Contact: Don Marshall, 703.469.2721 (don.marshall@wpni.com)

(For Immediate Release)

washingtonpost.com Launches Largest Homepage Ad Unit Available on Any Major News Site
Marriott International and American Airlines First to Take Advantage of New Unit

Arlington, VA - April 1, 2004 - washingtonpost.com today launched a new ad unit that offers advertisers the largest amount of homepage space available on any major news site. Marriott International, Inc. is the first advertiser to take advantage of the new unit. In addition, American Airlines is scheduled to begin using the ad.

The Homepage Marquee sits on the right-hand side of the washingtonpost.com homepage and will be alternated with other ad units. The new ad is the same dimension as the "half page" ad, which runs on the article pages of washingtonpost.com and other news sites. This size of ad is favored by marketers for presenting compelling brand messages.

"The large amount of space offered by the Hompepage Marquee allows advertisers to produce brand ads that very effectively grab the attention of users," said Caroline Little, CEO and Publisher of Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive. "The Homepage Marquee creates a large and compelling advertising experience without infringing on the user experience or editorial space."

"Unique and innovative media opportunities are a vital part of showing our guests what's distinctive about Marriott," said Deborah S. Fell, Senior Vice President of Marketing Strategy and Integration for Marriott International. "This positioning in washingtonpost.com provides a compelling way to demonstrate what's exciting and new about the Marriott brands."

"We know that bigger is better online in terms of creating brand impact and results," commented James A. Hering, SVP and Director of TM Interactive, the Dallas agency representing American Airlines. "This new unit located on the homepage is a great example of a publisher pushing the edge of the online ad industry to deliver a breakthrough presence for our client."

The new ad unit can be viewed today on the washingtonpost.com homepage, or by visiting www.washingtonpost.com/marquee.

The ad takes advantage of the fact that most washingtonpost.com users have adopted higher screen resolution settings that create unused space within their Web browser.

Little continued, "This is another way in which we are creating unique and powerful ways for great advertisers like Marriot and American to connect with our great audience."

washingtonpost.com is an award-winning news, information and entertainment resource on the Web. The site offers the day's Washington Post, continually updated news coverage, breaking stories and extensive original content, as well as a growing suite of cultural, community and commerce services that make it the definitive guide to Greater Washington. washingtonpost.com is published by Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive, the online publishing subsidiary of The Washington Post Company. (NYSE:WPO).