Washington DC Adult Entertainment: Access scandal echoes beyond Post
Written on July 4, 2009 – 12:25 pm | by larrylibido
According to Bennet, “sponsors of the session here go to events and have the same opportunities to ask questions as everybody else.” But the Atlantic, like other news organizations, charges big money for such gatherings, though anyone can head to the website for regular festival dispatches or clips of panels and interviews.
POLITICO has also collaborated with sponsors such as the ACLU and Yahoo in holding public events. But each has been open to the public and press – a critical distinction according to John F. Harris, POLITICO’s editor-in-chief.
“My view is that it is the job of news organizations to illuminate public issues, and do so in a public way,” Harris wrote in an e-mail. “Sponsored events, in which editors set the agenda and the proceedings are transparent, can do this effectively. It is not our job to serve as a kind of escort service to facilitate private encounters between special interests and public officials.”