Politico.com has posted the response it got from the Washington Post.
The new posting reads:
The Washington Post has now responded to POLITICO's report this morning that the paper is arranging salons for lobbyists at the home of publisher Katharine Weymouth, events that would include Obama administration officials, members of Congress, and the staffers.The solicitation -- with costs between $25,000 to $250,000 -- was listed on a flier that circulated to a lobbyist, who later passed it along to POLITICO.
Post spokesperson Kris Coratti has now sent the following statement to POLITICO:
The flier circulated this morning came out of a business division for conferences and events, and the newsroom was unaware of such communication. It went out before it was properly vetted, and this draft does not represent what the company's vision for these dinners are, which is meant to be an independent, policy-oriented event for newsmakers.As written, the newsroom could not participate in an event like this.
We do believe there is an opportunity to have a conferences and events business, and that The Post should be leading these conversations in Washington, big or small, while maintaining journalistic integrity. The newsroom will participate where appropriate.
Wow. More assaults on the firewall between bean-counters and editorial. What would have happened if Politico.com hadn't reported this?
maintaining journalistic integrity costs between $25,000 to $250,000, part of that fee I'm sure goes to maintaining the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing policy. The WPost is honest in the same sense a politician is -once bought, stays bought.