Scripps Folds ‘Rocky Mountain News’
Denver daily paper a 'victim of changing times'
By Michael Malone -- Broadcasting & Cable, 2/26/2009 3:22:28 PM
After a would-be sale produced no qualified buyers, E.W. Scripps says its Rocky Mountain News will cease publication after the paper hits front steps tomorrow.
The News is Colorado’s oldest newspaper.
“Today the Rocky Mountain News, long the leading voice in Denver, becomes a victim of changing times in our industry and huge economic challenges,” said Scripps CEO Rich Boehne. “The Rocky is one of America’s very best examples of what local news organizations need to be in the future. Unfortunately, the partnership’s business model is locked in the past.”
Rocky employees stay on the payroll until April 28. Scripps says it will continue to “offer for sale” the paper’s assets, including the name and Website. It did not say it will continue publishing news on the Website.
“The closing of the Rocky Mountain News is sad for those of us who knew and respected journalists like Lynn Bartels, M.E. Sprengelmeyer, and Mike Littwin. They were the soul of a newspaper that covered people and politics for the west without succumbing to Washington-think or being homogenized by the big media corporate ethic,” said Sen. John Kerry (D-MA).
“Sadly, this won’t be the last in this unfortunate trend in the newspaper business which has already seen D.C. bureaus shut, foreign desks close, and now entire newspapers and newspaper chains disappear. It’s a trend that should alarm all of us. Thomas Jefferson recognized the importance of newspapers to our democracy when he said he’d prefer newspapers over government if forced to choose. It’s no coincidence that many of the great investigative pieces of journalism that led to progress on everything from workplace safety to civil rights began not in the national newsrooms but in local and regional newspapers from Boston to Chicago to Alabama. As our methods for disseminating news continue to rapidly change, I will make it a priority to take a hard and close look at the disturbing trend that is the disappearance of journalism.”
The newspaper and CBS O&O KCNC Denver share political content. KCNC management did not return requests for comment at presstime.
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This can be described as a sign of the times... the over 300-year-old newspaper industry slowly dying off. Predictions have hinted that daily newspapers could become extinct by the year 2043... unless newspapers can change they way they're doing business, in an effort to stay alive.
Eric - 2/28/2009 2:45:33 PM EST -
“The Rocky is one of America’s very best examples of what local news organizations need to be in the future.â€, Scripps CEO Rich Boehne. What a stupid comment to make about a paper that is closing.
Kerry - 2/26/2009 3:40:54 PM EST -
BBB.....Bring Bush Back.....In your web browser, please type in THREE w's then a Period then thanyoupresidentgeorgewbush then a periodCOM....thanks to all for the support
TYPGWB - 2/26/2009 3:31:52 PM EST
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