-the record dinner and discussion" with top congressional and administration officials, first on the topic of health care. A copy of the invite reads: ...

Time For Another Blogger Ethics Panel: WaPo Selling Access
TalkLeft — Mike Allen of Politico actually has a blockbuster story about the total lack of journalistic ethics at the Washington Post: 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 ...

Washington Post sells access, $25,000+
The Political Carnival — ... For $25,000 to $250,000, The Washington Post has offered lobbyists and association executives off-the-record, non-confrontational access to "those powerful few" — Obama administration officials, members of Congress, and — at first — even the paper’s own reporters and editors. ...

WaPo now selling itself as the official paper of the ObamiNation
No Runny Eggs — ... Politico reports that the Washington Post is circulating flyers to lobbyists offering access to its reporters, members of Congress, and Obama administration officials, for between $25,000 and $250,000 per meeting. Politico reposts the text of the flyer that a health care lobbyist received from the Post: ...

The WaPo or the WaHO?
Sister Toldjah — This is surely a sign of the times, and not a good one: 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 ...

Washington Post Selling Access?
The Corner on National Review Online — ... ] Politico: 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 ...

Coming This Sunday to Howard Kurtz's "Reliable Sources"
Swampland — ... was fun last week, just imagine the raw material that CNN host/Washington Post media critic Howard Kurtz now has to work with this Sunday. As Mike Allen reports in Politico , "For $25,000 to $250,000, The Washington Post has offered lobbyists and association executives off-the-record, non-confrontational access to "those powerful few" — Obama administration officials, members of Congress, and — at first — even the paper's own reporters and editors." This morning, Marcus Braucli ...

Washington Post Offers Lobbyists Access To Editorial Staff For $25,000
The Latest on Air America — The Washington Post is in an awkward situation this morning, after someone slipped Politico a flier offering lobbyists access to the paper's editorial staff, plus members of Congress and Obama administration personnel, for just $25,000. The flier promised to let the firms bring their CEOs "literally to the table" at an off-the-record health care salon at Post publisher Katharine Weymouth's house. Since the report was made public , the paper has ...

Wash. Post selling access?
Political Animal — WASH. POST SELLING ACCESS?.... It's hardly a secret that newspapers, including the major dailies, have run into serious financial problems in recent years, and are frantically looking for new revenue streams. But if this report from Mike Allen is accurate, it seems the Washington Post 's financial concerns have led the paper to consider a jaw-dropping scheme. For $25,000 to $250,000, The Washington Post is offering lobbyists and association executives off the record, non-confrontational access to "those powerful few" — Obama administration officials, members of Congress, and ...

Washington Post Really Crashes and Burns Edition
Crooked Timber — Politico For $25,000 to $250,000, The Washington Post has offered lobbyists and association executives off-the-record, non-confrontational access to “those powerful few” — Obama administration officials, members of Congress, and — at first — 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 ...

Media Whores Defined: WaPo Sells Access to Lobbyists
Hoffmania! — ... Hang a red light (and a "For Sale" sign) on the door. This scheme can only expedite their demise. For $25,000 to $250,000, The Washington Post has offered lobbyists and association executives off-the-record, nonconfrontational access to "those powerful few": Obama administration officials, members of Congress, and — at first — 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 ...

Don't Look Good
Talking Points Memo — ... We're just digging into this story the Politico broke this morning about the Post offering lobbyists access for cash payments. But I'd say the Post has a real problem on its hands. ...

Access: WaPo Selling Its Assets
Riehl World View — ... Whatever it takes in a bad economy while your business model is tanking? For $25,000 to $250,000, The Washington Post has offered lobbyists and association executives off-the-record, nonconfrontational access to "those powerful few": Obama administration officials, members of Congress, and — at first — even the paper’s own reporters and editors. Politics Daily has word on an internal WaPo memo in response. Without the newsroom, much of the value is lost. I guess WaPo wasn't planning on covering it?? ha What a sad ...

