Washington Post scraps plans for 'salons' after uproar

The White House said Sebelius hadn't decided whether to attend.

The Post said it would not release a list of public officials who'd been invited to the dinners.

Like many newspapers, the Post is searching for new revenue sources to compensate for sagging advertising income. Experts in journalism ethics said this venture went too far. A paper that built its reputation as a watchdog, holding public officials to account, appeared to be using its prestige to give corporate interests special access to politicians.

Little in the way of news was likely to emerge. The events were to be "off the record," meaning nothing revealed at the dinners could be reported. Although Post reporters would be present, they could be counted on to be "nonconfrontational," the fliers promised.

A Post reporter interviewed Thursday said the newsroom was "furious" about the plan. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the reporter said the ethics code at the paper is so strict that if reporters get so much as a coffee mug from someone they cover, they must donate the gift to charity.

"The whole thing stinks, but the money was the worst part. I was always taught that's the line you never cross," the reporter said.

Tom Rosenstiel, director of the Project for Excellence in Journalism, said in an interview: "The problem here for the Post is pretty simple, and that is, a news organization derives its credibility from the idea that it's operating in the public interest -- it's trying to gather information and make it public.

"By holding off-the-record events for money, it's hard to see how that generates any knowledge for the public. And it potentially undermines its claim that its first loyalty is to the citizen."

The Post's leaders said the dinners were not what they had envisioned.

In a statement, Weymouth said the flier was "prepared by the marketing department and was never vetted by me or by the newsroom. Had it been, the flyer would have been immediately killed, because it completely misrepresented what we were trying to do."

Weymouth, granddaughter of legendary Post Publisher Katharine Graham, said the newspaper would continue to search for new revenue streams, "but we will pursue only avenues that uphold our high standards of journalism."

Post Executive Editor Marcus W. Brauchli said in a statement: "We will not participate in events where promises are made that in exchange for money the Post will offer access to newsroom personnel or will refrain from confrontational questioning. Our independence from advertisers or sponsors is inviolable."