The Washington Post's ombudsman, Andrew Alexander, has weighed in on SalonGate -- the story broke by Politico today about how the paper was selling access to lobbyists.
Alexander has proclaimed it "pretty close to a public relations disaster."
For a storied newspaper that cherishes its reputation for ethical purity, this comes pretty close to a public relations disaster.
Makes you wonder what a full-blown PR fiasco would look like.
In the meat of the ombud's column he reveals that the guy who came up with this not-so-brilliant scheme was somebody named Charles Pelton.
The flier came out of the office Charles Pelton, who joined The Post recently to find ways to generate business through conferences and events. The Post, like many struggling newspapers, is desperately seeking new sources of revenue.
“There’s no intention to influence or peddle,” Pelton said this morning. “There’s no intention to have a Lincoln Bedroom situation,” referring to charges that President Clinton used invitations to stay at the White House as a way of luring political backing.
Alexander quotes Pelton as saying he cleared this with folks in the newsroom. And then there's some back and forth about who said what to whom and when they said it and how something might have been unclear or misconstrued.
Which sounds to me not so much like "pretty close to a public relations disaster" so much as FUBAR.
It'll be interesting to see who gets thrown under the bus for this one.