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Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Media / Nerd Goodnight, Sweet P-I

Posted by Bethany Jean Clement on Tue, Mar 17, 2009 at 11:00 PM

In honor of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and dads everywhere, a photo of a friend's father, Martin P. Works, carrying out his surname as a reporter (beat: "cops and fires and horrible accidents") at the P-I in the 1970s—back in the day when you were EXPECTED to smoke AT YOUR DESK and EXPECTED to GET DRUNK at lunch.

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Photo courtesy of Brendan Works; bonus photo after the jump.

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"This one my dad wrote on the back, 'Martin P. Works hard at work in newsroom of Seattle Post Intelligencer 6th and Wall approx 1970.'"

Comments (12) RSS

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I didn't know Steve Buscemi worked at the PI?

Posted by Banna on March 18, 2009 at 5:59 AM

My first issue of the Times arrived this morning and I am irritated. It is annoying to see the stories it features are either inane (is Satan real?) or just not interesting. At this rate we will be newspaper free within the next couple years.

Posted by Vince on March 18, 2009 at 6:19 AM

That's not Steve Buscemi, it's Michael Seiwerath.

Posted by Yawn. on March 18, 2009 at 6:54 AM

RIght before throwin' down widda winae

Posted by eight nine nine! on March 18, 2009 at 7:00 AM

Did anyone in the 70's wash their hair?

Posted by Bouncy and Manageable Hair on March 18, 2009 at 7:03 AM

Thanks for providing the pictures of Uncle Marty, Brendan! That is one awesome tie.

Posted by Another Works who will miss the P.I. on March 18, 2009 at 7:10 AM

How about some critique of the new, "cutting-edge" seattlepi.com? So far, it's laughable -- a couple of blog items, a couple of boring columns from boring people, and stories that have been there for three days.

Posted by Tony on March 18, 2009 at 7:35 AM

I got my first issue of the Times this morning. Definitely tabloid flavored. Rather than tagging it as the bizarre cultural phenomenon it is, here's a "reporter" talking about the great Satan debate coming to Ballard: "The topic can be particularly relevant in troubled times such as these, when people are looking for explanations for economic chaos."

I would say any newsworthiness would lie more in the occurrence of the debate despite the topic's total LACK of relevance to reality and the causes of the current economic crisis.

Anyway, if this is the best the Times can do to woo me over, we won't be renewing, even for the sports...

Posted by mirror on March 18, 2009 at 8:06 AM

That's what journalism is all about.

Posted by Pat on March 18, 2009 at 8:25 AM

I keep wondering if local broadcast news will have to cut the time of their news programs as a result of one of their major news sources apparently drying up and blowing away.

Posted by Cranky Old Man on March 18, 2009 at 9:19 AM

I really wish the days of smoking at your desk and drinking at lunch were still around.

At least women knew their place back then....

Posted by wisepunk on March 18, 2009 at 9:22 AM

Friend Marty and I, who worked together, were among the last two - if not the last two - P-I copy boys to work our ways up as reporters. After that, everybody entered through the front door all serious, with a mandatory degree. You can see the results today.
Rick Anderson, Seattle Weekly

Posted by Rick Anderson on March 18, 2009 at 10:49 AM