Froomkin Out, Elitists In
Comments from Left Field — ... LAST MINUTE UPDATE: After writing this, I noticed that Mike Allen at The Politico has updated the story reporting that the WaPo Newsroom is in an uproar and threatening nonparticipation in management’s plan. ...

WaPo "selling access" to Obama administration officials, members of Congress, and the paper's own reporters and editors
Hyscience — Is this even legal? How can the Washington Post sell access to what they refer to as "those powerful few"? And to think that I thought Obama and Congress were already bought and paid for. Now it appears that they and the WaPo are taking it up to a whole new level of corruption in politics and journalism. ...

WaPo Does Damage Control After Cash-For-Access Scheme Leaks
TPM Election Central — ... This morning, Politico published a story detailing an interesting flier apparently being passed around DC health care lobby circles: a dinner invitation from the Washington Post at the house of CEO and Publisher Katherine Weymouth, selling access to its news and editorial staff and top Obama officials for $25,000 to $250,000. A health care lobbyist passed the missive on to Politico staff because he felt "it's a conflict of interest for the paper to charge for access to, as the flier says, its 'health care reporting and editorial staff.'" ...

Not Waiting For The Asteroid
small dead animals — Not Waiting For The Asteroid [image] " For $25,000 to $250,000, The Washington Post has offered lobbyists and association executives off-the-record, nonconfrontational access to "those powerful few": Obama administration officials, members of Congress, and — at first — even the paper’s own reporters and editors." Posted by Kate at July 2, 2009 11:22 AM

it's not wa po anymore
skippy the bush kangaroo — ... 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." - politico ...

WaPo Killing the Blogger Ethics Panel Industry
Daily Kos — Today's link-bait (it worked!) from Politico: WashPost sells access, $25,000+ By: Mike Allen July 2, 2009 08:04 AM EST 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. Thank you! Good day! Really, what more do you need to know? Here's some of the language of the offer: ...

New to the whole "newspaper" game?
Alarming News — July 02, 2009 New to the whole "newspaper" game? How, exactly, was the Washington Post unaware that selling access to its journalists might be a problem? Posted by Karol at July 2, 2009 11:59 AM | ...

Twitter of the Day
Weekly Standard Blog — Jeremy Scahill tweets: i heard joe biden tried to pay the Post $25k to have access to the obama administration Mike Allen has the report on the Washington Post's new lobbying business.

Washington Post Draws Fire With "Salon" Series
The Atlantic Politics Channel — The Washington Post found itself the object of much criticism this morning after Politico's Mike Allen reported on a Post "salon" series, promising private, off-the-record, non-confrontational dinner discussions with Obama administration officials, members of Congress, and Washington Post reporters and editors, for $25,000 per person, marketed to lobbyists. "Bring your organization's CEO or executive director literally to the table," reads a flier. The dinners are to be hosted at the home of Post CEO and Publisher Katharine Weymouth; the topic of the first one, advertised int ...

Time for a Blogger's Ethics Panel
Newshoggers.com — ... that advocates Twittering Against Torture. Once BlogAds takes their cut, we may be able to afford a pint of good Kentucky whiskey to split amongst everyone. The ACLU advertised on the 'Hog because they consider the writers and by implications our audience to be a receptive audience to their message that torture is an inherent bad and should not be condoned. Our opinions as writers made us notable and potentially valuable to an advertiser. Time for an ethics panel... If this Politico Report is to believed, the Washington Post really needs a Bloggers' Ethics Panel: ...

Washington Post Whorehouse
The Jawa Report — July 02, 2009 Washington Post Whorehouse But I'm sure they have hearts of gold. Absolute corruption : Washington Post publisher Katharine Weymouth said today she was cancelling plans for an exclusive "salon" at her home where for as much as $250,00 The Post offered lobbyists and association executives off-the-record, nonconfrontational access to "those powerful few": Obama administration officials, members of Congress, and even the paper’s own reporters and editors. Irony of ironies: the Post's whorishness was exposed by a lobbyist. By ...

