By: Newspaper publisher Washington Post Co. spent $91,000 in the first six months of 2007 to lobby the federal government, according to a disclosure form.
The company lobbied Congress and the White House on various issues, including a proposed federal shield law to protect reporters from being forced to reveal their sources, according to the form posted online Sept. 21 by the Senate's public records office.
Such protections, which are now granted by 32 states and the District of Columbia, would give government whistle-blowers more reason to reveal corruption when they know that journalists are protected from prosecutors' efforts to divulge information, First Amendment advocates have said.
The bill, known as the Free Flow of Information Act, has been introduced in the House and Senate.
The company also lobbied on several education issues, including the federal No Child Left Behind Act and a spending bill for Washington, D.C.
Under a federal law enacted in 1995, lobbyists are required to disclose activities that could influence members of the executive and legislative branches. They must register with Congress within 45 days of being hired or engaging in lobbying.
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