NYT [New York Times], WP [Washington Post] send each other copies of their next day's A1

Editor & Publisher via Poynter.org ^ | 9/14/2005 | Jim Romenesko

[GeneD]

Joe Strupp says this "secret arrangement" began in the early 1990s. "It seemed logical, because for years we would always try to get a copy of each other's papers as soon as they came out," says Post executive editor Leonard Downie Jr. "It made sense to both of us to make it simpler for everybody."

[GeneD]

Here's a link to the Editor & Publisher story.

I like a free and independent press, don't you?

[mewzilla]

The Old Media is dead. Long live the New Media.

[Grampa Dave]

Does this source have to be excerpted?

If not, can we post the whole story?

Thanks

[Peach]

As you said, so much for a free and independent press.

So the Washington Post and NYT share each other's front pages, before they go to print. Nice arrangement.

[hsalaw]

Crap is crap, no matter who prints it first.

[GeneD]

If you're talking Editor & Publisher, for my part I have no idea, and I went with the Romenesko post because I figured that was okay -- and it was short too. And I did include a link.

[Grampa Dave]

With all of the disappearing links re Katrina and other Rat foibles, we need to post entire stories if legal here on Free Republic.

Thanks for posting this. This confirms what many of us have felt.

[Jhensy]

Like two criminal accomplices making sure they have their stories straight beforehand.

[So Cal Rocket]

Like two criminal accomplices making sure they have their stories straight beforehand.

Get out of my mind... those were my EXACT thoughts when I read this.

[conservativewasp]

I just thank God there's no leftist media conspiracy at work undermining our country.

[rollinginmybuggy]

In the full article they mention the fact that these 2 and the LA Times are all 3 in a cat by themselves in competition with each other.

What cat?

And what are they competing for?

Am I the only one who sees them becoming more open about their agenda?

[USS Alaska]

Prior to the collapse of the ussr, both the post and the times got their page A1 direct from pravda {elminated all confusion}. Commie ratbastards.

[longtermmemmory]

If this were another industry, we would see anticomptition suits.

[rollinginmybuggy]

I have never bought one single copy of these 3 toilet paper publications not have I ever registered at their websites.

My disgust for them has no bounds.

[OESY]

And if General Motors, Ford Exchanged Their Product Plans Each Day?


Editor & Publisher reports on a cozy little deal made by The Washington Post and The New York Times in which the two MSM giants let each other know in advance what their most important product - the Front Page - will be, every day.

"As part of a secret arrangement formed more than 10 years ago, the Post and Times send each other copies of their next day's front pages every night.
"The sharing began as a courtesy between Post Executive Editor Leonard Downie Jr. and former Times Executive Editor Joseph Lelyveld in the early 1990s and has continued ever since.
"'It seemed logical, because for years we would always try to get a copy of each other's papers as soon as they came out,' Downie tells E&P. 'It made sense to both of us to make it simpler for everybody.' Lelyveld, who left the Times in 2001, declined comment."

In any other industry, this would be called "collusion" and the Times and Post editorial pages would be in high dungeon, demanding anti-trust investigations by the Department of Justice. Go here for the full E & P report.

Can you imagine what the outrage would be if it were Microsoft and Apple exchanging their product plans every day? Or GM and Ford? Hertz and Avis?

Are there other areas in which the Post and Times decided to play nice with each other? After all, it wasn't that long ago that the two papers co-owned The International Herald Tribune, so there is precedent for extensive cooperation.

They often compete on many fronts despite being in two different cities. Two such examples that come immediately to mind are national advertising accounts and, of course, national politics and government.

So the public should know if these two media giants have secretly divided up national advertising accounts? Agreed on who would cover which government agencies most aggressively? Coordinated recruiting operations? Exchanged lists of favored politicos and of those targeted for tough treatment?

After all, what's the difference between a "gentleman's agreement" to fix gasoline prices and two gentlemen in the media agreeing to tell each other their biggest trade secret, every day?


posted by Mark Tapscott, http://tapscottscopydesk.blogspot.com/2005/09/and-if-general-motors-ford-exchanged.html