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A Letter to Our Readers (WaPo's Weymouth: "dog ate homework" - Dinosaur Media DeathWatchâ„¢)
The Washington Post ^ | July 5, 2009 | Katherine Weymouth

Posted on 07/05/2009 3:11:51 AM PDT by abb

I want to apologize for a planned new venture that went off track and for any cause we may have given you to doubt our independence and integrity. A flier distributed last week suggested that we were selling access to power brokers in Washington through dinners that were to take place at my home. The flier was not approved by me or newsroom editors, and it did not accurately reflect what we had in mind. But let me be clear: The flier was not the only problem. Our mistake was to suggest that we would hold and participate in an off-the-record dinner with journalists and power brokers paid for by a sponsor. We will not organize such events. As publisher it is my job to ensure that we adhere to standards that are consistent with our integrity as a news organization. Last week, I let you, and the organization, down. The Washington Post remains committed, now and always, to the highest standards of journalistic integrity. Nothing is more important to us than that, and nothing will shake that commitment.

So what happened? Like other media companies, The Post hosts conferences and live events that bring together journalists, government officials and other leaders for discussions of important topics. These events make news and inform their audiences. We had planned to extend this business to include smaller gatherings, a practice that has become common at other media companies.

From the outset, we laid down firm parameters to ensure that these events would be consistent with The Post's values. If the events were to be sponsored by other companies, everything would be at arm's length -- sponsors would have no control over the content of the discussions, and no special access to our journalists.

snip

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Extended News; News/Current Events; US: District of Columbia
KEYWORDS: access; advertising; blunders; dbm; newspapers; wapo; weymouth; wp
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"I'm shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here!"
1 posted on 07/05/2009 3:11:51 AM PDT by abb
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To: 04-Bravo; aimhigh; andyandval; Arizona Carolyn; backhoe; Bahbah; bert; bilhosty; Birch T. Barlow; ..

ping


2 posted on 07/05/2009 3:12:45 AM PDT by abb ("What ISN'T in the news is often more important than what IS." Ed Biersmith, 1942 -)
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To: abb
Here at FreeRepublic we have never doubted her integrity. There is none.

Μολὼν λάβε


3 posted on 07/05/2009 3:15:31 AM PDT by wastoute (translation of tag "Come and get them (bastards)" and the Scout Motto)
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To: abb
we were selling access to power...

Now who are you gonna believe, me or your lying eyes?
4 posted on 07/05/2009 3:18:04 AM PDT by SpaceBar
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To: SpaceBar

Selling? Nah...

It was a rent-to-own deal!


5 posted on 07/05/2009 3:21:16 AM PDT by abb ("What ISN'T in the news is often more important than what IS." Ed Biersmith, 1942 -)
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To: abb

I’m only sorry I got caught!


6 posted on 07/05/2009 3:23:04 AM PDT by Dr. Ursus
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To: abb

Katherine....you’re a damned liar.


7 posted on 07/05/2009 3:23:30 AM PDT by DCPatriot ("It aint what you don't know that kills you. It's what you know that aint so" Theodore Sturgeon))
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To: abb

theres no doubt, we’re knows you guys lack any independence and integrity


8 posted on 07/05/2009 3:25:23 AM PDT by 4rcane
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To: abb

Textbook behavior of a cornered rat.


9 posted on 07/05/2009 3:27:21 AM PDT by SpaceBar
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To: abb

http://bloggerinterrupted.com/2009/07/connies-sunday-column-deploys-army-of-strawmen
Connie’s Sunday column deploys army of strawmen

http://www.lvrj.com/opinion/49971882.html
THOMAS MITCHELL: Saving the media pros from the Web parasites

http://industry.bnet.com/media/10002943/the-bleeding-edge-of-media-business-models/
The Bleeding Edge of Media Business Models

http://www.mobilefun.ws/geeks-vs-journalists-a-tale-of-two-worldviews/
Geeks vs. journalists: A tale of two worldviews

http://karendecoster.com/?p=4344
Posner : Put the Kibosh on the Internet

http://www.cleveland.com/schultz/index.ssf/2009/07/idea_that_would_help_save_news.html
Idea that would help save newspapers makes bloggers howl


10 posted on 07/05/2009 3:35:26 AM PDT by abb ("What ISN'T in the news is often more important than what IS." Ed Biersmith, 1942 -)
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To: abb
These are the people (and their readers) who want you to believe that Sarah Palin is stupid.

This was a criminal conspiracy to peddle influence, undertaken by people too stupid to plan a liquor store hold-up.

Remember this brain-dead plan the next time someone on the left calls a conservative stupid.

11 posted on 07/05/2009 3:39:54 AM PDT by muir_redwoods ( How come when I press "1 for English" I still can't understand what's being said?)
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To: muir_redwoods

Democratic game plan-personal destruction,voter fraud and
ballot re-counting and power grabbing!
Republican game plan-NONE!


12 posted on 07/05/2009 3:46:01 AM PDT by Dr. Ursus
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To: muir_redwoods

Her MeeMaw (Katherine Graham) patented this stuff years ago when she was publisher of the WaPo.


13 posted on 07/05/2009 3:46:26 AM PDT by abb ("What ISN'T in the news is often more important than what IS." Ed Biersmith, 1942 -)
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To: abb

Not to mention that the publisher of the Washington Compost is - in this pathetic mea culpa - officially calling the paper’s sources “power brokers.”

Which means Katherine Weymouth considers that term a legitimate job description.

There’s something strange about the publisher of an alleged top-tier newspaper officially characterizing people in that manner.

Which means that this is how publisher Katherine Weymouth actually does perceive these people. Who were to hold court (a “salon”) in her own home. For a fee.

Which clearly means that it was her idea.


14 posted on 07/05/2009 3:55:36 AM PDT by angkor
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To: abb
"I want to apologize for a planned new venture that went off track and for any cause we may have given you to doubt our independence and integrity."

Well, if that's true, it's a big stinkin' apology.

And that's a bit stinkin' "if."

15 posted on 07/05/2009 4:03:24 AM PDT by TheOldLady
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To: abb
What is most troubling about this is that the "apology" refers to the type of events that raised a howl are actually business as usual, this just got "off track" -- meaning, exposed.

The whole thing stinks of backroom deals, newspaper-guided news, and politicians basking in Romanesque hosting -- and this is presented as the way things are usually done.

It's still going to happen, obviously. It'll just be back "on track" -- under the radar.

16 posted on 07/05/2009 4:13:23 AM PDT by Quiller (When you're fighting to survive, there is no "try" -- there is only do, or do not.)
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To: abb

Flier or flyer ?


17 posted on 07/05/2009 4:13:59 AM PDT by Raycpa
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To: abb

“I’m shocked, shocked to find out that there is a dinner for rich lobbyists and government hacks scheduled for my home in two weeks.”
Sure, Katherine, we know a D.C. media lapdog for the Democrat party wouldn’t lie to us. (Do they know how ridiculous they are?)


18 posted on 07/05/2009 4:18:26 AM PDT by kittymyrib
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To: abb
guilty or not?


19 posted on 07/05/2009 4:19:32 AM PDT by Raycpa
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To: abb

Here are your winnings, sir.


20 posted on 07/05/2009 4:19:43 AM PDT by Lonesome in Massachussets (AGWT is very robust with respect to data. All observations confirm it at the 100% confidence level.)
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