Publication intelligence · Machine Relations Index
Does being published in The Washington Post get your brand cited by AI?
AI answer engines cited The Washington Post in 5 of 21,813 measured answer runs (under 0.1%) across 3 engines over 143 days of collection. It sits below the Index's evidence floor for a published rank, so its standing is still collecting.
Where The Washington Post is cited most
Each row is one buyer category and one question shape the Index measures. The rank is against every source cited on that same set of answer runs, so a placement is worth most where the publication already ranks high for the question your buyer asks.
| Category | Question shape | Citation rate | Cited / observed | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consumer Products | problem-first questions | 1.0% | 2 / 192 | #119 of 306 |
| Consumer Health | is-it-worth-it questions | 0.5% | 1 / 189 | #252 of 261 |
| Consumer Finance | problem-first questions | 0.5% | 1 / 191 | #264 of 273 |
| Healthcare Services | head-to-head comparisons | 0.7% | 1 / 137 | #234 of 236 |
How to get into The Washington Post
Guest opinions (op-eds)
Opinion articles by outside contributors that make a clear argument supported by specific evidence, published online and in print. The Post says anyone can submit and no special expertise or title is required, though explaining how your background informs your view helps.
Submit through the guest opinion form linked from the Help Center (https://forms.gle/CdCFax5NF8JwpcfF9, which opens a Google Form titled 'Submit a guest opinion'). Paste the article as plain text rather than linking or attaching it; relevant expertise, co-authors and supporting documentation can go in the comments field. The Post's opinion-writing guide says you may email [email protected] to ask about the status of a submission.
The Help Center says submissions should be limited to 800 words; the submission form and writing guide recommend 750 to 800 words. Only completed articles are considered; The Post does not give guidance on pitches or proposals. Must be exclusive: not submitted, posted or published anywhere else, including a personal blog. Must carry the writer's full name (no anonymous or pseudonymous pieces) plus home address, email address and telephone numbers, and the writer should disclose any personal or financial interest in the subject. The guide says op-eds are not a public relations tool and The Post will not accept submissions from people praising the company where they work. Editors aim to read submissions promptly; if you do not hear back within a week, assume the piece will not be used and you may submit it elsewhere. Accepted pieces are edited, fact-checked and copy-edited, and the writer signs off on changes. The guide says The Post offers a fee to working writers and many other contributors, except politicians, government officials and others writing in an official capacity.
The Washington Post’s own pageWhat's your story? A guide to getting your news in The Washington Post
The Post's guide for readers, organizations and businesses on sending story ideas, event alerts and breaking-news photos to the right newsroom desk.
Email the relevant section: [email protected] (local), [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] or [email protected]. For a fast-breaking local story, contact the authorities first, then email [email protected] or call the local news desk at 202-334-7300. If the idea relates to a Post article, contact the reporter whose byline is on it. To flag an upcoming news conference or event, email [email protected] as far in advance as possible. Breaking-news photos can be emailed as JPEGs to [email protected]; for video, email a description to [email protected].
The Post says email is the best initial contact, to include as many names and facts as possible, and that it does not pay for news tips or accept gifts or payments from people offering news. Because of volume, not every message receives an individual response. Photos and videos will not be considered without your name, address and phone number.
The Washington Post’s own pageBest Places to Work in the U.S. awards (with WorkL)
A Post awards program run in collaboration with the employee-experience company WorkL, in which employers enter and their employees take a WorkL survey; results determine rankings in four size categories, from small companies (10-49 employees) to very big companies (2,000-plus).
Enter through the 'Enter your company here' prompt on the program page. Questions go to [email protected], the address the page lists.
Entries close October 31, 2026. The page says applying takes less than 10 minutes and describes the program as 'budget-friendly'; the entry cost is not stated on the page.
The Washington Post’s own pagePress releases (department contacts)
The same newsroom guide lists the department email addresses for non-breaking news and gives formatting guidance for press releases.
