Thursday, July 02, 2009

Washington Post Sells Access for $25k+ (Updated)

The Politico's Mike Allen is reporting that the Washington Post is distributing fliers to lobbyists asking them to pay $25,000-250,000 to attend a July 21 dinner at the home of Post CEO Katharine Weymouth. The Post promised attendance by senior Obama officials, members of Congress and even the paper's own reporters and editors. The newsroom later backed out but the editorial staff did not. Read the amazing story here.

All of this comes in the wake of the Boy King scandal. Does this organization have no shame?

Update: The dinner has been canceled and the Post's ombudsman calls the affair a "public relations disaster." No word on how much longer the Post's other PR disaster - the Boy King - will continue.

Update 2: Here is White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs's comment on the scandal.