Post Cancels Off-the-Record 'Salons'

(NEWSER) - As they wipe the egg off their face, Washington Post executives are probably wondering why they got slammed so badly for selling access to Washington bigwigs and Post reporters at "salons" at the publisher's home. At least two other news organizations—the Wall Street Journal and the Economist—are doing much the same thing, Politico reports. More»

For $25,000, lobbyists can meet with lawmakers, WaPo staff

(NEWSER) - Lobbyists who pay $25,000 to $250,000 can attend off-the-record Washington Post gatherings with administration officials, members of Congress, and members of the paper's staff, Politico reports. The offer, described on a flier passed along by a lobbyist, “essentially turns a news organization into a facilitator for private lobbyist-official encounters,” writes Mike Allen. “An evening with the right people can alter the debate,” says the flier. “Bring your organization’s CEO or executive director literally to the table.” More»

(NEWSER) - The latest newspaper to cut back on business coverage and stock listings is the Washington Post, Reuters reports. The paper will stop publishing a standalone daily business section and beef up its Sunday section, according to an internal memo. The executive editor spun the cuts as a move to integrate business and general news coverage, saying it “reflects the centrality of economic news, as well as the increasing overlap of political and economic events, in today’s world.” More»

Ousted by Murdoch, Brauchli, 46, heading to Washington

(NEWSER) - The Washington Post has picked Marcus Brauchli, a former top editor at the Wall Street Journal, as its executive editor, sources tell the New York Times, with a formal announcement coming later today or tomorrow. The 46-year-old Brauchli replaces the outgoing Leonard Downie, 66, and represents a dramatic generational shift under the new, 42-year-old publisher. More»

Downie presided as Internet transformed newspapers, media

(NEWSER) - The Washington Post's executive editor is retiring, he said today, after a 17-year run that included many prizes, painful staff cuts, and the rise of the Internet. A low-profile but highly respected figure, Leonard Downie Jr. told his staff he would miss the paper. "At the same time I'm ready to do this, because so much further change now needs to take place at the newspaper and Web site, and someone else should be tackling that." More»