The Seattle Times' contribution to journalism is the huge color photo on the front page of a person or a group of people looking sad or happy while in the background some blurred people are doing whatever it is that made that person or group of people sad or happy.
It's unfortunate. Of course, we cancelled our subscription awhile back, as I was able to talk my wife into it after they ran the Rossi ads. I hate not having a local daily paper, but subscribing to the Times is like paying someone to beat you and your family up. They have contempt for most people in Seattle and King County, and love funneling our money to the 1%.
I've thought for the past few years that the paper would fold in the second half of this decade, and I think they're right on schedule. That said, they do have some good journalists, and I feel sorry for them.
Everyone point and laugh as yet another borough closes down and your rely on your crazy aunt on your facebook newsfeed for news. The informed Republic weeps.
Though to be fair, it's partly because the Times and Oregonian are independently owned. The Detroit News, for instance, probably wouldn't have one if it weren't shared with other MediaNews papers.
@6 sums it up nicely. @12 has a good point of course. The Blethens have been doing a disservice to all of us. I feel sorry for the few honest reporters they have left, and they do still have great local stories, but the Times ceased being a service to society quite a while ago (when they endorsed Bush?).
A local news source is important, but the Times has been such a stinkbomb for just about ever. They were cheerleaders for some of the most awful ideas of our municipal history, including the demolition of the Pike Place Market and Pioneer Square. It's no wonder that people are indifferent to the publication.
My impression of the Seattle Times is a spam of b.s. they pick up from the A.P. plus some obnoxious editorials.
I've thought for the past few years that the paper would fold in the second half of this decade, and I think they're right on schedule. That said, they do have some good journalists, and I feel sorry for them.
So, what Sandiai said.