Whatever one's politics--the P-I or the Times, the Washington Post or the Washington Times--the loss of a newspaper diminishes a city and the people who live there. If the P-I closes, It will be a sad day for Seattle.

Well, here we are. This is truly tragic. As one who has followed the headlines and the content of both papers, I'm afraid we are now a one paper town, and that paper sucks. Like the Spokesman Review is to Spokane. It's going to to be hard to get news about Seattle with The Weekly gone scruffy, East Coast Lite, and The Times, reporting with one-eye opened, and that eye is blind. Good luck cattle-prodding the Mayor to do anything civic-minded, and finding any news about changes in your neighborhoods.
Journalism in Seattle is going to be like a blind hooker in a roomful of garden hoses.

The Stranger is our only hope.

Very well written, Eli.

your report of Boardman running to Franks office is total BS. Either fiction or a source with a vivid imagination. And I saw no reporter running out the door in tears. people were shocked but very unemotional

Allan Wood, I pray the Stranger isn't the 'only hope'.

Nothing epitomizes the unlikeable hip-smug-conceited 'aren't we cool and satisfied with ourselves' Seattle vibe like this rag. Nice for dining suggestions. Nice for the odd music or movie review or even internal Seattle politics article. Best for what's going on in the city and ad sections.

The Stranger as a news source? Maybe for the local gaggle of metro-sexual males, aging hippies, graying new-agers and vegans it's great. For serious news seekers? Give me a break.

Seriously, it would be nice to have another paper run by grown-ups not have to rely on a bunch of hipster doofuses.

You're wrong: Hearst has yet to "give up" on the P-I, and all indications are the paper will continue online - as increasingly more papers will. Not a death, a rebirth.

I still don't understand how the Times developed this reputation of it being some conservative newspaper. I'm pretty sure Karl Marx is their editor.

Yes, the re-birth of what was once a free online component to a newspaper, will now become subscriber based. Will you be willing to pay for what has been and should remain free press? Missoula Montana is a one daily papper town. Has been for years! The Missoulian is now dying a slow corporate death, search Lee Enterprises. Read and Give thanks for the Missoula Independnet!

Never forget that the Times endorsed George Bush.

One wonders what the mood was at the stranger, since the masthead has spent so much energy pissing on that that has been before.

Tabloid escort rags will not be the future of urban daily news.

So, what about the editorial staff of The Stranger, "Seattle's Only Newspaper"? Are you guys doing a little happy dance at the thought of a few more hard copies being picked up and taken home, in the absense of the PI to sate us Times haters?

The Times endorsed Dino Rossi as well as Bush. It is definitely regressive as opposed to progressive. The Times also made the joint operating agreement very difficult for the P-I.

We need two major papers in a city this size. Is there anything we can do to save the P-I?

The PI Building would make a great location for lofts & condos.