Post shoots self in ethical foot (Marketing ploy backfires on Post)

Washington Times ^ | July 3, 2009 | Jennifer Harper

[La Lydia]

A marketing scheme backfired on The Washington Post on Thursday, forcing the newspaper into uncharacteristic mea culpa mode. A headline in The Post itself tells all: "The Post's 'Salon' Plan: A Public Relations Disaster."

In an age of excruciating transparency, revelations that the newspaper planned to pair up political insiders, business leaders, Obama administration officials and Post reporters for cozy, off-the-record "salons" at the home of publisher Katharine Weymouth generated immediate, corrosive buzz -- and lots of reaction.

A color publicity flier obtained by Politico revealed that The Post would charge up to $250,000 for these "collegial" encounters, billed as "extensions of The Washington Post brand of journalistic inquiry into the issues."

The pile-on began. Immediate coverage from news organizations and bloggers took its toll. Within hours, The Post announced that the "policy dinners" were canceled, forcing the newspaper's brass into the spotlight to explain the bungle...

[La Lydia]

The publisher, the editor, the ombudsman all are backtracking and covering their collective butts as fast as they can. But someone has really bad judgment, and THEY GOT CAUGHT.

[Boiling Pots]

They still think they were right to do this, the only reason why they’re not is because it’s become a “A Public Relations Disaster.”

[TommyDale]

The Washington Post HAS no ethical feet.

[Erik Latranyi]

But someone has really bad judgment...

Sorry, I don't buy that.

This is today's media on display for all to see in its naked truth.....allied with liberals to control the news.

[advertising guy]

the Devil’s Advocates all

[elpadre]

and I wonder if Obama played a role - could the Post and Obama Administration be co-conspirators?

[devane617]

The ‘floated’ ballon did not work. They will now regroup, clean it up a bit, and come back with a plan that will work.

[Starboard]

I know someone who works for the Washington Post. They openly and freely admit that its a biased, left wing paper.

[Starboard]

and I wonder if Obama played a role - could the Post and Obama Administration be co-conspirators?

What would be surprising is if they weren't!

[Larry381]

"This should never have happened. The fliers got out and weren't vetted. They didn't represent at all what we were attempting to do. We're not going to do any dinners that would impugn the integrity of the newsroom"

Now that's funny.

[La Lydia]

They were offering access to BO administration officials in exchange for money. You do the math.

[COBOL2Java]

"This could be the opportunity we've been waiting for to appoint that 'Media Czar' and take over the news organizations!"

[Don Corleone]

They were offering access to BO administration officials in exchange for money. You do the math.

This is without a doubt the most corrupt government, both R and D , ever in our 230 plus years.

[ArtyFO]

Katey got her t!t caught in a ringer on this caper. Her grandmother must be embarrassed.

[Nip]

“Things like this happen all the time. Sometimes the paper gets paid and sometime it doesn’t”

Until the D&DMSM (dead and dieing MSM) clearly identify, immediately below the title in regular size font, what parts of their paper have been paid for and by whom there is no reason to think they are telling the truth about anything anywhere. This includes the editorial and opnion pages. They are wondering why no one is buying their product?

“Things like this happen all the time. Sometimes the paper gets paid and sometime it doesn’t”

Enough said!

[tanknetter]

They were offering access to BO administration officials in exchange for money. You do the math.

Pay. To. Play.

[jiggyboy]

Note that this cough-up-your-coffee bad idea was the best thing they could come up with, had many many meetings over, pondered every phrase, every paragraph break, every comma repeatedly, and put forward as their money maker.

[Dr. Ursus]

The Madam was just setting the price!

[billhilly]

“I know someone who works for the Washington Post. They openly and freely admit that its a biased, left wing paper.”

Stop the presses. OOPS! My mistake. No news here.

[elpadre]

no calculus needed - just arithmetic.