'Politico' Announces More Staff, Circulation, and Coverage

By: Joe Strupp Politico, which didn't even exist two years ago, is ready to expand its print publication, beef up White House and congressional coverage, and increase staffing to more than 100 people, according to an announcement Monday.

A release on the change claimed it would result in a "major post-election expansion designed to broaden its coverage of Washington governance and national politics."

The move comes as Politico, both in print and online, is positioning itself to be a major political news source for daily papers. After covering the recent political conventions through a content-sharing arrangement with hometown newspapers in St. Paul, Minn., and Denver, Colo., Politico launched a content-sharing network that has already been signed up by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Philadelphia Inquirer.

"Our goal is simple: We want to offer readers the fastest, smartest, most authoritative coverage of Washington in the nation period," Politico Publisher Robert Allbritton said in a statement. "These are important times and we plan to unleash the best reporters in the country on the most important story: how the new Congress and president govern in this historic period."

Specifically, beginning in 2009, Politico will increase print publication from three to four days while Congress is in session, boost circulation from about 27,000 to 32,000, and expand its staff from 85 to more than 100.

"The paper will remain predominantly focused on Capitol Hill (it is hand delivered to every office and top staffer) and add new high-level congressional editors and reporters," the announcement stated. "But it also will become the only Capitol Hill paper to be delivered to every top White House official as well as senior members of the Cabinet and top departmental officials."

On Nov. 5, Politico promises to launch a new White House team as well as a Web page called "POLITICO 44," pegged of course on the incoming 44th president.

"Politico plans to have one of the largest rosters of White House reporters in the country and provide minute-by-minute coverage of the new president - starting with the transition to power the day after the election," the release stated. "POLITICO 44 will provide readers inside and outside the Beltway a new and exciting way of gaining insight into the policies, politics, and key players central to the new administration."

Mike Allen, a former Washington Post and Time reporter, will head the White House team. It will also include reporters Eamon Javers, formerly of Business Week; Jeanne Cummings, formerly of The Wall Street Journal; bloggers Jonathan Martin and Ben Smith; and Carrie Budoff Brown, who has covered the Obama campaign for Politico.