Huff Post wants to be 'all-purpose digital newspaper' - and it takes $5 million in extra funding

The Huffington Post is looking to broaden its range beyond the war in Iraq and domestic US politics by adding sections devoted to lifestyles, business, media and entertainment.

To achieve this end The Post has taken a second round of funding, according to Paid Content, again a $5 million investment from previous investors: Softbank, Capital, Greycroft Partners, CEO and co-founder Ken Lerer and the Pilot Group.

Investment has helped the staff grow from three to 43 full-time employees and place The Post as the fifth-most-linked-to blog on the internet, according to Technorati.

Despite wanting to become an 'all-purpose digital newspaper' the site won't deviate too far from being politics driven, claimed its founder.

While seen as the strong liberal, anti-war voice in the blogosphere, in an interview with USAToday, Arianna Huffington said that she would welcome more conservative voices to The Post - even suggesting that former White House aide Karl Rove could join the fray, should he wish, with no restrictions on what he wrote.

However, the piece added that the Post has no intention to start paying bloggers for their work.

"That's not our financial model," said co-founder Lerer. "We offer them visibility, promotion and distribution with a great company."

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