Missing the story, one year later

Former Seattle Post-Intelligener business reporter Andrea James, now a junior stock analyst, writes on her personal blog about what it was like one year ago when she and the paper were scooped on the story that the paper was for sale and could close by a local TV station.

James writes, “Reporter Dan Richman and I could not confirm the TV report that evening. At one point after several unsuccessful calls, I slammed down the phone and said, ‘Linda Byron better have a damn good source!’

“Boeing reporter James Wallace responded, ‘No. No, she better have a f*cking lousy source!’

“I have to hand it to King-5: It was a great scoop. Some people in the newsroom said it was humiliating that we found out externally — imagine being scooped on our own demise!

“Strangely, I did not share that sense of indignity. I tried to summon outrage, but for me the whole situation was just ironic.

“I felt like I’d had plenty of personal scoops. Also, even though the business of media was one of many topics on my ever-enlarging-as-the-staff-was-shrinking beat, a P-I closure wasn’t on my radar.”

Read more here.