Washington Post: We’ll Allow No Dissent On Obama’s Inauguration Day
The Washington Post says that all ads to be run on inauguration day must be congratulatory of Barack Obama.
Everybody’s looking for a way to make some money off Barack Obama, and that includes the Washington Post. Reading this in FishbowlDC, it seems the Post web and classified ad departments came up with the idea of “giving readers the chance to send a personal message of congratulations to President-Elect Obama that can be read by millions,” according to an internal Post memo obtained by FishbowlDC. Starting at $10 per message — $5 a line, two-line minimum — you can send Obama your very best wishes. The Post anticipates between 2,500 and 3,000 messages which will appear online and in a special Inauguration Day issue. The online form includes a sample message:
Dear President Obama, Congratulations and welcome to Washington. I am so proud of our country and thrilled to be a witness of this historical event. Best wishes!
Look a little farther down, and you’ll see this stipulation:
All ads must be congratulatory in nature. The Washington Post reserves the right to reject any notice.
The Washington Post is a privately-owned media outlet and they can apply whatever standards they want to their decisions about advertising. And I can certainly understand them not approving any crass or insulting ads that might be submitted by those bitter about Obama’s victory. But even so…no criticism at all?
Seems like a stupid policy to me.
