'Wash Post' Will Drop Sponsorship Of 'Freedom' March (not)

[Logansquare]

'Wash Post' Will Drop Sponsorship Of 'Freedom' March If It Turns Political
Editor & Publisher
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001014300


By Joe Strupp

Published: August 12, 2005 3:30 PM ET

"NEW YORK The Washington Post has no plans to withdraw its co-sponsorship of a controversial Sept. 11 memorial walk being organized by the Department of Defense, according to Publisher Bo Jones. But, he said the paper would pull out if the event turns out to be some kind of pro-war or political march."<snip>

Post Executive Editor Leonard Downie, Jr. declined to comment on the paper's involvement, other than to say, "it does not affect our coverage."

"But Rick Weiss, a Post science reporter and co-chair of the Washington Post unit of the Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild, noted the hypocrisy of the paper's involvement, since it bars reporters from participating in partisan events. "It is dismaying, to say the least, that I can be fired for participating in a peace march while my employer feels free to co-sponsor an event that so blatantly beats the drum of war," Weiss stated."