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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.

The PubliCola Comment of the Day Goes to…

News   July 30, 2009 at 8:29 pm Josh Feit

Lots of great threads today (and totally wonky!), but it’s impossible to ignore the firestorm on Erica’s post about Danny Westneat’s column on the disposable grocery bag fee.

3. LeeLu says:

I am constantly told by people with money how unfair this fee is (it’s not a tax) to people without money. However, I really don’t think that just because people don’t have money they don’t care about the environment. Or are somehow unable to re-use bags.

7/30/2009 AT 11:59 AM


  • Josh Takes Too Long to Moderat

    I disagree.

    First, let me say that you guys picked a comment without declaring your conflict. Publicola donated to the bag tax supporters. While you’ve declared your conflict previously, new readers might not know of your support.

    The comment below is the comment of the day

    7. Mr. X says:

    Right, CAMP is just filled with corporate shills who want to do nothing more than piss off their public sector funders who support this tax.

    That is one stupid accusation, pal.

    Maybe, just maybe, since CAMP works with poor people all of the time they understand their plight a lot better than a bunch of privileged white middle-class self-styled urban enviros do.

  • Josh Takes Too Long to Moderate

    I disagree.

    First, let me say that you guys picked a comment without declaring your conflict. Publicola donated to the bag tax supporters. While you’ve declared your conflict previously, new readers might not know of your support.

    The comment below is the comment of the day

    7. Mr. X says:

    Right, CAMP is just filled with corporate shills who want to do nothing more than piss off their public sector funders who support this tax.

    That is one stupid accusation, pal.

    Maybe, just maybe, since CAMP works with poor people all of the time they understand their plight a lot better than a bunch of privileged white middle-class self-styled urban enviros do.

  • http://publicola.net/ Josh Feit

    @1,

    Yes, as we’ve noted a couple of times on the site, we gave an in-kind contribution (a free ad) to the pro-bag fee campaign.

    Should have noted it again here.

  • http://publicola.net/ Josh Feit

    @1,

    Yes, as we’ve noted a couple of times on the site, we gave an in-kind contribution (a free ad) to the pro-bag fee campaign.

    Should have noted it again here.

  • Jeff

    I kind of like the idea of readers posting their own favorite comments of the day in the “comment of the day” thread, as @1 did above. Although some context would be good.

  • Jeff

    I kind of like the idea of readers posting their own favorite comments of the day in the “comment of the day” thread, as @1 did above. Although some context would be good.

  • http://www.americanchemistry.com/ American Chemistry Council

    We spent $165 million to study poor people and trust me, they can’t remember shit.

  • http://www.americanchemistry.com American Chemistry Council

    We spent $165 million to study poor people and trust me, they can’t remember shit.

  • Josh Takes Too long to Moderat

    @2
    Josh, you’re so conflicted, you forget to remind your readers of your conflicts.

  • Josh Takes Too long to Moderate

    @2
    Josh, you’re so conflicted, you forget to remind your readers of your conflicts.

  • Ian

    @5 Says the guy who doesn’t post with his real name. Pot meet kettle.

  • Ian

    @5 Says the guy who doesn’t post with his real name. Pot meet kettle.

  • http://www.bombasticmo.com/ BombasticMo

    Like

  • http://www.bombasticmo.com BombasticMo

    Like

  • http://publicola.net/ Josh Feit

    @5,

    I guess.

  • http://publicola.net/ Josh Feit

    @5,

    I guess.

  • maddog

    This will be one of those things long gone in the past–like “Did you know you could just get multiple plastic or paper bags when you bought groceries?!?” Bring it on. Enough of the massive waste…It will be on the lines of “Did you know everytime everyone flushed a toilet it wasted around 2 gallons of drinkable water!?! WTF!?!?!”

  • maddog

    This will be one of those things long gone in the past–like “Did you know you could just get multiple plastic or paper bags when you bought groceries?!?” Bring it on. Enough of the massive waste…It will be on the lines of “Did you know everytime everyone flushed a toilet it wasted around 2 gallons of drinkable water!?! WTF!?!?!”

  • maddog

    This will be one of those things long gone in the past–like “Did you know you could just get multiple plastic or paper bags when you bought groceries?!?” Bring it on. Enough of the massive waste…It will be on the lines of “Did you know everytime everyone flushed a toilet it wasted around 2 gallons of drinkable water!?! WTF!?!?!”

  • Leelu

    honored!

  • Leelu

    honored!

  • Leelu

    honored!

  • Jennifer

    Again, it might be helpful to have a disclosure button on the website so you don’t have to keep reigniting the conflict of interest discussion every time an article comes out or have to remind people that you forgot to post it again after telling them you’ve already posted it several times.

    It’s starting to make the comments unreadable.

  • Jennifer

    Again, it might be helpful to have a disclosure button on the website so you don’t have to keep reigniting the conflict of interest discussion every time an article comes out or have to remind people that you forgot to post it again after telling them you’ve already posted it several times.

    It’s starting to make the comments unreadable.

  • Jennifer

    Again, it might be helpful to have a disclosure button on the website so you don’t have to keep reigniting the conflict of interest discussion every time an article comes out or have to remind people that you forgot to post it again after telling them you’ve already posted it several times.

    It’s starting to make the comments unreadable.

  • Jeff

    @11 I agree. I’m not personally concerned with the apparent conflicts (it seems you guys have put the necessary safeguards in place), but all the complaints are very distracting.

    A permanent disclosure statement will put a lot (though not all) of the complaints to rest; and it isn’t a bad practice anyway.

  • Jeff

    @11 I agree. I’m not personally concerned with the apparent conflicts (it seems you guys have put the necessary safeguards in place), but all the complaints are very distracting.

    A permanent disclosure statement will put a lot (though not all) of the complaints to rest; and it isn’t a bad practice anyway.

  • Jeff

    @11 I agree. I’m not personally concerned with the apparent conflicts (it seems you guys have put the necessary safeguards in place), but all the complaints are very distracting.

    A permanent disclosure statement will put a lot (though not all) of the complaints to rest; and it isn’t a bad practice anyway.