Politicker Network
Open-knowledge reference entry
The Politicker Network, or Politicker.com, was a national network of fifty state-based political websites operated by the New York Observer.
Origins
The network had its origins in journalist Ben Smith's New York Observer blog, "The Politicker," which focused on New York state politics. Launched in 2005, the original blog became "the most widely read" blog among political circles. It was called the "Best Local Politics Blog" by The Village Voice, who noted the lively comment section. In 2005, failed candidate for the Democratic nomination for Mayor of New York City, Christopher X. Brodeur, was arrested for leaving death threats on Smith's New York Observer voice mail, in retaliation for unflattering coverage in the Politicker blog.
Growth and decline
James Pindell, formerly of The Boston Globe, was hired as National Managing Editor in January 2008.
In December 2008, the network was reduced from 17 to 6 sites, with a focus on the northeast region. By January 2009, the New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania websites were closed, leaving the network with sites remaining in New York and New Jersey. Those closings effectively ended the national aspirations of the "Politicker" brand.
State bureaus
The Pennsylvania bureau, called PolitickerPA.com, was cited as a source by the other news media, including the Philadelphia Daily News, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, the Pittsburgh City Paper, The Beaver County Times, The Citizens' Voice, and the Lancaster New Era.
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This entry incorporates text from “Politicker Network” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.