Is It News?: The Washington Post Bars Its Newspaper Bags for Dog Poop

The Washington Post announced today that it is prohibiting the use of its
plastic newspaper bags for the collection of dog poop.  The Washington Post is
taking this action because it believes that using its bags for dog poop harms
its reputation and image.  "We're in the news business," Post executive editor
Nathan Aldridge said.  "We are not a dog poop disposal service."  Aldridge
added, "People are free to use The New York Times' plastic bags for Fido and
Fluffy."

The Post noted that plastic bags that have been used to collect dog poop cannot
then be recycled.  "This new policy is also a green policy," Aldridge said.

Beginning next month, Post newspaper bags will have a license agreement on them
that says, "Readers and subscribers agree not to use this bag for the collection
of dog feces or other animal waste, and they further agree not to use this bag
in any way that degrades, harms or damages the reputation of the Washington Post
or its subsidiaries."

When asked what would actually happen to people who violated the Post's new
license agreement, Aldridge said, "Probably the same thing that happens to
people who remove mattress tags.  They have to live with the worry that one day
they'll be found out and punished."

The Post will be making a separate announcement next month regarding the use of
its paper as the lining for bird cages.

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Is It News?, written by Bill Adler, is the Cleveland Park Listserv's humor
column. You can read Is It News? at www.cleveland-park.com and
www.alllifeislocal.com.