Viva La Cola!

Founded in January 2009, PubliCola is a blog about Seattle written by journalists who are dedicated to non-partisan, original daily reporting that prioritizes a balanced approach to news. Started by longtime local editor and award-winning reporter Josh Feit, PubliCola is the first online-only news site in state history to get media credentials to cover the state capitol.

PubliCola was off and running. In June 2009, PubliCola hired another award-winning journalist, super-sourced Seattle city hall reporter Erica C. Barnett.

People were afraid that blogging would change journalism. Instead, we believe journalism can change blogging. Twenty-first century journalism may look and feel different, and yes Erica isn't afraid to get cranky, but we're committed to making sure online news still delivers independent, reliable, even-keeled coverage. And most of all, we're committed to making sure the coverage sparks honest civic debate.

Bringing you cola for the people, PubliCola is named after Publius Valerius PubliCola, the alias for the authors of the Federalist Papers—the original bloggers.

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The first online-only news site in state history to get media credentials to cover the state capitol and Seattle city hall, PubliCola has been called a “must-read” by the Seattle Post Intelligencer and a hot “New Media Mover and Shaker” by Seattle Magazine—which also cited our own Erica C. Barnett as the city's No. 1 news nerd.

Where was PubliCola? What is PubliCola?

News   January 23, 2009 at 10:35 am Josh Feit

1. We had a technical meltdown late yesterday afternoon and PubliCola was on the blink for about three hours between 4:30 and 7:30. Sorry about that. We’re still developing the site. And as we try to set things up, our server can freak out and taunt readers for hours with messages about reliable hosting.

 

2. Lots of people have asked me where I got the name PubliCola. Here’s the answer:

It’s a Federalist Papers reference.

I’m a big James Madison fan. One great thing about Madison is this: Along with Alexander Hamilton and John Jay, he wrote the Federalist Papers. ( I go as Madison every year for Halloween.)

 

I feel like Madison and his Federalist Papers co-horts were the first bloggers—posting their running set of screeds in the New York press in 1788 trying to convince the 13 states to ratify the Constitution. Madison also co-wrote the Constitution, man.  

The Federalist Papers-as-blog-entries conceit is heightened by the fact that each article was signed with a pseudonym.

Madison, Hamilton, and Jay’s pseudonym? “Publius.”

Publius was a reference to an early leader of the Roman Republic named Publius Valerius Publicola.


  • http://unclevinny.wordpress.com/ Uncle Vinny

    That’s a spectacularly unflattering photo, Josh. I applaud a man who would post such an image of himself!

    Thanks for the publicola explanation.

  • http://unclevinny.wordpress.com Uncle Vinny

    That’s a spectacularly unflattering photo, Josh. I applaud a man who would post such an image of himself!

    Thanks for the publicola explanation.

  • Obama Nerd

    Nice woman’s jacket.

  • Obama Nerd

    Nice woman’s jacket.