MICROSOFT ANNOUNCES SLATE AS NAME OF NEW ONLINE PUBLICATION HEADED BY
MICHAEL KINSLEY

Kinsley Forms Executive Editorial Staff to Manage Slate

REDMOND, WASH. - APRIL 24, 1996 - Microsoft Corp. today announced that
Slate will be the name of its new online publication, with Michael Kinsley
as editor. To manage Slate's editorial content, Kinsley has selected an
executive editorial staff that includes Jack Shafer as deputy editor,
Jodie Allen as Washington, D.C., editor and Judith Shulevitz as New York
editor. Slate will draw from the community of leading journalists,
political and cultural figures, and policy makers to shape a timely and
potent editorial calendar.

"I chose the name Slate, as in the blank variety, because we could pour
meaning into it," Kinsley said. "It's short and crisp, and it suggests a
hard reality to counterbalance the amorphousness of cyberspace."

Slate plans to deliver high-caliber journalism to the Internet, providing
thoughtful commentary on public policy and culture. Slate's editorial
features, interactive forums and reviews will offer a decisive,
nonpartisan atmosphere for the culturally and politically engaged reader.

Shafer, who will be deputy editor, has a vast background in print media. He
was most recently editor of the San Francisco Weekly. Previously, Schafer
served for 10 years as editor of the Washington City Paper in Washington,
D.C., shaping it into a cultural and political force in the nation's
capital.

Allen, who will be Slate's Washington, D.C.-based editor, was previously
the editor of the Washington Post's influential Sunday "Outlook" section
of opinion and commentary. Before that, she was a member of the Washington
Post's editorial board. Allen has held numerous positions in the public
and private sectors, including work with the U.S. Secretary of Labor and
Chrysler Corp. She is a frequent guest on news shows on CNN, CSPAN,
National Public Radio and CBS' "Inside Washington."

Shulevitz, the New York editor of Slate, most recently was a columnist for
New York magazine and before that was the magazine's deputy editor.
Shulevitz began her editing career at Lingua Franca, a magazine about
academic and intellectual life. In 1993, with Shulevitz as co-editor,
Lingua Franca won a National Magazine Award for General Excellence.
Shulevitz is also a regular contributor to the New York Times Book
Review.

Slate will be published by Microsoft and is scheduled to premiere this
summer.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in
software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of
products and services for business and personal use, each designed with
the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take
advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.
 
 =========================================================
 From the 'New Product News' Electronic News Service on...
 AOL (Keyword = New Products) and Delphi (GO COMP PROD)
 =========================================================
 This information was processed from data provided by the
 company/author mentioned. For additional details, please
 contact them directly at the address/phone# indicated.
 Trademarks are the property of their respective owners!
 =========================================================
 All submissions for this service should be addressed to:
 BAKER ENTERPRISES,  20 Ferro Dr,  Sewell, NJ  08080  USA
 Email:   rbakerpc@aol.com   --or--   rbakerpc@delphi.com
 =========================================================
