Politicker Network

The network had its origins in journalist Ben Smith's New York Observer blog, "The Politicker," which focused on New York state politics.{{cite news | title = Web suited for the Opinionated Eager To Get Their Words Out There| newspaper = Albany Times Union | publisher = The Times Union, Inc.| date = January 14, 2005|quote="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."}} Launched in 2005, the original blog became "the most widely read" blog among political circles.{{cite news | last = Archibold| first = Randal C. | title = Off The Trail: 2005 Mayor; The Season of the Blog| newspaper = The New York Times | date = June 6, 2005| url = https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F06E3DD1238F935A35755C0A9639C8B63}}{{cite news |title=There's no passion in city politics and blogs| newspaper=Newsday |publisher=Newsday Inc. |date=October 10, 2005| quote=And The New York Observer's Politicker has become a clearinghouse for campaign news and a regular stop for politicians and other insiders.}} It was called the "Best Local Politics Blog" by The Village Voice, who noted the lively comment section.{{cite news |title=Best Local Politics Blog |url= http://www.villagevoice.com/bestof/2005/section/politics-491644/ |work=The Village Voice |volume=50 |issue=41 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150512204704/http://www.villagevoice.com/bestof/2005/section/people-and-places-491621/ |archive-date=2015-05-12}} 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.{{cite news | last = Chiaramonte| first = Perry | title = Candidate Threatened Scribe: Cops| newspaper = New York Post | date = November 3, 2005}}

James Pindell, formerly of The Boston Globe, was hired as National Managing Editor in January 2008.{{cite news| title = James Pindell to serve as National Managing Editor of Politicker.com| newspaper = Politicker| location = Maryland| date = January 4, 2008| url = http://www.politicker.com/maryland/8970/james-pindell-serve-national-managing-editor-politickercom| access-date = September 29, 2009| archive-url = https://archive.today/20090403080733/http://www.politicker.com/maryland/8970/james-pindell-serve-national-managing-editor-politickercom| archive-date = April 3, 2009| url-status = dead}}

In December 2008, the network was reduced from 17 to 6 sites, with a focus on the northeast region.{{cite news | last = Calderone| first = Michael| title = Politicker cuts back nationwide| newspaper = Politico| location =Washington, DC| date = December 12, 2008| url = http://www.politico.com/blogs/michaelcalderone/1208/Politicker_cuts_back_nationwide.html}} By January 2009, the New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania websites were closed, leaving the network with sites remaining in New York and New Jersey.{{cite news | last = Calderone| first = Michael| title = Politicker cuts back nationwide| newspaper = Politico| location =Washington, DC| date = January 9, 2009| url = http://www.politico.com/blogs/michaelcalderone/0109/Politicker_closes_another_site.html}} Those closings effectively ended the national aspirations of the "Politicker" brand.{{cite news| last = Kelly| first = Keith J.| title = A Web of Intrigue| newspaper = New York Post| location =New York, New York| date = January 11, 2009| url = http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/web_of_intrique_eyLhuLJXS8K3y4XrNDEkrM}}

