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                                                                      EXHIBIT 24
                                Power of Attorney
                Reports Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

                                                                   March 9, 2000

                        KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS that each of the
undersigned directors and officers of The Washington Post Company, a Delaware
corporation (hereinafter called the "Company"), hereby constitutes and appoints
DONALD E. GRAHAM, ALAN G. SPOON, KATHARINE GRAHAM and JOHN B. MORSE, JR., and
each of them, his or her true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents with full
power to act without the others and with full power of substitution and
resubsti-tution, for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, in any
and all capacities, to sign any and all reports required to be filed by the
Company pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and any and
all amendments thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and
agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and
every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises
as fully and to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in
person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and
agents or any of them, or their or his or her substitute or substitutes, may
lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.




                                                    
/s/ Donald E. Graham                                   /s/ George J. Gillespie
- -------------------------------------------            ---------------------------------------------
Donald E. Graham, Chairman of the                      George J. Gillespie, III, Director
Board and Chief Executive Office
(Principal Executive Officer)
and Director


/s/ Alan G. Spoon                                      /s/ Ralph E. Gomory
- -------------------------------------------            ---------------------------------------------
Alan G. Spoon, President, Chief                        Ralph E. Gomory, Director
Operating Officer and Director


/s/ Katharine Graham                                   /s/ Donald R. Keough
- -------------------------------------------            ---------------------------------------------
Katharine Graham, Chairman of the                      Donald R. Keough, Director
Executive Committee of the Board
and Director


/s/ John B. Morse, Jr.                                 /s/ Barbara Scott Preiskel
- -------------------------------------------            ---------------------------------------------
John B. Morse, Jr., Vice President-                    Barbara Scott Preiskel, Director
Finance (Principal Financial and
Accounting Officer)


/s/ Warren E. Buffett                                  /s/ William J. Ruane
- -------------------------------------------            ---------------------------------------------
Warren E. Buffett, Director                            William J. Ruane, Director


/s/ Daniel B. Burke                                    /s/ Richard D. Simmons
- -------------------------------------------            ---------------------------------------------
Daniel B. Burke, Director                              Richard D. Simmons, Director


/s/ James E. Burke                                     /s/ George W. Wilson
- -------------------------------------------            ---------------------------------------------
James E. Burke, Director                               George W. Wilson, Director