Blogs May 9, 2012 at 3:20 pm

PubliCola Folds, Writers Head to Crosscut.com

Dominic Holden
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Comments

1
Hopefully no one has to resort to stealing wine...
on May 9, 2012 at 3:24 PM Report this
2
Now wherever will Seattle Times writers and second floor staff post their dislike of the Mayor, bikes, parking and light rail? Alas.

I kinda saw this coming, though. Maybe it was too obvious with the pledge begging but maybe I was just far too cynical about their model given who their backers were and how the narrative on PubliCola jumped around a lot.
Baconcat on May 9, 2012 at 3:26 PM Report this
3
Someone needs to warn Crosscut to lock up its valuable (or at least its Hooch) before they let ECB through the door...
You_Gotta_Be_Kidding_Me on May 9, 2012 at 3:27 PM Report this
4
Herp derp wine bottle derp shoplifting herp derp derp
TVDinner on May 9, 2012 at 3:34 PM Report this
5
@ 4 - Thank you.

Good luck, former PubliCola writers!
merry on May 9, 2012 at 3:36 PM Report this
6
Best to them. I wish I'd liked their site more. It had great stuff sometimes but I just never warmed to it. So many fucking asshole commenters, too. You think we get it bad sometimes, you shoulda seen who flocked over there some days.
gloomy gus on May 9, 2012 at 3:40 PM Report this
7
Shame. When they were on, they were ON, but let themselves get too bogged down in some of the ultra green Cascade Bike Club level stuff that most people don't care about. We need 50% more articles about city hall, the council, SPD, and 50% less articles about cars, parking spaces, and bicycles on the new site.
Joe Szilagyi on May 9, 2012 at 3:41 PM Report this
8
@6 I will always say that the very odd reluctance to police or curb the lunatic asylum that took over the comments section is what drove away a LOT of hits for them, along with the reduced over time output. There was a time they'd put up 10, 15, 20 articles a day, and you'd get 30, 40, 60 comment deep discussions as a matter of course. By the end it was 5-10 articles a day and 20 comments of anonymous sociopaths all going bonkers like it was Fox Nation's bowels.
Joe Szilagyi on May 9, 2012 at 3:43 PM Report this
9
crosscut is where writing goes to die, I tried adding to my feeds but the subjects and the style are terrible.
meanie on May 9, 2012 at 3:44 PM Report this
10
@2 for the win.

My guess is the commenters are the same ones that post to the PI and the Times sites.

Where will they go for their daily Hate Seattle And Our Mayor fix?
Will in Seattle on May 9, 2012 at 3:48 PM Report this
11
+1, @4 & @5.
rob! on May 9, 2012 at 3:49 PM Report this
12
Terrible news.

ECB is one of my favorite local journalists, next to a few Stranger staff. Unlike @7 I love all of the parking/bike/transit stuff. I'll miss Publicola, but man I won't miss the comment section. If I were a bit more conspiracy-minded I might think it was an active right-wing campaign to kill Publicola.
Matt the Engineer on May 9, 2012 at 3:53 PM Report this
13
If they can wrest away the public schools editorials from David Brewster, ECB and AJF will improve Crosscut.
Keister Button on May 9, 2012 at 4:05 PM Report this
14
What does it say for the future of electronic journalism when a site that is basically a "serious Slog" (run by two Slog veterans) fails, while Slog keeps on, er, slogging? If I was an egomaniac I'd say "well, obviously, you gotta have Fnarf". But I would never.
Fnarf on May 9, 2012 at 4:06 PM Report this
15

Speaking of business...how in the world does Crosscut survive?
Supreme Ruler Of The Universe on May 9, 2012 at 4:07 PM Report this
16
@14, I have to suppose that the ads on Slog and in the Stranger paper edition help. And if Index Newspapers LLC has even a small slice of the Dan Savage syndicate, that couldn't hurt a bit.
gloomy gus on May 9, 2012 at 4:20 PM Report this
17
@14 it says they didn't have ads on every page and they lacked cool pix.

Advertising is what pays the bills. Always has been. Always will be.
Will in Seattle on May 9, 2012 at 4:24 PM Report this
18
I'm not sure this will be an improvement for Crosscut.

