Posted on 01/09/2009 4:37:31 PM PST by JRochelle
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, which first rolled off the presses in 1863 and has been the state's longest-publishing newspaper, is up for sale.
The newspaper's staff was called into a closed meeting today by Publisher Roger Oglesby. Present at the meeting was Hearst Newspaper President Steve Swartz, who told the newsroom that Hearst Corp. is starting a 60-day process to find a buyer.
If a buyer is not found, Swartz said, possible options include creating an all-digital operation with a greatly reduced staff, or closing its operations entirely.
In no case will Hearst continue to publish the P-I in printed form, Swartz said.
Regardless, he said, if no buyer is found, the P-I as a newspaper will not publish after the two months is up.
Swartz discounted rumors that Hearst, the P-I's owner since 1921, was interested in buying The Seattle Times newspaper.
He said the P-I has had operating loses since 2000, losing around $14 million this past year. Greater losses are anticipated this year, he said.
"Our journalists continue to do a spectacular job of serving the people of Seattle, which has been our great privilege for the past 88 years," Swartz said in a news release. "But our losses have reached an unacceptable level, so with great regret we are seeking a new owner for the P-I."
The announcement stunned the newspaper's staff, which first heard about the pending sale via television news reports Thursday night. The staff was called into a noon meeting today and given the news.
"I'm really, really distraught ... I was not expecting this," said longtime P-I environmental reporter Robert McClure.
(Excerpt) Read more at seattletimes.nwsource.com ...
This is the paper who refused to print photos of suspected terrorists who were spotted doing suspicious things on a ferry.
Just made a P-I written article about this myself. This one ain’t doing much better. To them:
Goodbye, good riddance, you leftist rag, you.
When you have two liberal rags in one liberal town, somethings got to give. The PI is one of the most liberal media entities I have ever seen. Even when offered to me free, I wouldn’t take it (they did this several times). Even if it on the bathroom floor at work I won’t pick it up and read it.
Why couldn’t it be the NYTimes?
Just wait, they are on their way out.
Perhaps FReepers could offer $100 to buy the rag. It’s a money loser so that’s probably a bit much to pay, but it might be fun to own....just to be able to preside over the changes in editorial policy.
“I’m really, really distraught ... I was not expecting this,” said longtime P-I environmental reporter Robert McClure.
He was just shocked, shocked he was, to find out that no one really wanted to read all that enviro-whacko horse manure he’d been writing since he got out of j-school.
The end cannot come soon enough for this fax service of the Democratic National Committee.
Next , the NY Times, Wash. Post, and LA Times: Hurry up and DIE!!!
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