 | |
Type of site | Political news |
|---|---|
| Available in | English |
| Owner | The New York Observer |
| Registration | No |
The Politicker Network, or Politicker.com, was a national network of fifty state-based political websites operated by the New York Observer . [1]
| | |
Type of site | Political news |
|---|---|
| Available in | English |
| Owner | The New York Observer |
| Registration | No |
The Politicker Network, or Politicker.com, was a national network of fifty state-based political websites operated by the New York Observer . [1]
The network had its origins in journalist Ben Smith's New York Observer blog, "The Politicker," which focused on New York state politics. [2] Launched in 2005, the original blog became "the most widely read" blog among political circles. [3] [4] It was called the "Best Local Politics Blog" by The Village Voice , who noted the lively comment section. [5] 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. [6]
James Pindell, formerly of The Boston Globe, was hired as National Managing Editor in January 2008. [7]
In December 2008, the network was reduced from 17 to 6 sites, with a focus on the northeast region. [8] By January 2009, the New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania websites were closed, leaving the network with sites remaining in New York and New Jersey. [9] Those closings effectively ended the national aspirations of the "Politicker" brand. [10]
The Pennsylvania bureau, called PolitickerPA.com, was cited as a source by the other news media, including the Philadelphia Daily News, [11] the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, [12] [13] [14] the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, [15] [16] [17] [18] the Pittsburgh City Paper, [19] The Beaver County Times, [20] The Citizens' Voice, [21] and the Lancaster New Era. [22]
Journalist Dan Hirschhorn worked as the Philadelphia-based correspondent for PolitickerPA. [23] PolitickerPA was closed in January 2009, causing one journalist to exclaim "Damn. One less source to do our work for us." [24] The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and the Lancaster Sunday News reported on local connections in PolitickerPA's "Power List 2008." [25] [26]
PolitickerPA is not to be confused with another Pennsylvania politics website, PoliticsPA.
Richard Mellon Scaife was an American billionaire, a principal heir to the Mellon banking, oil, and aluminum fortune, and the owner and publisher of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. In 2005, Scaife was number 238 on the Forbes 400, with a personal fortune of $1.2 billion. By 2013, Scaife had dropped to number 371 on the listing, with a personal fortune of $1.4 billion.
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, also known as "the Trib," is the second largest daily newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Although it transitioned to an all-digital format on December 1, 2016, it remains the second largest daily in the state, with nearly one million unique page views a month. Founded on August 22, 1811, as the Greensburg Gazette and in 1889 consolidated with several papers into the Greensburg Tribune-Review, the paper circulated only in the eastern suburban counties of Westmoreland and parts of Indiana and Fayette until May 1992, when it began serving all of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area after a strike at the two Pittsburgh dailies, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Pittsburgh Press, deprived the city of a newspaper for several months.
The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) is a $23 billion integrated global nonprofit health enterprise that has 92,000 employees, 40 hospitals with more than 8,000 licensed beds, 800 clinical locations including outpatient sites and doctors' offices, a 3.8 million-member health insurance division, as well as commercial and international ventures. It is closely affiliated with its academic partner, the University of Pittsburgh. It is considered a leading American health care provider, as its flagship facilities have ranked in U.S. News & World Report "Honor Roll" of the approximately 15 to 20 best hospitals in America for over 15 years. As of 2016, its flagship hospital UPMC Presbyterian is ranked 12th nationally among the best hospitals by U.S. News & World Report and ranked in 15 of 16 specialty areas when including UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital. This does not include UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh which ranked in the top 10 of pediatric centers in a separate US News ranking.
In 2007, Pennsylvania Attorney General Republican Tom Corbett began investigating $3.8 million in public bonuses which were paid to state legislative staffers in the Pennsylvania General Assembly to work on party politics and campaigns. While the bonuses themselves are not illegal, state law forbids state employees from performing campaign work while on the job and forbids payment for campaign work out of taxpayer funds.
Samuel E. Rohrer is an American businessman and politician. A member of the Republican Party, he served as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from the 128th District.
PoliticsPA.com is a website centered on the politics of Pennsylvania.
Michael B. Diven was an American politician who served as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 22nd District. He was defeated in 2006.
