Erica C. Barnett

Barnett is from Texas. She admired advocacy journalists Molly Ivins and Hunter S Thompson,{{cite interview |last=Barnett |first=Erica C. |interviewer=Gabriel Spitzer |title=A journalist gets sober, then hits the bars |url=https://www.knkx.org/post/journalist-gets-sober-then-hits-bars |archive-date=October 26, 2019 |archive-url=https://perma-archives.org/warc/20191026191059/https://www.knkx.org/post/journalist-gets-sober-then-hits-bars |publisher=KNKX |date=April 11, 2018 |work=Sound Effect |access-date=October 23, 2019 |url-status=live }} and attended the University of Texas at Austin from 1995 through 1999, graduating with a BA in philosophy.{{Citation |url=https://utdirect.utexas.edu/apps/degree/degrees/nlogon/?s_last_name_read=&s_last_isn_read=&s_first_name_read=&s_first_isn_read=&s_paging_sw=&s_first_time_sw=X&s_start_name=Barnett%2C+Erica |title=Office of the Registrar; Degrees and Dates of Attendance |website=University of Texas at Austin }}

From 1998 to 2001, Barnett was a senior news editor and columnist for The Austin Chronicle, and then spent two years at the Seattle Weekly before moving to The Stranger, where she served as a staff writer until 2009.{{Cite web |url=https://www.austinchronicle.com/authors/erica-c-barnett/ |title=Author Archives: Erica C. Barnett - The Austin Chronicle |website=www.austinchronicle.com}}{{Cite web |url=http://www.munileague.org/civic-awards/past-civic-award/2007-civic-awards |title=2007 Civic Awards Recipients — Port of Seattle Press Release|date=July 21, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721071404/http://www.munileague.org/civic-awards/past-civic-award/2007-civic-awards|archive-date=2011-07-21}} While there, she received a Civic Award from the Municipal League of King County for best government affairs reporting.{{Cite web |url=https://www.seattlemet.com/articles/2009/6/17/erica-c-barnett-and-her-mad-list-of-sources-joins-publicola-staff |title=Erica C. Barnett (and her Mad List of Sources) Joins PubliCola Staff |website=Seattle Met}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.thestranger.com/seattle/in-other-news/Content?oid=213628 |title=In Other News... |first1=Erica C. |last1=Barnett |first2=Nancy |last2=Drew |first3=Dan |last3=Savage |website=The Stranger}} The Seattle Post-Intelligencer praised her efforts to document the connection between Washington State House Speaker Frank Chopp and the Building Industry Association of Washington during the 2008 Washington gubernatorial election.{{cite news |last1=Connelly |first1=Joel |title=A special interest tarnishes governor's race |url=https://www.seattlepi.com/local/connelly/article/A-special-interest-tarnishes-governor-s-race-1276145.php |accessdate=4 December 2019 |work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer |date=June 10, 2008}}

In 2011, Seattle Magazine named her one of Seattle's 'most influential people'.{{Cite web |url=http://www.seattlemag.com/article/seattles-most-influential-people-2011 |title=Seattle's Most Influential People of 2011|date=October 17, 2011 |website=Seattle Magazine}} In 2012, Barnett launched the news website PubliCola.com with her co-editor and co-owner Josh Feit.{{Cite web |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics-website-publicola-to-return/ |title=Politics website PubliCola to return|date=June 18, 2012 |website=The Seattle Times}} She has also written for Crosscut.com and been featured on Seattle National Public Radio affiliate KUOW.{{cite news |last=O'Neil |first=Danny |date=May 25, 2016 |title=Acknowledging 'Atlantic' mistake is not an apology |url=https://mynorthwest.com/301125/acknowledging-atlantic-mistake-is-not-an-apology/? |publisher=MYNorthwest|access-date=October 23, 2019}} From April 2015 through April 2017 Barnett was Communications Director of NARAL Pro-Choice Washington.LinkedIn profile and

• {{Citation |title= Staff |website=NARAL Pro-Choice Washington |url=http://www.prochoicewashington.org/about-us/staff.shtml |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150414010045/http://www.prochoicewashington.org/about-us/staff.shtml |archive-date=April 14, 2015 }}
• {{Citation |title= Staff |website=NARAL Pro-Choice Washington |url=http://www.prochoicewashington.org/about-us/staff.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170326182359/http://www.prochoicewashington.org/about-us/staff.shtml |archive-date=March 26, 2017 }}

