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.

x close
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.

PubliCola Adds Life

News   April 3, 2009 at 5:52 pm Chris Kissel

MONDAY

This week began with the Senate’s announcement of next year’s operating budget. And then it started raining press releases.

I also got the chance to dive headlong into some wonky stuff: Rep. Jim McDermott’s unusual and ambitious alternative to Obama’s cap-and-trade plan.

TUESDAY

The House introduces its own version of next year’s budget. The unions don’t know what to do with themselves.

We debut Money Where Mouth Is, our new podcast honoring the hardworking and thankless drudges of the non-profit sector. Steven Blum grills Stacey DeLong on working at Planned Parenthood and the hazards of dating a dude in a band.

FoodNerd expresses her love for Anthony “just tellin’ it like it is” Bourdain.

The House’s transportation budget announcement could mean trouble for Sound Transit, but it definitely means a campaign opportunity for County Exec Candidate Larry Phillips.

WEDNESDAY

BookNerd tackles one of the age-old questions of booknerddom: Cheever or Barthelme?

Sen. Lisa Brown (D-Spokane) foreshadows her noteworthy chat with reporters.

THURSDAY

Chatter about a new state income tax for the rich picks up, culminating in one extremely noteworthy moment: Sen. Lisa Brown’s press conference, in which she called Washington State’s tax system “unfair” and talked some more about a “millionaire’s tax”

Josh compares the state budget and the King County budget, but finds few answers.

More from me on House legislation that challenges the Obama cap-and-trade model, this time from Rep. Jay Inslee (D-WA,1).

MusicNerd records emo troubadour Cataldo–a sweet dude with some really sweet tunes–in his basement, and shares the awesome results in this week’s column.

FRIDAY

Republicans (or the only Republican left with a pulse) fire back at Sen. Brown’s “millionaire’s tax” proposal.

O-Nerd on the President’s trip to London: “Obama shot a rainbow out his ass and bewitched crybabies France and China to agree on regulating tax havens. Oh snap! France just got charmed, Obama-style.”

FilmNerd thinks Skills Like This‘s cuteness can’t save it from being boring and predictable. But at least it’s cute?

Since it’s Friday, don’t forget to check out PubliCola TV and PubliComix.

There you have it, the week in review. And because Editor Josh likes that every week ends with a girl and a guitar:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6i6rBpDzMc&feature=related[/youtube]


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

    Embedding disabled by request…

    Some girls and their guitars just aren’t beddable.

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

    Embedding disabled by request…

    Some girls and their guitars just aren’t beddable.

  • Julie

    “Sandeep Kaushik, Spiritual Adviser, Guitars”

    You are deceiving visitors to this site by not including “spokesman for Mayor Nickels” in this description of Sandeep’s role at Publicola. You can do all the trust us we’re real journalists bullshit you care to engage in. But Sandeep works for Nicklels politician and through him Publicola is tainted by it’s association with the Mayor Nickels machine.

  • Julie

    “Sandeep Kaushik, Spiritual Adviser, Guitars”

    You are deceiving visitors to this site by not including “spokesman for Mayor Nickels” in this description of Sandeep’s role at Publicola. You can do all the trust us we’re real journalists bullshit you care to engage in. But Sandeep works for Nicklels politician and through him Publicola is tainted by it’s association with the Mayor Nickels machine.

  • http://publicola.net/ Josh Feit

    Julie,

    We disclosed Kaushik’s role as Nickels’ campaign spokesman.

    If you read our coverage of the mayor’s race—including this post on how cool it is that McGinn bikes around town

    http://publicola.net/?p=3983

    and our post on Mike McGinn’s statement about Nickels’ questionable environmental record (i.e., Nickels supports a tunnel, supported the 182 miles of roads in the roads and transit initiative, and hasn’t gotten Seattle to meet the Kyoto protocol itself) http://publicola.net/?p=3943—you'll see that Nickels has no advantage here.

    You should check out all our coverage of McGinn. We were excited about his candidacy. We’ve also hyped the possible Steinbrueck run against Nickels.

    http://publicola.net/?p=3856
    http://publicola.net/?p=3765
    http://publicola.net/?p=2643
    http://publicola.net/?p=2670

    I get that you’re concerned about Kaushik’s influence. But I assure you Kaushik has zero editorial influence over our campaign coverage.

    If you continue to read PubliCola’s coverage, you’ll see that’s true.

  • http://publicola.net/ Josh Feit

    Julie,

    We disclosed Kaushik’s role as Nickels’ campaign spokesman.

    If you read our coverage of the mayor’s race—including this post on how cool it is that McGinn bikes around town

    http://publicola.net/?p=3983

    and our post on Mike McGinn’s statement about Nickels’ questionable environmental record (i.e., Nickels supports a tunnel, supported the 182 miles of roads in the roads and transit initiative, and hasn’t gotten Seattle to meet the Kyoto protocol itself) http://publicola.net/?p=3943—you'll see that Nickels has no advantage here.

    You should check out all our coverage of McGinn. We were excited about his candidacy. We’ve also hyped the possible Steinbrueck run against Nickels.

    http://publicola.net/?p=3856
    http://publicola.net/?p=3765
    http://publicola.net/?p=2643
    http://publicola.net/?p=2670

    I get that you’re concerned about Kaushik’s influence. But I assure you Kaushik has zero editorial influence over our campaign coverage.

    If you continue to read PubliCola’s coverage, you’ll see that’s true.