The More Things Change, The More They Don't
The Agonist - thoughtful, global, timely — ... As if there was really any question that our mainstream media wasn't composed entirely of whores--although a whore might be insulted by the comparison, let there be no remaining doubts: ...

Washington Post's pay-to-play flyer leaked
Majikthise — ... The scheme was so brazen that it shocked the conscience of a health care lobbyist (!), prompting said lobbyist to leak a promotional flier to Politico. ...

Stupid Headline of the Day
The Political Carnival — ... I don't seem to remember Howie writing about Laura Bush, "White WASP Women Sycophantically Follow Around Button Downed Laura". Geez o pete, do they have any AA female reporters at the WaPo? And this he writes about today, totally ignoring the Cash For Access scandal? ...

Step Right Up
The Mahablog — ... Somewhere, I suspect, there’s a summer intern who can kiss off ever getting a job with the Washington Post. Mike Allen writes, ...

In the Tank
Neptunus Lex — But for a good cause: Washington Post publisher Katharine Weymouth said today she was cancelling 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 ...

Washington Post cancels plan to charge lobbyists to attend 'salons'
Top of the Ticket — ... Weymouth is quoted as being “disappointed,” and Executive Editor Marcus Brauchli is the one who is “appalled.” The salon plan was reported today by Politico. ...

Washington Post Plans Salons With Lobbyists: Anyone Shocked?
Politics on HuffingtonPost.com — ... You know, whenever I try to point out how, in Washington, DC, the line between "edit meeting" and "cocktail party" has become blurred to the point of ridiculousness, there's never a shortage of people who'll line up and tell me how cynical I am. But from time to time, I get to issue a big fat, "Suck it!" and one of those days is today, thanks to this article in the Politico: ...

Underwrite And Participate: Washington Post Cancells Paid Lobbyist Event On Grounds Of Misrepresentation
Pat Dollard | Young Americans — POLITICO: Gibbs addresses the cancellation of The Washington Post’s cancelled event. Washington Post publisher Katharine Weymouth said today she was cancelling 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 ...

Washington Postgate
MoJo Blog Posts: mojo — ... Journalistas in Washington and beyond the Beltway on Thursday were chortling over the news--brought to you by Politico--that the Watergate-famed Washington Post had cooked up a plan to hold private salons, where lobbyists and association heads could pay mucho bucks (up to $250,000) to wine and dine (or tea and snack) with Obama administration officials, lawmakers, and Post editors and reporters. ...

Dana Milbank's employer, the Washington Post, planned "Salons" (at $25,000 a pop) offering access to high-level officials
AMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth — ... , Milbank said, "What I have never done in my life, Howie, is worked in collusion with an administration..." Hmmm. But, this was the latest from Milbank's Washington Post, as reported by Politico this morning: ...

Presstitution Ring
Blue Crab Boulevard — ... (Late to this story since I am still lucky enough to have a job.) The Washington Post has apparently recrossed its legs and decided not to offer full access to itself, its reporters, staff, members of Congress and assorted Obama administration officials to any and  all well-heeled lobbyists. Washington Post publisher 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 ...

This Is What Liberal Media Bias Looks Like
The Jawa Report — July 02, 2009 This Is What Liberal Media Bias Looks Like Except in this case, it isn't just bias. It's activism. They're acting as middlemen (while trying to wet their beaks in the process) between lobbyists (who Obama, their boy, pledged to have little or nothing to do with in his Administration) and the Administration itself, who they're in bed with. When a doctor gives a lecture or presentation at a medical meeting, he has to list his disclosures and all relationships with industry in which he potentially stands to make money from the information he is presenting (standard ...

