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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.

Afternoon Fizz: Erica Wins NARAL Award

Politics, PubliCola Adds Life   April 5, 2010 at 2:07 pm Josh Feit

This was originally posted on Friday.

The C is for Choice! by Erica C. Barnett. Here’s ECB Getting all Second Wave at PubliCola HQ.

Our very own Erica C. Barnett is one of NARAL’s “Power of Choice” 2010 award winners.

Every year NARAL gives a Power of Choice Award to someone in the community who courageously promotes choice.

The NARAL announcement about Erica’s award says:

Erica has also been an amazing advocate for reproductive justice in the media. Last December, she reported on the Senate health care reform language that “throws women’s health care under the bus.” She also covered the murder of late-term abortion provider, Dr. George Tiller, for the Stranger, saying that “there is no common ground—not when “common ground” is code for ceding women’s rights to calm a storm we didn’t create.”We are very excited to present the Power of Choice Award to such a devoted advocate!

Crank it up, ECB.

This year’s other winner is Catherine Minch, a NARAL activist—the leader and founder of the Eastside Choice Action Team.

The awards luncheon is on May 24 at the Sheraton featuring PBS host Maria Hinojosa. Details here.




  • Renee

    Congratulations, Erica! Well earned.

  • LH

    congrats ECB!

  • sarah68

    Not only is she a good reporter and award winner, she looks like Anais Nin.

  • seabos84

    Here is a NARAL story which won't happen – WHY are they so ineffective?

    Seriously, ask a random sample of Americans the following question:

    “Do YOU want your neighbor's minister, priest, guru, yogi, rabbi, padre, father, reverend … in YOUR doctor's office?”

    I promise you over 80% of the population would say “NO”, most quite strongly.

    So why is the choice movement so incapable against the stu-pid-paks of the world, and HIS 13th century theology?

    HINT: $ocial Cla$$ …!
    Relative affluence = a genetic go along get along-ism, or, at least an inability to fight. In the summer of 2004, there were some numbers floating around about single relatively young relatively lower income women who don't vote – it was in the tens of millions.

    I don't know how the choice movement should market themselves, but, it also isn't my job. I've a hunch that their financial backbone needs some education on winning in politics, instead of winning moral victories – especially since the financial backers are the only ones who afford moral “victories”.

    Congrats Erica – check out Jane Hamsher's writing on the Veal Pen.

    ROBERT MM.

  • don't shoot messenger…

    yes, to put it another way….the choice message has been losing the message war for the last twenty years.

    time to retool.

    note that despite throwing abortion rights under the bus, that's exactly what obama had to do to get stupak. to get HCR.

    long range, it's no solution to cry “he's throwing abortion under the bus” the only solution is to actually persuade more people to be pro abortion, and it's clear the choice frame ain't doin' it.

  • http://michaelmaddux.blogspot.com/ Michael M.

    Wait – so, for performing an abortion on journalism, Erica won an award!?!

    j/k, j/k. Seriously, j/k. Don't delete my comment, ban me, or get all pissy! Congrats, Erica!

    NARAL has done a lot of good for choice in America, much of which isn't seen. My first real encounter was being a panelist on behalf of Planned Parenthood with a NARAL rep, a rep from the Pregnancy Resource Center in Everett (anti-choice), and a pregnant H.S. Senior (anti-choice) at Snohomish High School. While we didn't “win”, per se (conservative audience), we totally pwned on facts, and I would venture a guess that those who could be swayed in one direction or the other went our way.

    Congrats, Erica, and hopefully you'll keep up the good work. Just no more stories about how taxes on elective cosmetic surgery is sexist, because that's just silly.

  • Sierra – NARAL board chair

    Erica – let me say for the second time, congratulations! You truly strengthened the work of the pro-choice movement when you called bullshit on the reprehensible tactics of Stupak and his anti-choice cronies. Thank you, and I look forward to seeing you at the Power of Choice luncheon awards ceremony!

  • SEN

    Congratulations, Erica!!! Adding to Sierra's comment above, your reporting on both the proposed elective cosmetic surgery and the health industry's policy change on mammograms was lucid and gutsy. Thanks for your fearlessness when it comes to gender and politics. Uppity Women Unite!

  • sarah68

    The “choice” message may indeed need retooling. I think it was damaged in the public's mind (I mean the general clot of people who vote, not those who understand the choice meme) when the right came out with “It's not a choice, it's a child.” If the opposition sticks a pin in your message, it may be time to refine the message. The movement could go back to the privacy-of-the-women's-body standpoint on which Roe v. Wade was decided to bypass the child-versus-bunch-of-cell argument, which really can't be won by anyone because it's a matter of belief.

  • http://www.joeszilagyi.com/ Joe Szilagyi

    Congrats, Erica.

  • mathewrenndawgrenner

    Well done Erica, thanks to you Infantcide will continue. Ending the life of babies will increase. I hope your happy. You help deny happyness to so many in the name of convenience.

  • http://michaelmaddux.blogspot.com/ Michael M.

    No she doesn't. She doesn't advocate for abortion through the 9th trimester. Once the fetus reaches viability, they can't be aborted in this state, and then eventually they are given birth to. Erica does not, unfortunately, support allowing true happiness of parents who do not want their children by allowing them to give it a two year test drive.

    Or does she…

  • mathewrenndawgrenner

    A test drive, really. Children are not cars. They are not a play thing. They are people who need love.