It seems lobbyists will have to influence-peddle the old-fashioned way – sneakily – now that the red-faced, cash-strapped  Washington Post has cancelled [1] its planned series of "salons" offering access to policy-makers in exchange for a modest $25,000. (See below.) The leaked fliers for the events caused an uproar among people who seem to think news, and the opinions that inform it, should not be for sale.

"We do not offer access to the newsroom for money," said editor Marcus Brauchli, who attributed the snafu to "a lack of effective communication internally." "We just are not in that business."