A Letter to Our Readers (WaPo's Weymouth: "dog ate homework" - Dinosaur Media DeathWatch™)

The Washington Post ^ | July 5, 2009 | Katherine Weymouth

[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

[Chode]

do I really have to say it???

[GAB-1955]

We, the plebeians, are not allowed to hold TEA Parties because of thousands of petty government restrictions. They, the rich, can buy access to the Washington Post and the movers and shakers. We are nothing, they are all.

Gee, Post People, do you know how many people I see reading your paper on the Metro every morning?

Not many.

How many read the free Express?

More.

Hoe many read the conservative and free Examiner?

Not as many as the Express, but many more than the Post.

When you are reduced to a Web site, then the Washington Times will have caught up with you.

What a shame. You ruined a great paper. My grandad printed it. My dad and I delivered it in our days. Shame.

[maggief]

The disgraced newspaper now has its own “gate.”

WaPogate

[angkor]

>>>> My grandad printed it. My dad and I delivered it in our days. Shame. <<<<<

I had both a Post and an Evening Star paper route in my teens.

Funny, one of my relatives almost took a job in the Post pressroom, but ultimately went to work for another daily newspaper. I believe it was during the strikes of the late 70’s.

[abb]

You’re on to something here.

SalonGate
WeymouthGate
KatherineGate

[maggief]

I like WaPoGate.

It puts the black eye on the entire newspaper.

We need to give the disgrace a brand. Make it stick.

[abb]

Somewhere in Heaven, you just know Richard Nixon is having a good weekend...

[maggief]

Ironic, isn’t it?

:)

[abb]

Kurtz’s “Reliable Sources” in on CNN now. It will be interesting to hear what he says about this - or if he even talks about it.

[maggief]

Howie talking to TMZ about ethics ... and “money changing hands.” Unreal.

[maggief]

Coming up next ... from Watergate to WaPoGate. (my title)

[abb]

He said the absolute minimum he could get away with. Substitute Fox News for WaPo and Bush Administration for Obama and tell me what the rest of the State-Run Media would be doing now?

[maggief]

Yeah, he almost made them seem honorable for tabling the salons.

[GOPJ]

“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.”

You're right.

We're left with two choices:

she's lying

or

she's incompetent.

[GOPJ]

I just read about a half dozen of the comments on the WaPo site and they are amusing. Posters are accusing the paper of rightwing bias and doing what republicans want!!! I wonder if these posters are living in the Code Pink house on Capitol Hill?

Many of the writers are Democrat trolls (empolyees of dem PR firms). They provide "cover" for newspapers. Anyone working in a paper can fool themselves into thinking "if both sides are complaining, it's a wash". And since members of the press don't want to see themselves as bised one sided bigots, they buy the message.

Here's a hint to the manipulated members of the press: Look around your newsroom - did more than 1% of the people where you work vote for McCain in the last Presidential election?

[maica]

How true! Hence my tagline.

[martin_fierro]

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.

Don't worry, blondie.

I lost faith in your independence/integrity loooong before this.

[abb]

http://semanticcaucus.blogspot.com/
What’s that line about to a hammer ev... (UPDATEDx2)

[abb]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/organgrinder/2009/jul/05/murdoch-newspapers-press
Papers in crisis pick and choose their principles

[Clay Moore]

“No I didn’t. Honest... I ran out of gas. I, I had a flat tire. I didn’t have enough money for cab fare. My tux didn’t come back from the cleaners. An old friend came in from out of town. Someone stole my car. There was an earthquake. A terrible flood. Locusts. IT WASN’T MY FAULT, I SWEAR TO GOD.”