This week we asked Slade Gorton, former U.S. Senator and member of the 9/11 Commission, now an attorney with K&L Gates, what he’s reading these days. This is the third installment of a regular series in which we’re surveying prominent people around Seattle — authors, journalists, politicians, actors, chefs, and business leaders — to find out how their media consumption habits have evolved in recent years. Here are Gorton’s responses to our questions:

What are your favorite local and national news outlets?

The Seattle Times; KING5 TV; The Weekly Standard; Commentary; Claremont Review; word of mouth.

What do you consider “must reads” every day? Must watch? Must hear?

The Seattle Times and The Wall Street Journal. No TV every day. Also: WSJ, The Washington Post, Politico — all on line.

Do you consume news through: print, television, radio, laptop, smart phone, ipad, podcasts, other?

Print, TV, and desktop.

Do you use Facebook, LinkedIn, and/or Twitter for news and information?

No.

What online news sites or aggregators do you visit regularly?

The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and Politico.

Do you regularly visit any individual blogs for news, analysis and opinion?

No.

Have your news-consumption habits changed in the last few years? If so, how?

Change from The New York Times to The Wall Street Journal.

Do you read for fun? If so, what? Last novel you read? Non-fiction book?

Several books at a time: spy and historical novels, history. Right now I’m reading Henry Clay: The Essential American by David S. Heidler and Jeanne T. Heidler; The Gettysburg Companion by Mark Adkin; The History of the Medieval World by Susan Bauer; and The Defector by Daniel Silva.

This week, we chatted with James Keblas, director of the City of Seattle Film and Music Office, about what he’s reading these days. We found Keblas is, appropriately, a bit of a news junkie and willing and eager to embrace new technology.

This is the second installment of a regular series we plan to run. We’re surveying prominent people around Seattle — authors, journalists, politicians, actors, chefs, and business leaders — to find out how their reading and media consumption habits have evolved in recent years.

Keblas’ answers seem to jibe with a new Pew Research Center survey showing that people are consuming more news now than ever, and finding that news from a more diverse array of sources. Here’s a link to a Washington Post article on the survey.

Below are Keblas’ responses to questions about what he reads:

1. What are your favorite local news outlets? Why?

My favorite places to read daily local news are all on the web.  I can’t remember the last time I picked up an actual paper.  When I get up in the morning I make an espresso and read through about 10 different blogs sites, including Publicola, neighborhood blogs, The Stranger, Puget Sound Business Journal, etc.

2. What do you consider “must reads” every day? Must watch? Must hear?

If you care about local politics, then Publicola is a must read.  Very little gets by that team.  Working in a public office, it is great reading Publicola because it’s like a City Hall/ Olympia newsletter.  I don’t always agree with them but I like their coverage.

3. Do you consume news through: print, television, radio, laptop, smart phone, ipad, podcasts, other?

NPR is a must for me first thing in the morning.  It’s like getting my daily news read to me by Burl Ives.  Great long, in-depth stories presented without shouting and no commercials (yes, I am a member).  My wife loves MSNBC so we watch that sometimes in the evening.  I have an iPhone so it’s really easy for me to get all my news and information all day long where ever I am.

4. Do you use Facebook, LinkedIn, and/or Twitter for news and information?

I use social networking personally and professionally to disseminate information, but to be honest I don’t read it much.

5. What online news sites or aggregators do you visit regularly?

For the most part I use Google Reader and let everything come to me.

6. Do you regularly visit any individual blogs for news, analysis and opinion?

Huffington Post is a good aggregator so I occasionally check it out.  I am a major technophile so also read sites like Engadget, Wired, Fast Company and Gizmodo to fill that fix.

7. Have your news consumption habits changed in the last few years? If so, how?

I used to religiously read the Seattle Times and the Seattle PI daily because those were the best sources.  I still read them and think they play an important role, but I go to many other sites beforehand now.

8. Do you read for fun? If so, what? Last novel you read? Non-fiction book?

I have to read for fun otherwise I risk becoming one of those people who take relatively unimportant things too seriously.   I don’t trust people who only read serious news and non-fiction.  They don’t have perspective or imagination.  To keep my sense of humor in shape I read The Onion, The Stranger and Stewart/Colbert.  To keep my imagination in shape, I subscribe to Yanko Design and read Kerri Harrop’s blog, generalbonkers.com.  I also try to keep a fiction book going at all times.  Right now I am reading all of Jonathan Troppers books.  He is insightful, funny and an eloquent writer.  I just finished the book, This is Where I Leave You.  Highly recommended.

With new media options cropping up every week and existing media changing so rapidly, we at the Washington News Council have been watching our own news reading habits evolve. It made us wonder, are others in Seattle experiencing the same?

We decided to launch a regular blog series called “What I Read.” We’re picking journalists, politicians, foodies, celebrities, business leaders, and others in the Puget Sound region and asking them about their current news consumption habits.

We’ll feature new individuals on a fairly regular basis. To kick this series off, Washington News Council president John Hamer suggested I reach out to my own father, Bill Dietrich. He’s currently writing historical fiction (see www.williamdietrich.com) and teaching environmental journalism at Western Washington University. Before his life as a novelist, my dad worked as a Seattle Times reporter for over two decades, and was part of the Pulitzer Prize winning team that covered the Exxon Valdez oil spill.

Here are my dad’s answers to our questions on his changing news habits. Look for more personalities to be featured in weeks to come.

1. What are your favorite local news outlets? Why?

I live in Anacortes, so “local” for me is the Anacortes American (a weekly), the Skagit Valley Herald, and The Seattle Times.

2. What do you consider “must reads” every day? Must watch? Must hear?

Must read the above, although I’m frustrated that The Seattle Times has become intensely “Seattle-centric” and less regional. I often read NY Times and USA Today on my ipad, and Wall Street Journal is used as my home page on my computer. TV is usually KING, cable news stations (for a big story) or PBS (for background.) Radio is usually NPR (both KUOW and KPLU) and satellite radio stations including NPR, CNN, CNBC, and Bloomberg.

3. Do you consume news through: print, television, radio, laptop, smart phone, ipad, podcasts, other?

All of those listed except podcasts. Occasionally YouTube.

4. Do you use Facebook, LinkedIn, and/or Twitter for news and information?

No.

5. What online news sites or aggregators do you visit regularly?

NY Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today. Sometimes Huffington Post, Sightline, Crosscut.

6. Do you regularly visit any individual blogs for news, analysis and opinion?

No.

7. Have your news consumption habits changed in the last few years? If so, how?

I consume more news from a wider array of outlets for less money (except for the gadgets) because of improved wireless and broadband and because they’re free. The ipad has changed my news browsing habits. I can read more while waiting.

8. Do you read for fun? If so, what? Last novel you read? Non-fiction book?

I’d better, since I want people to buy my novels for fun. Just finished Ken Follett’s “World Without End” and am reading Steig Larsen’s “The Girl Who Played With Fire.” Just finished Nicholas Wade’s “Before the Dawn” (on human evolution) and am reading “Empire of the Summer Moon.” (Comanche Indians)