Roger Oglesby, Publisher: “Tonight, we’ll be putting the paper to bed for the last time. But the bloodline will live on. Hearst is announcing today that the PI will become an online only news operation. And the last print edition will appear… tomorrow.

"We have copies of the press release for you, as well as a letter from Frank Bank, and Steve Swartz, but first I have just a couple of things to say. This is a hard day for all of us. We feel fortunate to be part of a great newspaper with a great tradition. And we’ve been blessed to be part of a wonderful group of talented people. We’d all hate to see that end. But we knew it was coming. Hearst fought for years to keep this place going, but time, and these rotten economic conditions finally caught up to us. But there’s another part to the story and I’m not going to let you forget it. It’s the part that has to do with what will live on, and who’s responsible for it. Tomorrow, seattlepi.com will be reborn, outside the JOA. It will continue, and it will thrive, and it will be a strong and vital voice in this city for years to come.

“Some of you will be part of that ongoing effort- You have exciting road ahead of you. But we should all remember that everybody at this newspaper helped to build seattlepi.com, and the foundation on which its future will rest. Everyone of you, everyone at this paper should take pride in that. I will, and you should too. As for the paper, tonight will be the final run. So it’s going away. This is a great newspaper and has been for a long time. Let’s show the world it still is. Let’s show them what we can do… One more time. Here’s the press release…”

David McCumber, Managing Editor: “I just want to say from a personal stand point… Thank you. Thank you to all of you for all that you’ve done for this place. It’s been my pleasure to work with you all. Thank you.”

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You know, I grew up delivering the P.I.'s competitor (the Seattle Times). I must have read more Times front pages than any other ten year old in Seattle. And I can tell you with certitude that the P.I. was a horrible paper. It carried day old news (since it was delivered in the morning) where the Times always reported on the days headlines (since it was delivered in the afternoon). The P.I. had a ridiculous editorial staff, almost no city desk and certainly no national coverage of any kind. Then a few years back they stopped pretending and formally dropped a number of departments (that they subsequently counted on the Times to provide).

The P.I. essentially went out of business a couple decades ago, they just never told anyone.
Source(s):
Ah my youth

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