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.

Shooting Near Light Rail Station Was Gang-Related

News   March 2, 2010 at 9:01 am Jonah Spangenthal-Lee

In case there was any doubt in your mind, a police report for last month’s shooting outside of the light rail station on MLK and Rainier confirms the incident was gang-related.

At about 7:00 p.m. on February 22nd, officers on patrol near MLK and Rainier heard gunshots coming from MLK and S Winthrop St.

Police swarmed the scene and found one man with a gunshot wound to his right arm. Although the shooting happened on a busy street corner, the report says witnesses “stated little to Seattle police officers.”

Police took four witnesses to SPD HQ where they were interviewed by the gang unit, the report says.

The shooting was caught on tape by cameras in the light rail station, but so far we’re not aware of any arrests in the case.