The Pennsylvania bureau, called PolitickerPA.com, was cited as a source by the other news media, including the Philadelphia Daily News,{{cite news | last = Warner| first = Bob| title = Matthews to stay on the 'Ball' | newspaper = Philadelphia Daily News | date = January 8, 2009}} the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette,{{cite news| last = McNulty| first = Timothy| title = Early Returns: Matthews demure| newspaper = Pittsburgh Post-Gazette| location = (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)| publisher = PG Publishing Co., Inc.| date = January 6, 2009| url = http://community.post-gazette.com/blogs/earlyreturns/archive/2009/01/06/matthews-demure.aspx| access-date = September 29, 2009| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120419064023/http://community.post-gazette.com/blogs/earlyreturns/archive/2009/01/06/matthews-demure.aspx| archive-date = April 19, 2012| url-status = dead}}{{cite news| last = McNulty| first = Timothy| title = Early Returns: Even more Rendell| newspaper = Pittsburgh Post-Gazette| date = December 4, 2008| url = http://community.post-gazette.com/blogs/earlyreturns/archive/2008/12/04/even-more-rendell.aspx| access-date = September 29, 2009| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120419064055/http://community.post-gazette.com/blogs/earlyreturns/archive/2008/12/04/even-more-rendell.aspx| archive-date = April 19, 2012| url-status = dead}}{{cite news | last = Victor| first = Greg| title = Cutting Edge: New ideas / Sharp opinions| newspaper = Pittsburgh Post-Gazette | date = July 13, 2008| url = http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08195/896518-35.stm}} the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review,{{cite news | title = Sen. Obama caught in double play| newspaper = Pittsburgh Tribune-Review| publisher = The Tribune-Review Publishing Co.| date = October 26, 2008 | url = http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/opinion/columnists/whispers/s_595108.html}}{{cite news| last = McNickle| first = Colin| title = The Age of Mindlessness| newspaper = Pittsburgh Tribune-Review| publisher = The Tribune-Review Publishing Co. | date = November 16, 2008 | url = http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/opinion/columnists/mcnickle/s_598518.html}}{{cite news | title = Senatus Interruptus | newspaper = Pittsburgh Tribune-Review| publisher = The Tribune-Review Publishing Co. | date = January 11, 2009 | url = http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/opinion/columnists/whispers/s_606468.html}}{{cite news | title = Could Chris take Arlen?| newspaper = Pittsburgh Tribune-Review| publisher = The Tribune-Review Publishing Co.| date = November 16, 2008 | url = http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/opinion/columnists/whispers/s_598526.html}} the Pittsburgh City Paper,{{cite news | last = Kaplan| first =Jonathan A. | title = US Congressional District 4: Jason Altmire (D) v. Melissa Hart (R) | newspaper = Pittsburgh City Paper| location =Pittsburgh| publisher = Pittsburgh City Paper| date = October 23, 2008 | url = http://www.pittsburghcitypaper.ws/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A54195}} The Beaver County Times,{{cite news| last = Prose| first = J.D.| title = OPINION: No rules? No problem! State senate fiasco prompts changes| newspaper = Beaver County Times| location = Beaver, Pennsylvania| date = September 21, 2008| url = http://timesonline.townnews.com/articles/2008/09/21/opinion/jd_prose/doc48d5839a57456026683728.txt}}{{Dead link|date=May 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} The Citizens' Voice,{{cite news | last = Sisak | first = Michael R. | title = GOP criticizes Kanjorski fundraiser | newspaper = The Citizens' Voice| location =Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania| date = September 12, 2008 }} and the ''Lancaster New Era.{{cite news | title = Looking For Inaugural Tickets? Chances Mighty Slim | newspaper = Lancaster New Era | location =Lancaster, Pennsylvania | publisher = Lancaster Newspapers, Inc.| date = November 28, 2008 | url = http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-19398659.html| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121102043629/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-19398659.html| url-status = dead| archive-date = November 2, 2012}}

Journalist Dan Hirschhorn worked as the Philadelphia-based correspondent for PolitickerPA.{{cite news | last = Micek | first = John | author-link =John Micek| title = Check It Out | newspaper = The Morning Call| location =Allentown, Pennsylvania|url=http://blogs.mcall.com/capitol_ideas/2009/04/index.html | date = April 26, 2009|quote="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 was closed in January 2009, causing one journalist to exclaim "Damn. One less source to do our work for us."{{cite news| last = Prose| first = J.D.| title = Seen & Heard| newspaper = Beaver County Times| publisher = Beaver Newspapers, Inc.| date = January 26, 2009| url = http://timesonline.townnews.com/articles/2009/01/26/opinion/jd_prose/doc497dd99abd98f879811538.txt| quote = 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.}}{{Dead link|date=May 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and the Lancaster Sunday News reported on local connections in PolitickerPA's "Power List 2008."{{cite news | title = Bill Who?| newspaper = Pittsburgh Tribune-Review| publisher = The Tribune-Review Publishing Co.| date = July 20, 2008 | url = http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/opinion/columnists/whispers/s_578353.html}}{{cite news| last = Adams| first = Helen Colwell| title = Beiler, Bonusgate And A Bid For Auditor General| newspaper = Sunday News| location = Lancaster, Pennsylvania| publisher = Lancaster Newspapers, Inc.| date = July 20, 2008| url = http://articles.lancasteronline.com/local/4/224753| quote = "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. "| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://archive.today/20120711050218/http://articles.lancasteronline.com/local/4/224753| archive-date = July 11, 2012}}

PolitickerPA is not to be confused with another Pennsylvania politics website, PoliticsPA.

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Category:American political websites

Category:Internet properties established in 2008

Category:Politics of New York (state)