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

(For Immediate Release)

washingtonpost.com Begins New User Registration Initiative and Launches Customizable E-Mail
New Registration Will Allow for Precise Targeting of Ads

February 3, 2004 - Arlington, VA - washingtonpost.com today announced that it has launched a registration initiative that builds on the site's current registration efforts. Users will now provide information about the type of business they work for and the type of work they do. In addition, each user will have a unique username and password, allowing the user to sign in and out of the site. At the same time, the company announced that it is offering a new, customizable e-mail newsletter.

"We are evolving our registration system to create even more powerful ad targeting capabilities," said Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive (WPNI) CEO and publisher Caroline Little. "Without question, registration has been an important contributor to the success of online advertising at washingtonpost.com. We are confident that this new registration initiative will help to continue the remarkable growth we've seen in ad revenue."

According to The Washington Post Company's earnings release, local and national online advertising revenues at WPNI grew 59 percent in 2003.

Little continued, "The data we collect will create more powerful advertising opportunities and provide value for our users. The information will help us to continually improve the user experience through developing more products that meet their needs. Users will also benefit from a simple, one-time sign-in process and easy access to our wide selection of e-mail newsletters."

The new registration initiative is the next step in the company's efforts to allow for precise targeting of ads. In August of 2002, washingtonpost.com began asking users for their age, gender and Zip code (or country). For complete access to washingtonpost.com, users will now provide four additional pieces of information: job title, primary responsibility, job industry and company size. In addition, users will provide their e-mail address and a password, which they will use to sign in and out of the site.

The registration form remains straightforward and easy to complete. After filling out the required fields, users will be able to select from a variety of newsletters, including a new, customizable headlines e-mail. "Today's Headlines and Columnists" allows users to choose from hundreds of news topics and columnists and get a daily e-mail that includes all of the information they want. Users can also subscribe to 11 other e-mail newsletters that cover specific topics, including the current elections, personal technology, entertainment and more.

"Our newsletters offer a quick and customizable way for people to stay on top of the news that matters to them," Little said. "Because newsletters will be combined with the new registration, we expect the number of people signing-up will jump dramatically."

The new registration initiative begins today and will be rolled out across washingtonpost.com over a period of several weeks. When the roll-out is complete the vast majority of washingtonpost.com pages will be accessible only if a user has provided the requested information. Users will be able to access the home page without interruption, and will be able to log in or out of the site at any time. Users will have the option to remain logged in so that they do not have to provide their username and password every time they visit the site.