Post Cancels Off-the-Record 'Salons'

Washington Post publisher Katharine Weymouth today nixed the “salons” aimed to sell lobbyists access to off-the-record gatherings of administration officials, members of Congress, and Post journalists, the paper reports. “This should never have happened," said Weymouth. Fliers advertising the meetings "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.”

Executive editor Marcus Brauchli said earlier he was “appalled” by the offer and that the newsroom wouldn’t take part in such meetings. Post execs say the fliers were likely created by “overzealous marketing executives who acted without newsroom approval,” Howard Kurtz writes. Contrary to what the fliers suggested, “we do not offer access to the newsroom for money,” said Brauchli.
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