Seattle P-I to go online only, AP reports; multiple P-I reporters say "no" to online jobs

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer will in fact become an online-only publication, after its owner Hearst could not find a buyer for the struggling daily newspaper during its self-imposed 60-day sale attempt, reports The Associated Press. While the AP is reporting this, Hearst has yet to officially announce the outcome of its 60-day sale effort.

What we do know is that multiple offers were made to current P-I employees this week to join an online-only version of the daily newspaper. The move to an online-only format is awaiting the final OK from top Hearst brass, according to the AP. The owner's 60-day deadline would come to an end March 10, AP reports.

There are several hurdles standing in the P-I's path toward going online only. While dailies have recently made such transitions in Cincinnati and Madison, Wis., with subsidies from other media outlets, the Seattle P-I apparently will not have the luxury of such subsidies.

The biggest problem the P-I might have is staffing this new online venture -- apparently, the offers made to employees were not good. P-I metro writer Hector Castro received his offer Thursday and turned down the less-than-good offer, AP reports. Also, Joseph Tartakoff, who runs the paper's hugely popular Microsoft blog, turned down an offer.

This article includes one critical admission by a current P-I reporter: If the P-I can't sign enough of its current employees to continue on with the online only version, then the P-I will be finished once and for all. That is according to the reporter being quoted in the story, of course. Again, Hearst has yet to make an official announcement. Stay tuned.