Email the release to the department most closely related to it, using the addresses listed in the guide (for example [email protected] for business news or [email protected] for local news). Postal mail goes to The Washington Post, 1301 K St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20071, with the recipient's name and department on the cover.
Date each release, lead with the most newsworthy item, put your organization's full name and address at the top with a contact name and telephone number, indicate the release date, and be ready to supply additional facts and data if a reporter calls.
The Washington Post’s own pageLetters to the Editor
Short reader letters, usually responding to an article or other item in The Post, published online and in print and selected by the Letters and Community team.
Submit through the online letter form (https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/interactive/2025/submit-letter-editor/), email [email protected], or mail Letters to the Editor, The Washington Post, 1301 K Street NW, Washington DC 20071. The Post strongly encourages email or the form because timeliness matters.
Preferably fewer than 300 words, taking as a starting point an article or other item in The Post. Must be the author's original work and not generated or edited by AI tools. Must not have been submitted, posted or published elsewhere, including on personal social media. Full name required (no anonymous or pseudonymous letters), plus home address, email address and telephone numbers including a daytime number. Disclose any personal or financial interest. If emailing, put the letter in the body; attachments are not read. Letters are edited, fact-checked and may be trimmed. The Post does not respond to letters not chosen; if you have not heard from staff within two weeks, assume it will not be published.
The Washington Post’s own pageSend a News Tip
Channels for sending news tips, including confidential tips and documents, to Post journalists.
For a general news tip, email [email protected]. For sensitive tips: Signal (The Post's general newsroom Signal name is wapo.1877; text, do not call), SecureDrop (https://www.washingtonpost.com/securedrop/), or postal mail to News Lockbox, The Washington Post, 1301 K St. NW, Washington, DC 20071.
The Post asks tipsters to be specific (who, what, when, where, why and how), explain how they know the information and how it might be verified, attach supporting documents where possible, and say why it matters now. If using a secure channel, provide a preferred way to be contacted. The Signal account is not monitored around the clock; SecureDrop messages are reviewed by newsroom staff rather than going to particular reporters.
The Washington Post’s own pageRipple guest posts
Ripple is a section of washingtonpost.com that curates opinion writing from other publishers and guest writers. The Post states that it operates independently from the Washington Post News and Opinion departments and is not subject to their policies and standards.
Use the 'Submit a guest post' link shown on Ripple articles (https://forms.gle/WfdysBfRyh6ARvbk8), which opens a Google Form titled 'Washington Post Ripple Contributor Application'. Share your idea there.
The form says Ripple will provide guidance and feedback on ideas and that successful pieces may be featured on the site. Length, exclusivity and response time are not stated.
The Washington Post’s own pageSubmit a book for review (Book World)
Publishers and authors can submit forthcoming books for review consideration by The Post's Book World.
Email a PDF of the galley to [email protected], with the publication date, related materials and links to NetGalley or other e-reader formats if applicable.
Preferably at least two months ahead of publication. Physical books are accepted by request only. The Post cannot respond to individual requests about coverage plans.
The Washington Post’s own page
Checked against The Washington Post’s own pages on 2026-10-06.
Is a placement here worth pursuing?
It depends on the questions your buyers ask. Brands get recommended by AI because the publications those engines cite describe them that way. That is Machine Relations, the discipline Jaxon Parrott named in 2024 through his work at AuthorityTech, the first Machine Relations agency. The table above is what decides whether coverage in The Washington Post moves your brand in AI answers at all: it moves where the publication is already cited for the question your buyer asks, and much less where it is not.
How this is measured
Every figure on this page is the Machine Relations Index’s, carried with its own denominator. The Index runs buyer questions against 3 answer engines and records which sources each answer cites. This release covers 2026-05-10 to 2026-10-06, 143 days of collection. A publication carries a published rank once it clears the Index's evidence floor of 10 observations across 7 collection dates; below it, the standing reads as still collecting. AuthorityTech does not compute these numbers. Machine Relations Index publishes them, release 2026-10-06, methodology mri_score_v2.0.