A while back I mentioned that the New York Times was now reasonably readable without registration, and that the newspaper is making a good run at being relevant in the web world. Now the Washington Post seems to be doing much the same thing, with results that are sometimes better and sometimes worse.
The Post appears to be pretty much completely readable for me without registering (though I do browse with cookies off by default). They have a very good editorial department, solid US and decent foreign coverage, with most of the writing seemingly done by their own staff. The latter point is especially telling to me, as I'm guessing it lets the Post set their own editorial standards. Even better, by writing most of their own content the Post guarantees that their web site (and newspaper) will have original, hopefully interesting new works. Contrast that with the San Jose Mercury News, which is pretty much just a jumble of syndicated content that I've read the day before.
The Post also has built an active community around their Talk, Global and especially On Faith sections. Their coverage of religion is especially interesting and in-depth, though some weeks their questions for discussion are a bit forced.
The biggest problem with the Washington Post's online experience is that the site is radioactive without a good ad-blocker turned on, and even then the main page is filled with "partner links," "sponsored blogs," "travel deals," "featured advertiser links" and on and on. I know that ads pay the bills, but there has to be a better way of presenting sponsored content.
If you can get past the tacky mesothelioma links, the Post is worth a daily visit.
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