HuffPo Inches Closer to Goal of Becoming Internet Newspaper

Arianna’s site launches travel section edited by Ken Auletta’s daughter

Last summer, when the Huffington Post was prepping the launches of its sports, tech and books sections, Arianna Huffington told me – and anyone who would listen – that her goal for HuffPo all along had been to create an Internet newspaper.

“We always knew that with our core values of news and opinion and community, we wanted to cover more than just politics,” Huffington said. “We needed to speak to more than that, to move like an Internet newspaper.”

On Wednesday, Huffington inched even closer, launching a travel section.

The section, HuffPost Travel, will be edited by Kate Auletta, the daughter of New Yorker writer and author Ken Auletta and former assistant features editor at “WSJ.” – the Wall Street Journal’s luxury magazine.

Today's front page has the typical page-view pandering mix of content ("The 8 Sexiest Subway Systems In The World (PHOTOS, POLL),"Charging Bison FLIPS Yellowstone Tourist") as well as timely links to news ("'Significant Turbulence' Injures 30 On Cross-Country Flight") and, of course, Arianna's own introductory post:

Some of my happiest moments — as well as my most enriching and enlightening moments — have come through travel: my first trip out of Athens when I was 11 (to Paris); my first trip to America when I was 16; traveling around India at 17, riding third class but getting a first-class education. It's why I'm delighted to announce the launch of HuffPost Travel, which will be both practical (hot deals, travel tips, hotel reviews) and inspiring — a reminder that travel can be a great way to unplug and recharge, and also to learn and grow. As Steinbeck wrote: "People don't take trips; trips take people."

The Huffington Post now adds travel to its “politics, media, business, entertainment, living, style, ‘green’ living, world news, technology, nonprofits, college life, books, religion, food, arts and comedy” coverage. HuffPo also publishes local verticals for Chicago, New York, Denver and L.A.

Next up — classifieds?

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