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Friday, January 16, 2009

City / Media Fleeing the Ship

Posted by Eli Sanders on Fri, Jan 16, 2009 at 8:57 AM

The first of what seems likely to be many resignations at the post-sale P-I: Chris McGann, the paper's Olympia reporter, is leaving to work as communications director for the state treasurer.

How would the P-I hypothetically cover the city with this drastically slimmed-down web staff that is being discussed for a hypothetical online-only publication? We may be about to find out in print.

Comments (8) RSS

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From my count, the P-I has 44 (now 43) news reporters/editors compared to 4 for The Stranger, which does a great job reporting the areas you guys cover. I think they could retain enough to at least fill in the large gaps left by the Seattle Times and local TV news. For news like, "it's snowing," it's easy to point to other news sources on the web.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/facts/pist…

Posted by jrrrl on January 16, 2009 at 9:09 AM

"post-sale P-I". Was the P-I purchased? I can't find that info on their website...

Posted by DOUG. on January 16, 2009 at 9:17 AM

TalkingPointsMemo has only 5 writers or something like that.

Posted by NaFun on January 16, 2009 at 9:35 AM

Wow, public relations for the state treasurer. Sounds like a very taxing job. Clearly a wise and beneficial use of our tax dollars, too, in a time of crisis. What's he going to make, $85K?

And learn a lesson, other reporters: you just might need to take a job with a public official one day. So please make sure to tone down any reporting of "negative facts" about any of said public officials, starting now. Especially the ones you cover every day, who know you best.

You don't want to burn your lifelines before you need them, mmmm?

Posted by PC on January 16, 2009 at 9:40 AM

People have talked with dread about newspapers being owned by big business.

But how about reporters going to work for Government! Now they can use their mind control apparatus to support the incumbency.

Posted by Clark Kent on January 16, 2009 at 9:45 AM

Inquiring Indian journalists doing "local news" segments want to know!

Posted by Will in Seattle on January 16, 2009 at 11:31 AM

The problem with any ailing or failing business is that the really talented people (like Chris McGann) are the first ones to leave, because they have somewhere to go. Give it a few weeks and the P-I staff will be picked clean--or at least picked over.

Posted by J.R. on January 16, 2009 at 1:02 PM

@7: True. The brain trust of The Big Blog will be the last pin standing.

Posted by WenG on January 16, 2009 at 8:21 PM