Littwin: Polis and his “new media” can’t gloat – The Denver Post
This is a great column by Mike Littwin in response to Jared Polis stating that “new media” killed the Rocky Mountain News.
Littwin had a good seat to see what happened at the Rocky and it wasn’t new media.
I think he summarized things well at the end of his column when he stated, “Whatever Polis thinks, he had absolutely nothing to do with the death of the Rocky. He took his best shot, but I’d say all he hit was his foot.”
I think that Congressman Jared Polis is terribly mistaken that new media killed the Rocky Mountain News. I don’t think so.
The Rocky’s demise was due to several different economic factors coming together at once. It was something that they and the Denver Post did to each other trying to outcompete each other.
I think that John Temple of the Rocky Mountain News said it best in a column that was published with his last edition.
One of the things that led to the decline of the paper was declining circulation. According to Temple, “On Sunday, circulation dropped from about 800,000 to about 600,000. And on Saturday the number fell from about 600,000 to about 450,000.” Continue reading
Sunday with the Avalanche from Long Island : All Things Colorado Sports Colorado.
Toward the end of a recent blog post, Terry Frei of the Denver Post admitted that he deletes blog posts that have a limited shelf life about the Colorado Avalanche.
Terry, you don’t need to do that. Keeping a blog post up there is part of history and how things develop. That is the nice thing about having things posted electronically and online, you don’t need to delete them.
First-of-all, if you have comments turned off it is not really a blog. Terry, your paper allows comments on your stories in the paper. At least you can do is have comments on your blog. I probably would have left a comment there instead of writing this post.
Not deleting blog posts and allowing comments builds community and discussion about a subject you cover and many people like, the Colorado Avalanche. I think you would improve your coverage and the people who follow you if you didn’t turn off commenting and keep the posts.
Plus, it is not good blogging etiquette. Please leave them up and open up commenting.
Below is a video highlighting the staff and the closing of the Rocky Mountain News. It is an incredible video that looks at the human side of the closing. It really captures what it means to the staff and readers that this wonderful paper has closed.
This paper is going to be missed. You can tell by this video that they put everything into what they did and they produced incredible stuff.
It is best watched in HD on their site. Click through and take a look.
Ward Lucas has retired from 9 News in Denver after 33 years in broadcasting. He anchored his final episode Saturday evening.
I worked with him on a couple of stories and worked tirelessly to get the story right. He was fair and professional throughtout it all. He was one reporter who I enjoyed working with.
Good luck Ward. We will miss you but wish you well.
I am attending WordCamp Denver today and just had a good presentation by Gil Asakawa on media and publishing.
One of the questions that came up was should bloggers fill the niche left behind by the Rocky Mountain News? Well should they?
My thought is that bloggers and everyone else should be looking out for something going on and question it. We are a republic after all.
One thing that I have noticed in the media, specifically the Denver Post, is that the reporters are general issue reporters. The speciality or niche reporter no longer exists. Continue reading
I hate to say this, but good-bye Rocky Mountain News. I am going to miss you.
I moved to the Denver area in 1993 and except for a couple years when I moved away I have been reading the Rocky Mountain News. It was an excellent newspaper and I always compared other newspapers to it.
And none of them really measured up.
What did I like?
I guess it is just the sign of the times. Newspapers across this country are in serious trouble. The Albuquerque Tribune closed a year-ago (another Scripps newspaper), the Seattle P-I will cease publishing a printed copy later this year, the San Francisco Chronicle is in trouble, and the stock of the New York Times is now below what a Sunday edition costs.
In the paper that is surviving, the Denver Post, I have concerns about their viability over the near and long-term. They have been having financial problems and had to borrow money from the Denver Newspaper Agency. They also just had to re-negotiate contracts with their staff.
Plus I have seen an incredible decline in the quality of their writing. Like many other newspapers they have reduced the newsroom staff, getting rid of the specialty writers and leaning towards the general writer who can cover more topics. But this lead to a poorer quality of writing and coverage of the issues.
The Rocky has provided a great benefit to the Denver and Colorado area for 150 years and Denver has benefited from having a two newspaper town. Now that we are done to one, let’s hope that the Denver Post keeps up their part of raising issues and keeping everyone in check.
For now, I am going to continue my subscription and receive the Denver Post. But I am nervous and have a lot of doubt that they will continue into the future. If I don’t like it, I will drop my subscription.
I want to wish the staff of the Rocky well as they move on with their career. I have met and worked with some of them on a professional level and always enjoyed it. They were always fair and provided good coverage of the issues.
Good-bye Rocky. Me and many others are going to miss you.
