Posted on 07/07/2009 7:38:42 AM PDT by La Lydia
The Washington Post yesterday initiated internal reviews to ensure that its business practices do not compromise its journalistic ethics when the newspaper organizes conferences or private events funded by sponsors.
The reviews follow the revelation last week that The Post was planning private, off-the-record dinners at the home of publisher Katharine Weymouth for which it was seeking sponsors to pay $25,000...
Weymouth yesterday appointed the newspaper's general counsel, Eric Lieberman, to review the discussions that led to the controversy. The review, along with a parallel inquiry by Executive Editor Marcus Brauchli and Senior Editor Milton Coleman, are is aimed at avoiding another episode that could damage the paper's reputation....
In meetings with Post journalists yesterday, Brauchli acknowledged that the dinners themselves, not just the material promoting them, were problematic and should have been rejected during their planning. A newspaper that prides itself on covering the intersection of power and money should not be creating a venue for such activity, he said.
"We should be in the business of shining bright lights on dark corners, not creating the dark corners," Brauchli said.
Many news organizations have ventured into the lucrative event and conference business in recent years to try to find new sources of revenue for their declining print and online operations. The Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the Economist, the New Yorker, Newsweek (owned by The Washington Post Co.) and dozens of trade magazines host events that feature their journalists in panel discussions and interviews with newsmakers.
Unlike The Post's canceled dinners, these events are open to the public and on the record, meaning that journalists are free to report any statements made.
The Atlantic magazine, however, has staged more than 100 events over the past six years...
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
“Controversy”? What “controversy”? There’s no doubt what was about to happen.
shocked, shocked, that gambling is going on here
Best laugh of the morning!
Unless the publisher and the entire editorial staff either resign or are fired, it just proves once again that Liberalism is a mental disorder.
“The review, along with a parallel inquiry by Executive Editor Marcus Brauchli and Senior Editor Milton Coleman, are is aimed at avoiding another episode that could damage the paper’s reputation....”
ROTFLMAO ... damage the paper’s reputation? Too fricking late to worry about that.
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