'Wash Post' Ombud Calls Dinner Plan 'Monumental' Lapse

By: Greg Mitchell He told our Joe Strupp two days ago that, deeply troubled by the incident, he was planning an expanded column for this weekend, and Washington Post ombudsman Andrew Alexander may good on that promise today. The Post put up online his Sunday column, which blasts the paper's plan for pay-for-access (off the record) dinners at the publisher's house. The dinners, or "salons," were hastily canceled after they came to light thanks to a leak from, of all people, a lobbyist.

Alexander opens the piece in dramatic fashion:

"The Washington Post's ill-fated plan to sell sponsorships of off-the-record 'salons' was an ethical lapse of monumental proportions.

"Publisher Katharine Weymouth and Executive Editor Marcus Brauchli have now taken full responsibility for what was envisioned as a series of 11 intimate dinners to discuss public policy issues. For a fee of up to $25,000, underwriters were guaranteed a seat at the table with lawmakers, administration officials, think tank experts, business leaders and the heads of associations. Promotional materials said Weymouth, Brauchli and at least one Post reporter would serve as 'Hosts and Discussion Leaders' for an evening of spirited but civil dialogue.

"While Brauchli and Weymouth say they should have realized long ago that the plan was flawed, internal e-mails and interviews show questions about ethics were raised with both of them months ago. They also show that blame runs deeper. Beneath Brauchli and Weymouth, three of the most senior newsroom managers received an e-mail with details of the plan.

"Lower down, others inside and outside the newsroom were aware that sponsored events would involve news personnel in off-the-record settings, although they lacked details. Several now say they didn't speak up because they assumed top managers would eventually ensure that traditional ethics boundaries would not be breached.

"Neither Weymouth nor Brauchli can recall anyone raising concerns, although both say they wish someone had.

"They were all aboard a fast-moving vehicle that, over a period of months, roared through ethics stop signs and plowed into a brick wall."

The full column can be found here.