Washington Post Sells Access To Obama, Others To Lobbyists
Crooks and Liars — Apparently the Very Serious People™ in the Village have a very different idea of journalism than they led us to believe. After their own columnist Dana Milbank lost his marbles and dignity over a DFH blogger asking a question, the Washington Post hits an all new low: For $25,000 to $250,000, The Washington Post has offered lobbyists and association executives off-the-record, nonconfrontational access to "those powerful few": Obama administration officials, members of Congress, and — at first — even the paper’s own reporters and ...

Friday morning/Thurs. nite links
Maggie's Farm — ... like China and India: CO2? Huh? Roger: It's not easy being green. Insane: End the 22nd Amendment. The O's character flaw: egotism Declaiming the price of "inaction" is a perennial argument for big government and bad law. Big doings in Afghanistan. Good luck to our guys. It's a bitch of a job. More from Jules on WTF? Due to uproar, WaPo cancels its scummy circus These kids deserve thanks, not ...

The Washington Post loses its mind.
Althouse — "Underwriting Opportunity: An evening with the right people can alter the debate. Underwrite and participate in this intimate and exclusive Washington Post Salon, an off-the-record dinner and discussion at the home of CEO and Publisher Katharine Weymouth. ... Bring your organization’s CEO or executive director literally to the table. Interact with key Obama administration and congressional leaders." ...

Everything you need to know about President Obama's latest "town hall" meeting
Wizbang — ... three audience members. All turned out to be members of groups with close ties to his administration: the Service Employees International Union, Health Care for America Now, and Organizing for America, which is a part of the Democratic National Committee. White House officials said that was a coincidence. Uh-huh. Funny how often those "coincidences" seem to happen at Democrat-orchestrated events, isn't it? ___________________________________ And speaking of The Washington Post , The Politico ...

links for 2009-07-02
FullosseousFlap's Dental Blog — ... (tags: sarah_palin) Washington Post cancels lobbyist event amid uproar Washington Post publisher Katharine Weymouth said today she was canceling plans for an exclusive "salon" at her home where for as much as $250,000, the Post ...

Links for 2009-07-02 [del.icio.us]
FullosseousFlap's Dental Blog — ... has been disclosed so far. Internal campaign e-mails exchanged three weeks before Election Day offer a rare look at just how frustrated then Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin had become with the manner in which top McCain campaign aides were handling her candidacy. The e-mails, obtained exclusively, also highlight the power struggle and thinly veiled acrimony that pervaded the relationship between Palin and the campaign's chief strategist, Steve Schmidt. Washington Post cancels lobbyist event amid uproar Washington Post publisher Katharine ...

FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog’s Links for July 3, 2009
FullosseousFlap's Dental Blog — ... Washington Post cancels lobbyist event amid uproar ...

Friday Roundup!
Right Wing News — ... . So much for journalistic integrity. They later canceled the event in response to the massive uproar. 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. Throw in ...

What Katharine Weymouth Doesn't Know about Jurassic Journalism
Politics Daily — ... The controversy at the Washington Post over pay-to-play schmooze-fests between lobbyists and government officials and newsroom staff, all to be "facilitated" by publisher Katharine Weymouth at her home, is making me feel old. Like dinosaur old. (Though hopefully with a brain larger than a walnut.) ...

Piddling Success
Unqualified Offerings — Radley’s news reminds me that the other day I figured out that a less embarrassing business model for the newspaper business would be: puppies ! You still can’t use the internet to housebreak a dog. Granted, AP is probably a week and a half announcing a plan to claim royalties for sticks and wees, and there are alternatives , but like the man said , if you can’t get along with people, you gotta start somewhere; with animals!

Not Just WaPo: Atlantic's Corporate-Sponsored "Salons" Tout "Private Conversations" With Top Journos, Lawmakers
TPMMuckraker — ... Last week, Politico reported that the Washington Post had planned to put on an exclusive off-the-record "salon" at the home of its publisher, where corporate lobbyists would pay as much as $250,000 to gain access to Post reporters and editors, as well as Obama administration officials and members of Congress. The news provoked an outcry in DC journalism circles -- the Post's own ombudsman ...

