From: wolda002@umn.edu
Date: Fri Jul 03 2009 - 13:03:55 EDT
Sleazy Newspaper Scheme Exposed: Washington Post Offers Lobbyists Access to
Lawmakers for Cash
By Tana Ganeva, AlterNet
Posted on July 2, 2009, Printed on July 3, 2009
http://www.alternet.org/bloggers/www.alternet.org/141066/
This will require some hilariously desperate backpedaling.
The Washington Post is offering lobby groups access to its editorial staff,
top officials in the Obama Administration, and lawmakers in Congress for
$25,000 to $250,000. Politico reports that a flier circulated by the paper
this week promises lobbyists the chance to mix with top lawmakers in a
setting described as, "Spirited? Yes. Confrontational? No." The flier
further explains:
"Underwriting Opportunity: An evening with the right people can alter
the debate," says the one-page flier. "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."
The flier was leaked by a health lobbyist, who felt the event represented a
breach of the Post's journalism ethics. Does that bear repeating? A health
lobbyist scolded the paper for poor ethical practices.
Read the rest of the story here.