Responding to this morning's news, Seattle's Committee for a Two-Newspaper Town has issued a statement pleading for locals to come together and buy the P-I:
CTNT today encourages the community to discuss a possible community-wide campaign to purchase the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. The goal is to ensure that the P-I, which has been publishing local news daily since 1863, is not lost forever.“Time is running out,” said CTNT co-chair Anne Bremner, noting that the 60-day sale period announced on January 9 is nearly half over. Co-chair Phil Talmadge said, “We hope that the people of Seattle will show that they are willing and able to prevent the silencing of a valued editorial voice.”
The rest in the jump...
Today, the Hearst Corporation informed CTNT that it is still considering a complete shutdown of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer if it is unable to sell the newspaper in the coming weeks. In a letter sent this morning in response to questions posed by CTNT two days ago, Hearst counsel Eve Burton gave no indication when it will decide whether to keep the P-I alive as a Web-only operation with a greatly reduced staff. Rather, Ms. Burton said the company is “still studying that possibility.” She said that, if the P-I Web site survives, it would be “outside” of the joint operating agreement that now exists between Hearst and the Seattle Times. Ms. Burton also revealed for the first time that Hearst did not make the final $1 million payment on a contract that would have ensured the first right to buy the Seattle Times, if it is ever offered for sale.“We appreciate Hearst’s recognition that the community wants, and deserves, answers,” said Mr. Talmadge. “We will continue to press for the information needed to prepare for whatever Hearst decides.”
CTNT welcomes help from local elected officials, as well as business, labor, environmental, neighborhood and other community groups, in responding to the closure threat. Community members interested in participating in the campaign are encouraged to write to twonewspapertown@yahoo.com.