In February 2016 Barnett reported on the proceedings of online meetings held on Nextdoor.com by Seattle's police chief and other officials with Nextdoor.com users, describing an echo-chamber atmosphere, and what Seattle Mayor Ed Murray called "paranoid hysteria" about crime in well-off neighborhoods.{{cite news |last1=Waddell |first1=Kaveh |title=The Police Officer 'Nextdoor' |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2016/05/nextdoor-social-network-police-seattle/481164/ |magazine=The Atlantic |date=4 May 2016}} The social networking site responded by temporarily suspending Barnett's account, for violating their terms of service to keep user comments private, while Barnett said Washington's open meeting laws took precedence, requiring records of meetings with public officials like the police chief to be accessible to the public.{{cite news |last=Schlosser |first=Kurt |date=February 22, 2016 |title=Reporter's Nextdoor account suspended temporarily after she shares user comments from forum involving Seattle Police chief |url=https://www.geekwire.com/2016/nextdoor-reporter-seattle-forum/ |publisher=GeekWire |access-date=October 23, 2019}}{{cite news |archive-date=October 26, 2019 |archive-url=https://perma-archives.org/warc/20191026191039/https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/nextdoor-flap-has-seattle-scrutinizing-how-it-handles-social-media/ |last1=Lee |first1=Jessica |title=Nextdoor flap has Seattle scrutinizing how it handles social media |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/nextdoor-flap-has-seattle-scrutinizing-how-it-handles-social-media/ |accessdate=October 26, 2019 |newspaper=The Seattle Times |date=March 14, 2016 |url-status=live }}{{cite news |last=Machkovech |first=Sam |date=February 20, 2016 |title=NextDoor boots reporter for reporting on police press conference |url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2016/02/nextdoor-boots-reporter-for-reporting-on-police-press-conference/ |work=Ars Technica |access-date=October 23, 2019}} Barnett's reporting caused a wider debate on Nextdoor.com's role and led to city officials reevaluating its relationship with Nextdoor, as well as diminishing Nextdoor's goals of expanding its role with governments nationwide.{{cite web |title=The Record: Thursday, Feb 25, Full Show |url=https://kuow.org/stories/record-thursday-feb-25-full-show/ |publisher=KUOW / NPR |date=25 February 2016}}{{Citation |title=Nextdoor flap has Seattle scrutinizing how it handles social media |newspaper=Seattle Times |date=March 14, 2016 |first=Jessica |last=Lee |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/nextdoor-flap-has-seattle-scrutinizing-how-it-handles-social-media/ }}{{Citation |title= Mayor Ed Murray Says Some Nextdoor Users Have Been "Working Themselves Into a Paranoid Hysteria" |first=Heidi |last=Groover |date=February 24, 2016 |url=https://www.thestranger.com/blogs/slog/2016/02/24/23616842/mayor-ed-murray-says-some-nextdoor-users-have-been-working-themselves-into-a-paranoid-hysteria }}

While writing for TheAtlantic.com later in 2016, she erroneously accused Seattle radio's Ron & Don Show of encouraging listeners to harass a city council member after a contentious sports vote eliminating the possibility of a new sports arena.{{cite news |author= |date=May 24, 2016 |title='Atlantic' issues correction after accusing Ron and Don of verbally attacking council member

|url=https://mynorthwest.com/299285/ron-and-don-respond-to-disparaging-atlantic-article/? |publisher=MYNorthwest|access-date=October 23, 2019}}{{cite news |last1=Herzog |first1=Katie |title=After Defamation Suits and a Surprise Cancellation, Former KIRO Radio Hosts Ron and Don Launch a Podcast |url=https://www.thestranger.com/slog/2019/07/03/40603892/after-defamation-suits-and-a-surprise-cancellation-former-kiro-radio-hosts-ron-and-don-launch-a-podcast |accessdate=October 26, 2019 |work=The Stranger |date=July 3, 2019 |archive-date=October 26, 2019 |archive-url=https://perma-archives.org/warc/20191026191047/https://www.thestranger.com/slog/2019/07/03/40603892/after-defamation-suits-and-a-surprise-cancellation-former-kiro-radio-hosts-ron-and-don-launch-a-podcast |url-status=live }} The Atlantic retracted the story after it and Barnett were sued for defamation.