Brewster has aimed for "good journalism that is accurate, fair, civil, and transparent" and generally Crosscut has hit the mark. It remains to be seen how openly biased and fact-fudging writers like ECB will fit into that ethos.

Crosscut is also a non-profit, which prohibits open political advocacy (nominally).
kitschnsync on May 9, 2012 at 4:39 PM Report this
19
They're going to hire a "former Seattle newspaper editor"? That's code for Dan Savage, right?
Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn on May 9, 2012 at 4:41 PM Report this
20
@15: Donations, grants, and ad revenue. I'm proud to support Crosscut. The non-profit model of online journalism is very promising.
kitschnsync on May 9, 2012 at 4:44 PM Report this
21
Fnarf: Is Slog "keeping on slogging?" Not so sure. Page hits are in the tank.
Fifty-Two-Eighty on May 9, 2012 at 4:54 PM Report this
22
@18, Crosscut is a non-profit? That's going to create problems with partisan activities -- for instance, advocating any one candidate over another is verboten.
Fnarf on May 9, 2012 at 4:56 PM Report this
23
#12- Totally agreed. I used to check Publicola every day but I couldn't stop myself from scrolling and looking at the awful comments, which were so depressing I had to stop myself from reading the site altogether.

I'd like to name it the "Mr. Poe Effect" after the commenter who got me to stop reading Slog for a good 9 months.
raku on May 9, 2012 at 4:59 PM Report this
24
Yep, they went non-profit in 2008. Smart move on Brewster's part.
kitschnsync on May 9, 2012 at 5:03 PM Report this
25
@23, for the record, if Mr. Poe were to someday return to Slog I would dive in here TWICE AS OFTEN.
gloomy gus on May 9, 2012 at 5:12 PM Report this
26
Amen to that, Gus. Nay, THRICE as often for me.
Fifty-Two-Eighty on May 9, 2012 at 5:26 PM Report this
27
@25 and 26, God yes, I'd kill for Mr. Poe.
brian on May 9, 2012 at 5:37 PM Report this
28
@19 The Weekly says the secret editor to come is David McCumber, the ex-P-I guy.
http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/dailyweek…
menace2society on May 9, 2012 at 6:29 PM Report this
29
Best of luck Josh & Erica. You filled a niche that wasn't being served and I, for one, will miss it.
M. Wells on May 9, 2012 at 7:08 PM Report this
30
The best part of PubliCola: No Fnarf or WiS.
DOUG. on May 9, 2012 at 7:27 PM Report this
31
Losing Publicola is a tragedy for anyone interested in or employed in politics.
J.R. on May 9, 2012 at 9:20 PM Report this
32
Totally not sad to see it go. Fizz, jolt, blech.
Aislinn on May 10, 2012 at 1:58 AM Report this
33
I've always liked ECB's knowledge and opinionated approach to transportation and urban planning issues, and I liked the way that Publicola took a more in-depth look.

I'm sorry they couldn't make Publicola work, but on the bright side, they'll bring some much-needed city-dwelling fresh blood to Crosscut, which should start looking a little less like a parking lot for the Volvos of old Seattle Weekly writers.
TLjr on May 10, 2012 at 5:24 AM Report this
34
my name is taint, and when i was 34 i stole publicola.
tainte on May 10, 2012 at 5:38 AM Report this
35
I'll miss publicola, but they endorsed Tom Carr to re-election. And the comments section was depressing.

@21 - they are? Where's your data? Just curious how you come to make that observation.

Pridge Wessea on May 10, 2012 at 6:40 AM Report this
36
@27 - don't say that or he'll send you a hit list
NaFun on May 10, 2012 at 8:40 AM Report this
37
I, too, really appreciated ECB's bike activism and is what I miss most about her here on Slog/The Stranger. I do NOT miss Josh's inside baseball/petty controversy peddling/inanities reporting on state and local government. Like Jonah, his seemed like a waste of reportorial talent with no real beliefs of his own. Fittingly, Jonah is now a stenographer for the SPD and Josh is at Crosscut where real opinion and drive is frowned upon.
NaFun on May 10, 2012 at 8:46 AM Report this
38
@35 - I don't doubt they endorsed Tom Carr just to get at Dominic.
NaFun on May 10, 2012 at 12:00 PM Report this

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