Atlantic Publisher On "Salons": I Didn't Read The Marketing Materials Either
TPMMuckraker — ... posted on The Hotline, Bradley refers to "concerns I'm reading now on the web" (no attribution, naturally), before explaining why he thinks the salons -- which, as we wrote yesterday, are very similar to the Washington Post's planned event that ignited a furor last week -- "are full of good purpose." (He adds that they're also "part of my best thinking on how we carry forward (read fund) modern journalism.") ...

Second WaPo Doc Offers More Info On Salons
TPMMuckraker — ... When a leaked flier last week revealed the Washington Post's plan to organize a corporate-sponsored "salon" on health care, the paper ...

Christine Pelosi: Universal Healthcare: A Matter of Political Will
Politics on HuffingtonPost.com — ... So the CBO tells Congress to find bigger changes, more reforms, and added cost savings - and the Washington Post - the paper that set up pay-to-play salons for "those powerful few who will decide" healthcare http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0709/24441.html and won't tell their readers those deciders - says that's "devastating." Did one of "those powerful few" feel it was devastating? Do tell. ...

Borrowed Time: The World at 65
Commondreams.org Views — ... fleeing the premises take journalists, bureaus, meaning, the news itself, the paper, everything, with them. It was a small flap, the recent one at the Washington Post , in which publisher Katharine Weymouth was to host "salons" at her house, offering corporations and lobbyists off-the-record, non-confrontational "access" to Post reporters, Obama administration officials, and Congressional representatives. At $25,000 a pop, corporations could get a seat at these friendly soirées, $250,000 for a package of 11. The stern, tsk-tsking discussions of this attempt to pull a ...

Tom Engelhardt: Borrowed Time: The World at 65
Politics on HuffingtonPost.com — ... It was a small flap, the recent one at the Washington Post, in which publisher Katharine Weymouth was to host "salons" at her house, offering corporations and lobbyists off-the-record, non-confrontational "access" to Post reporters, Obama administration officials, and Congressional representatives. At $25,000 a pop, corporations could get a seat at these friendly soirées, $250,000 for a package of 11. The stern, tsk-tsking discussions of this attempt to pull a little extra dough into a dying brand have all focused on newspaper "ethics" -- the Post's own ...

And That’s Not the Way It Is
Commondreams.org Views — ... cocktails with a powerful syndicated Post columnist (and Vietnam apologist), Joseph Alsop. The obituary also noted that McNamara served on The Post's board - a sinecure he was awarded after he had helped send some 50,000 Americans to pointless deaths. What Halberstam labeled the "nice genteel chumminess" between potentates like McNamara and the Beltway press establishment, though occasionally frayed by scandals like Watergate, remains intact. Just a few days before McNamara died, Politico uncovered a particularly graphic example involving The Post: an invitation to lobbyists ...

Taboo Alert: The Real - And Most Disturbing - News In the Olbermann-O'Reilly Feud
Open Left - Front Page — ... - 2009: The Washington Post's parent company offers corporations and their lobbyists "off-the-record access" to its reporters and editors in exchange for direct financial contributions of up to $250,000. ...

David Sirota: Taboo Alert: The Real - And Most Disturbing - News In the Olbermann-O'Reilly Feud
Politics on HuffingtonPost.com — ... - 2009: The Washington Post's parent company offers corporations and their lobbyists "off-the-record access" to its reporters and editors in exchange for direct financial contributions of up to $250,000. ...

The Coming Media Bailout
Antiwar.com Original — ... as the voice of elite opinion and the conventional wisdom isn’t paying off. Those "lunches" with powerful politicians and grasping lobbyists might have made some big bucks, if the whole shady business hadn’t blown up in their faces and forced them to cancel. So, when all else fails, these sorts instinctively turn to the government for some advantage or handout, although the exact nature of the " ...