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.

Nerd Hour!

PubliCola Adds Life   September 1, 2010 at 10:40 am Josh Feit

Thanks everybody—including mayoral staffers, lobbyists, campaign managers, and local labor leaders—who crowded into the Five Point after work last night for PubliCola’s first-ever Nerd Hour.

We were testing out the idea of a regular gathering where Cola readers could get together and wonk out. Mission accomplished on the wonkery metric as 30 or so Cola heads took over one half of the bar and argued about the Cross Base Highway, road diets, land use taxes, panhandling (City Council Member Tim Burgesss showed up), I-1098, and health care reform.

We’re definitely doing this again.

And thanks Five Point for hosting.


  • TransitAdvocate

    mmmm. Cross Base. Destroying wilderness while spurring further sprawl; what sexy drinking conversation.

  • http://www.politickling.com/ poliTICKLING

    Oh, it was sexy. Discussing online public schools and “Black leaders” almost put me over the top.

  • Josh Feit

    I forgot about the online public schools discussion. Yes, that one was pretty electric.

  • http://www.politickling.com/ poliTICKLING

    More info:

    WA OSPI Digital Learning Department: http://digitallearning.k12.wa.us/school_programs/

    Washington Virtual Academy: http://www.k12.com/wava/

    LA Times Value-Added Teacher Rankings: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-teachers-value-20100815,0,2695044.story

  • Anonymous

    It was the the road diets that got me going. I could hardly contain myself! I’ll be back…