Washington Post's New High-Tech Who's Who In Government

Does your job ever require you to find out information about government officials? Help may be on the way.

WhoRunsGov.com is a new Washington Post foray into Internet publishing that could help ethics officers perform factual research. The site intends to provide in-depth biographical information about key government officials. It includes a blog, and in the future will operate as a moderated Wiki:

This initial beta version of the site allows users to discuss officials’ policy profiles. A range of additional interactive and collaborative capabilities will be added when the site expands to become a moderated wiki later this year. 

At this later date, users will be invited to submit suggested additions and revisions to the text of specific profiles based on reputable published sources or authoritative information. To ensure accuracy and reliability of the site’s information, the editorial team will review each submission before it is published.

If they are successful in attracting the right kind of public contributor, the moderated Wiki feature could give this web site a level of detail and accuracy no paper publication can match.