In April 2018, Barnett obtained and reported on King County's draft homelessness plan.{{Citation |title=Critics say draft plan from county task force on homelessness underwhelms; One Table's first stab at recommendations leaves some members calling for a bolder, clearly financed plan. |first=Josh |last=Kelety |date=April 12, 2018 |url=http://www.federalwaymirror.com/news/critics-say-draft-plan-from-homelessness-task-force-underwhelms/ }} In June 2019, Barnett broke the news of The Seattle Times reporter Mike Rosenberg's resignation over sexual harassment allegations.{{Citation |url= https://crosscut.com/2019/06/seattle-times-reporter-accused-sending-explicit-messages-resigns |title=Seattle Times reporter accused of sending explicit messages resigns |first= Lilly |last= Fowler |date=June 11, 2019 |website=Crosscut.com }} In December 2018, Barnett was first to report that Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan's office had made a $720,000 no-bid consulting contract with a consulting firm to represent the city's interest in Sound Transit 3 negotiations.{{Citation |title=Durkan grants longtime associate a $720,000 no-bid contract to steer Seattle's light-rail planning - Anne Fennessy, who has known Mayor Jenny Durkan for decades, will serve as the city's single point of contact for the third segment of light rail. Her husband is one of Durkan's deputies |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/durkan-grants-longtime-associate-wife-of-deputy-mayor-a-720000-no-bid-contract-to-steer-seattles-light-rail-planning/ |date=December 4, 2018 |newspaper=The Seattle Times |first=Mike |last=Lindblom }} In July 2019, Barnett was first to report a letter by Seattle's Human Services Director to administrators of programs funded by Seattle's soda tax that their funding could be cut.{{Citation |title=Defying Durkan, council directs extra soda tax money to low-income programs |date=July 22, 2019 |website=Crosscut.com |first= Jake |last=Goldstein-Street |url= https://crosscut.com/2019/07/defying-durkan-council-directs-extra-soda-tax-money-low-income-programs }} In October 2019, Barnett was first to report the unexplained blocks of time in Seattle traffic consultant Mike Worden's calendar as City Council members were raising questions as to exactly what the Mayor was paying Worden to do.{{Citation |title=As some wonder what he does, retired general leading Seattle Squeeze response expected to leave post |newspaper=The Seattle Times |date=October 9, 2019 |first= Heidi |last= Groover |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/as-some-wonder-what-he-does-retired-general-leading-seattle-squeeze-response-expected-to-leave-post/ }}{{Citation |title=Nextdoor flap has Seattle scrutinizing how it handles social media |newspaper=Seattle Times |date=March 14, 2016 |first=Jessica |last=Lee |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/nextdoor-flap-has-seattle-scrutinizing-how-it-handles-social-media/ }}{{Citation |url=https://www.geekwire.com/2016/the-rise-of-nextdoor-in-seattle-neighborhood-social-network-sparks-community-and-controversy-in-modern-day-boomtown/ |title=The rise of Nextdoor in Seattle: Neighborhood social network sparks community and controversy in modern-day boomtown |first= Monica |last=Nickelsburg|date=March 1, 2016 |website=Geekwire }}

Her memoir was published by Viking in 2020.{{Cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/07/books/review/quitter-erica-barnett.html |title=On the Path to Recovery, One Step at a Time Is Easier Said Than Done|date=2020-07-07 |website=www.nytimes.com|access-date=2020-07-07}}{{Cite web |url=http://www.seattlereviewofbooks.com/notes/2017/06/29/seattle-journalist-erica-c-barnett-is-hard-at-work-on-a-memoir/ |title=Seattle journalist Erica C. Barnett is hard at work on a memoir, by Paul Constant|date=2017-06-29 |website=www.seattlereviewofbooks.com|access-date=2019-09-15}}{{cite book |last=Barnett |first=Erica|title=Quitter: A Memoir of Drinking, Relapse, and Recovery |date=2020|publisher=Viking |isbn=9780525522324}} The book analyzes the alcoholism recovery industry, including a critical attitude toward Alcoholics Anonymous, but Barnett partially credits its approach of "cognitive behavioral therapy in a very disorganized manner" for helping her to become sober, an "ex-drinker," in 2015.{{Citation |title=By the Sound episode 15: Meet Erica C Barnett |date=29 May 2020|url=https://www.bythesound.net/episode/015-meet-erica-c-barnett}}

• Quitter: A Memoir of Drinking, Relapse, and Recovery (2020){{Citation |url=https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/562065/quitter-by-erica-c-barnett/9780525522324 |title=Quitter: A Memoir of Drinking, Relapse, and Recovery By Erica C. Barnett |website=Penguin Random House |year=2020 }}
• [https://www.thestranger.com/authors/14258/erica-c-barnett Articles] at The Stranger
• [https://crosscut.com/author/erica-c-barnett Articles] at Crosscut.com

{{reflist}}

{{refbegin}}

• {{cite news |last1=Bula |first1=Frances |title=Sterile solutions wheeled out to Vancover's shared helmet dilemma |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/sterile-solutions-wheeled-out-to-vancovers-shared-helmet-dilemma/article4085810/ |accessdate=October 26, 2019 |work=The Globe and Mail |date=January 9, 2012}}
• {{cite news |last1=Person |first1=Daniel |title=The Maddening Allure of KIRO Radio |url=https://www.seattleweekly.com/news/the-maddening-allure-of-kiro-radio/ |accessdate=October 26, 2019 |work=Seattle Weekly |date=February 15, 2017}}
• {{cite news |last1=Radke |first1=Bill |title=This Week: Are You Sold On Caucuses, Sound Transit Or Private Security? |url=https://kuow.org/stories/week-are-you-sold-caucuses-sound-transit-or-private-security |accessdate=October 26, 2019 |work=KUOW-FM |date=April 1, 2016}}

{{refend}}

• {{Official Website|https://thecisforcrank.com/}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Barnett, Erica}}

Category:21st-century American journalists

Category:Writers from Seattle

Category:Living people

Category:1977 births

Category:American women bloggers

Category:American bloggers

Category:American women memoirists

Category:Journalists from Washington (state)