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Washington Post Sells Access

By Kleinheider Posted on July 2, 2009 at 9:00 am

To them AND the Obama administration:

For $25,000 to $250,000, The Washington Post is offering lobbyists and association executives off-the-record, nonconfrontational access to “those powerful few” — Obama administration officials, members of Congress, and the paper’s own reporters and editors.

The astonishing offer is detailed in a flier circulated Wednesday to a health care lobbyist, who provided it to a reporter because the lobbyist said he feels it’s a conflict for the paper to charge for access to, as the flier says, its “health care reporting and editorial staff.”

The offer — which essentially turns a news organization into a facilitator for private lobbyist-official encounters — is a new sign of the lengths to which news organizations will go to find revenue at a time when most newspapers are struggling for survival.

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Comments

4 Responses to “Washington Post Sells Access”

  1. Stan Scott writes
    July 2nd, 2009 9:19 am

    This means for $25,000 to $250,000 lobbyists and association executives can work with The Washington Post to ensure the Obama administration’s health care efforts are coordnated with members of Congress (read where to put campaign money), and the paper’s own reporters and editors. The paper will be a conduit for the “party line” and do so at a profit.

  2. jim voorhies writes
    July 2nd, 2009 11:38 am

    Hmmm. Can you say “Conflict of Interest” boys and girls? I knew you could.

  3. Loveforsale writes
    July 2nd, 2009 11:48 am

    A disgusting betrayal of the principles of journalism, and the purpose of a free press. Whatever happened to journalists who comfort the afflicted, and afflict the comfortable??? Is it the other way around now?

  4. Mike Samoose writes
    July 2nd, 2009 5:22 pm

    Change you can believe in!? Democrats would sell their soul if they thought it would get them more power. You got to love Obama’s version of integrity.

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