Researchers have found it’s quite costly to municipalities when local newspapers close. They looked at counties where local newspapers have closed and found that local governments spend more on loans for projects than those counties who had a local newspapers.
InDenverTimes.com rolls out. I’m In
A new media outlet in Denver was launched today, InDenverTimes.com. This venture was put together by some of the former staff of the Rocky Mountain News and there entrepreneurs.
In order for it to succeed, they will need to have the commitment of 50,000 subscribers by April 23, 2009. The 150th anniversary of the Rocky Mountain News.
The subscription fees are $4.99 a month for a twelve month subscription, $5.99 for six months, $6.99 for a three month subscription.
If they reach their goal, they will launch the site on May 4.
This is an interesting venture and I am hoping it will work. The news on the site will be free, but those who subscribe will get premium content including columnists and other stuff.
I’m In! Are you?
Former Rocky journalists to hold news conference | Home of the staff of Colorado’s oldest newspaper
Former Rocky journalists to hold news conference | Home of the staff of Colorado’s oldest newspaper.
I am looking forward to the announcement tomorrow by the former Rocky Mountain News journalists on what there plans are.
I wonder if it will be a independent newspaper and whether it will be online or online and printed?
Their experience in the Denver area will make them immediately a credible news source to compete with the other media outlets in the area.
It should be a good day in Colorado media.
Rocky Mountain News coming back???
An interesting headline has appeared on the website iwantmyrocky.com. They are teasing an announcement coming Monday.
KUSA, 9 News announced tonight that a new paid news service will be coming by the staff of the Rocky Mountain News. It will be interesting to see what happens.
Former reporters have been publishing stories on iwantmyrocky.com since the newspaper stopped publishing.
It will be interesting to see what happens. I will definitely be watching on Monday.
Rocky Mountain News stopped publishing but it didn’t die
The Rocky Mountain News may have ceased publishing, but it didn’t die. It still lives on at iwantmyrocky.com.
Several of the staff have moved over here and are now publishing stories online. It looks like a great site and stories are now starting to stream in.
Here is an excerpt from their About Us Page on what they are doing.
We launched iwantmyrocky.com to fight for the Rocky. Through this Web site and other efforts, the staff of theRocky sought to:
- Preserve and protect the editorial voice of the Rocky in our community.
- Preserve and protect the legacy of the Rocky and its historical archives, which provide a window to the infancy of our state and the city of Denver.
- Fight for the jobs of more than 200 Coloradans and the many others that would be affected by the newspaper’s closure.
The paper may not be printing anymore, but we’re still journalists and still eager to report, edit, design and do all those things that we loved to do for the newspaper. So now, iwantmyrocky.com will be a gathering spot for Rocky alumni and readers, bringing you the news of your favorite reporters and columnists and even a scoop of two that you might have seen on the pages of the Rocky.
While there is news, sports, and Arts and Entertainment on the I Want My Rocky site, I am particularly intrigued by a partner site called Inside the Rockies. the fact that Tracy Ringolsby, Jack Etkin, and Steven Foster are writing about the Colorado Rockies really excites me.
Where can you get information from writers who have been covering the Colorado Rockies since before their first game in Denver and baseball longer than that. I always loved their coverage of the Rockies. It got to the point and observations of the game were made that no one else made because of their experience.
It also doesn’t hurt that Ringolsby is enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Also Drew Litton is online also. You can see his old drawings plus new ones at is site drewlitton.com. I think the cartoon he drew of Jay Cutler sucking his thumb captured the events of last weekend between Cutler and the Denver Broncos.
I look forward to reading more from I Want My Rocky, Inside the Rockies and viewing the Drew Litton editorial cartoons. They are good writers and artists. I hope you check them out too.
I Want My Rocky is now on Twitter
I Want My Rocky, a gathering of former Rocky journalists, is now on Twitter.
You can follow them at http://twitter.com/iwantmyrocky.
I hope you do. I did!
Littwin: Polis and his “new media” can’t gloat
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.”
Polis apologizes for comments about the Rocky
Congressman Jared Polis apoligized for his remarks about the closing of the Rocky Mountain News.
“I apologize to the entire Rocky Mountain News family and anyone who was offended by my recent remarks. I did not mean to offend nor to show anything less than a strong sense of remorse for the loss of the Rocky. Like many Colorado residents, I grew up reading the Rocky Mountain News and its demise and the loss of over 200 jobs is a major blow to our community, especially in these troubled times.”—Congressman Jared Polis.
The apology was published in the Denver Post.
It is nice to see that he sees what he says can have a negative impact on the community that he represents. Let’s hope that he continues to see that and does not make any more stupid comments.
Polis mistaken when he says new media killed the Rocky Mountain News
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 “Polis mistaken when he says new media killed the Rocky Mountain News”
Final Edition – Rocky Mountain News Video
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.
Mile High Soapbox 