Syndicate to Offer Excerpts from Huffington's Celeb-Filled Blog

By: Dave Astor Tribune Media Services will syndicate daily excerpts from the Huffington Post soon after the group blog's scheduled May 9 launch.

The blog (E&P Online, March 31) is named after author and TMS columnist Arianna Huffington. It will feature occasional or frequent contributions from more than 250 prominent people, including Warren Beatty, Jon Corzine, Walter Cronkite, Larry David, Nora Ephron, James Fallows, Gary Hart, Vernon Jordan, Diane Keaton, Norman Mailer, David Mamet, Gwyneth Paltrow, Arthur Schlesinger, and Mort Zuckerman.

"I can't think of any other site doing exactly what Arianna is envisioning," said John Twohey, TMS vice president for editorial and operations, when reached by E&P this morning. "It's a pioneering effort to aggregate daily commentary from many, many high-profile Americans."

The interactive blog, which plans to generate revenue via ads, will also include breaking news.

TMS will distribute excerpts from the blog seven days a week, noted Twohey, who said the package's exact starting date has not yet been set. Included will be "bite-sized" offerings as well as longer pieces. Twohey said the content -- which the blog's contributors have given permission to redistribute -- will be edited by the blog and then by TMS staffers before it's made available to newspaper print editions and newspaper Web sites. Clients can "pick and choose" from the content, said Twohey, and use it in Op-Ed, lifestyle, and other sections.

Twohey doesn't yet know how many clients the "Huffington Post" package might have. "But the potential is enormous," he said. "Newspaper editors are paying attention to what's going on in the blogosphere. And the package will give newspapers access to some very provocative material from a blue-ribbon group. It's a 'who's who' of people in many fields." Much of the lineup is liberal, but there will also be some conservative voices -- including Tony Blankley, editorial page editor of The Washington Times and a columnist with Creators Syndicate.

Why not just read the blog rather than its syndicated version? "The package is a 'best-of' service," said Twohey. "It's going to reflect what we think are the most interesting and compelling parts of the site every day."

Huffington, a former conservative who now writes from a liberal perspective, has authored 10 books. She ran as an independent in the 2003 California gubernatorial race won by Arnold Schwarzenegger, finishing fifth in a field of more than 100 candidates.