The Rivers Casino is a casino in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It is owned by Holdings Acquisition Co. L.P., a joint venture of Walton Street Capital LLC and High Pitt Gaming LP. Located in Pittsburgh's Chateau neighborhood along the Ohio River, adjacent to the Carnegie Science Center and nearby Heinz Field and PNC Park, it had its groundbreaking in December 2007 and opened on August 9, 2009. The casino was originally to be built by Don H. Barden, but financial troubles forced him to sell 75% of his interest in the casino to Holdings Acquisition Co on July 16, 2008. The casino has 3,000 slot machines.
GrassrootsPA was a political news website centered on the politics of Pennsylvania. It was founded in 2004 by then law student Chris Lilik, a Pat Toomey supporter and became a "must-click resource" for Pennsylvania's conservative community. Even though Toomey lost that race, the website continued as a gathering place for conservatives and Specter's foes. The website also gained mainstream media attention as a source of breaking political news. Political commentator Chris Bravacos noted that GrassrootsPA attracted significantly higher readership than the official websites for the two major political parties.
Albert J. "Al" Neri was a Pennsylvania political news correspondent, pundit, and political analyst.
G. Terry Madonna is a Senior Fellow in Residence at Millersville University of Pennsylvania. He was Professor of Public Affairs and Director of the Center for Politics and Public Affairs at Franklin and Marshall College. He is also the Director of the Franklin & Marshall College Poll. In the early 1970s, he served as County Commissioner of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
Peter L. DeCoursey was a prominent reporter of political news in Pennsylvania. He worked in or covered Pennsylvania politics for nearly three decades, serving most recently as bureau chief for the online news service Capitolwire.com.
Mario F. Cattabiani was a journalist for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Dennis Roddy is an American journalist who was special assistant to former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett, and a former columnist for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Brad Bumsted is a prominent journalist in Pennsylvania. Until 2016, he worked for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. He is noted for writing "reform-minded stories" about the Pennsylvania General Assembly.
Charlie Thompson is a prominent journalist in Pennsylvania, working for The Patriot-News.
Dan Hirschhorn is an American national political journalist, who currently serves as Senior Politics Editor and a Deputy News Editor at The Philadelphia Inquirer. He has previously served as Director of News at Time, Inc. and Time.com.
Erik Arneson is a political staffer in Pennsylvania, serving as Chief of Staff for former Pennsylvania Senate Majority Leader Chip Brightbill and as Communications and Policy Director for current Majority Leader Dominic F. Pileggi.
The Regional Industrial Development Corporation of Southwestern Pennsylvania--known colloquially as the RIDC--is a privately funded non-profit serving the Pittsburgh metropolitan area to focus on a regional approach to economic development primarily through managing and rehabilitating area research and business parks for modern tenants. The RIDC was formed on August 8, 1955 as a non-profit corporation after area business, corporate, government and labor leaders supported a central agency responsible for developing and coordinating efforts to create new employment and economic diversity. As of March 2013 it is listed as the third largest commercial property manager in metropolitan Pittsburgh with 7,400,000 gross leasable square feet, behind only Oxford Development and CBRE Group while surpassing Jones Lang LaSalle.
The New York Observer officially launched its own blog this week, The Politicker, written by one of its staff writers, Ben Smith. The column focuses primarily on city politics, and readers can respond to Smith's items, adding their own two cents about all things political.
And The New York Observer's Politicker has become a clearinghouse for campaign news and a regular stop for politicians and other insiders.
"Dan Hirschorn, last seen as the Philly-based half of the late PolitickerPa.com, has re-emerged with a new Web site, pa2010.com -- a one-stop shop for the latest campaign news. In addition to news and analysis, Hirschorn said the site will include social-networking facets for campaign operatives and junkies.
PolitickerPa.com has been closed by its parent company, the Politicker Network, which used to run political Web sites in several states. Damn. One less source to do our work for us.[ permanent dead link ]
Of the 50 most influential political people in Pennsylvania, only two have Lancaster County connections. That's according to the Power List 2008 compiled by new political Web site PolitickerPA.com (not to be confused with PoliticsPA.com, although there's a suspicious resemblance). Coming in at No. 20 is Franklin & Marshall College's Dr. G. Terry Madonna, the most quoted pollster/pundit in the Keystone State. At No. 45 is Erik Arneson, a legislative aide to state Senate Majority Leader Dom Pileggi. Arneson, who formerly worked for 48th District Sen. Chip Brightbill, was a deejay for Christian radio station WJTL-FM.