Type Published on weekdays Owner(s) Crosscut Public Media Political alignment None | Format Online newspaper Founded 2007 | |
Headquarters 401 Mercer St.
Seattle, Washington 98106 | ||
Crosscut.com is a nonprofit, online newspaper based in Seattle, Washington, United States. Crosscut's stated purpose is to "produce journalism in the public interest". Its content is mainly news analysis rather than breaking news like other online newspapers or blogs.
Contents
Founding
Crosscut was founded in 2007 by David Brewster, who also started the Seattle Weekly in 1976 and launched Town Hall Seattle in 1999. Other investors included former Seattle mayor Paul Schell, former Seattle City Councilman and KING-TV commentator Jim Compton, and former KING Broadcasting Company president Stimson Bullitt.
Editors
Until November 2008, the site's editor was former Weekly and Seattle Union Record editor Chuck Taylor, who was also a reporter, editor, and graphic designer at the Seattle Times. He left Crosscut during its transition to a nonprofit. For almost a year, the site was edited by Brewster alone until former Seattle Post-Intelligencer and Seattle Times editor Mark Matassa joined in September 2009. Matassa only stayed with Crosscut for three months, leaving in December to join the administration of new Seattle mayor Mike McGinn. He was replaced by his sister, former Times journalist Michele Matassa-Flores, and former P-I columnist Joe Copeland. Matassa-Flores left in the summer of 2011.
Crosscut is currently edited by Greg Hanscom (editor in chief), Drew Atkins (managing editor), and Copeland (senior editor).
Transition to a nonprofit
On November 17, 2008, Brewster announced that a switch to nonprofit status was being explored by Crosscut LLC, which necessitated temporary staff cuts.
Brewster remained the only employee until September 2009, when grant funding finally materialized and Crosscut was able to hire an editor and support staff, including an editor, an advertising director, and eventually a Web developer. Crosscut currently has seven employees.
In October 2009, Crosscut initiated its first pledge drive. Nearly 400 people donated money to support the site's continued existence.
Acquisition by KCTS
On December 2, 2015, it was announced that KCTS-TV, a local PBS affiliate based in Seattle, would merge with Crosscut and another website to form Cascade Public Media.