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.

The Morning Blotter: Man Beaten and Set on Fire In South Seattle

News   August 20, 2010 at 8:30 am Jonah Spangenthal-Lee

A man found on a South Seattle street earlier this week by a passer-by was bleeding, badly beaten, and had been set on fire, according to a police report.

Officers were called to the 53rd Ave S and S Henderson St around 11:45pm on August 16th after a passer-by found the victim laying at the entrance of a trail.

The report says the man was bleeding from the face, had injuries to his ribs and his hair had been set on fire.

The man was very intoxicated and incoherent, according to the report, and could not provide police with information about what had happened to him.

The report says a Metro bus driver in the area told officers he had seen a juvenile male hiding in some bushes near Henderson and Seward Park Ave, but officers weren’t able to locate the boy, and it’s not clear whether he was actually connected with the incident.