Allbritton Communications' Metro D.C. News Site Gets a Name

By: E&P Staff Allbritton Communications? metro D.C. news site finally has a name: TBD.com.

?We came very close to securing a name more than once, but each time an obstacle -- a divided staff, a greedy domain holder, a trademark problem -- blocked the way,? a posting at tbd.com reads. ?In a mixture of humor and frustration, Editor Erik Wemple began signing his emails, ?Editor, TBD.com.??

The moniker stuck, and will be the site?s official name as it launches in June.

?Traditional journalism says you answer the five W?s in a story: Who? What? When? Where? Why? We?ll answer them, but perhaps a couple at a time, with the rest TBD,? the postcontinues. ?We?ll be honest with our community about what we know and what we don?t know. We?ll tell you what questions we?re still pursuing and tell you how you can help us find the answers.?

Tbd.com will boast a staff of 50, including 20 reporters and seven members of a community engagement team. Erik Wemple and E&P?s 2010 Editor of the Year Steve Buttry will be on hand in key leadership positions.

Buttry was cited by E&P in February for his leadership in transforming the newsroom not simply to adapt new technology to newsgathering, but to engage the community in deeper ways reflecting the two-way communication that is today's media reality.