The Post-Intelligence-er era

This week the Seattle Post-Intelligencer ceased regular publication and became a completely online, all-digital publication. Another daily newspaper stopped the presses.

Their press release yelped, “The Hearst Corp. announced Monday that it would stop publishing the 146-year old newspaper, Seattle's oldest business, and cease delivery to more than 117,600 weekday readers.” All those “weekday readers” can now go online for their news. In Seattle the daily newspaper has gone the way of that other staple of the fish business, the ice house.

The story went on, “The new operation will be more than a newspaper online, Steven Swartz, president of Hearst Newspapers, said. The so-called ‘community platform’ will feature breaking news, columns from prominent Seattle residents, community databases, photo galleries, 150 citizen bloggers and links to other journalistic outlets.” So, news, sports, weather and opinion—150 “citizen bloggers” worth of opinion. Oh, goodie, more “_____ sucks” journalism from “citizen bloggers.” Deep dishes from “prominent” citizens. Oooo! I’m getting chills.

Another AOL warmed up with “local content.” How visionary.

“Links to other journalistic outlets” means AP, Reuters, BBC, CNN, Fox—the same stories written by the same people working from the same second-hand facts.

Welcome to the post-intelligence-er era.