Sadness, resignation mark Rocky closure

DENVER • Citizens, politicians and competitors raised a tribute Thursday to Colorado's oldest newspaper, the Rocky Mountain News, which is publishing its last edition today.

"This is a sad moment in the history of Denver and Colorado. We have lost an important voice in our community," Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper said.

"I have read the Rocky Mountain News for decades and will sorely miss it," said Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, a former Colorado senator. "My heart is with the Rocky and its employees."

Gov. Bill Ritter was attending a Colorado Press Association convention luncheon when the shutdown was announced.

"For me, it's a very, very sad day. As much in public life you may disagree with editors, you may get taken to task by editors, I really do believe that the First Amendment and the free exercise of the press is at the heart of what makes us strong. We lose a Colorado icon, we lose a newspaper that has contributed so much, I think, to the history of this state," Ritter said.

Ritter said he hopes newspapers survive and people aren't forced to rely on anonymous bloggers on the Internet to get their news.

"You can argue all you want with an editorial writer, but at the end of the day, you can call him. You can find him and call him and you can talk to him, and you can't do that on a blog," the governor said.

Rocky employees determinedly set to work putting out their last edition.
Political reporter Lynn Bartels held a box of tissues over her head. "This is for everybody," she said.

Bartels said she had planned to take a vacation day Thursday but instead was calling movers and shakers in Denver for their reactions to the closure.

"The Rocky is the most amazing family. I'm not going to be sitting next to these people anymore," she said.

Reporter Jerd Smith said she had been working four months on a story about a government-funded agency that is misusing public money.

She said she was a week away from finishing the story but isn't sure what will happen to it now.

"The taxpayers of Denver will lose. It's a shame," Smith said. "It's really the readers who have been overlooked in this. I feel bad about that. There's so, so many stories that are not going to be told."

The Denver Post, which competed fiercely with the Rocky for decades, saluted its adversary and promptly hired several of its staff, including Bartels.

"For 150 years, the Rocky has been so intertwined with the story of Denver that it's difficult to discuss one without the other," Post chairman and publisher William Dean Singleton said. "The Rocky will forever be remembered for its vital role in the city's history and the city's success."

The Post hired Rocky columnists Tina Griego, Penny Parker, Bill Johnson, Mike Littwin and Dave Krieger.

News editorial page editor Vincent Carroll joins the The Post editorial board, along with staff writers Burt Hubbard, Kevin Vaughan and Gargi Chakrabarty.

Downtown, residents reacted to the news with a mix of sadness and inevitability.

"I think they should try and find a way to keep it," said Nigel Perrymond, a software salesman. "People wake up, and people depend on that newspaper."

"While I can sympathize with both the readers and the employees, it's an archaic business model," said Kris Paulsen, a 34-year-old securities lawyer.

"Honestly it's sad, but it's the paper. People go online now," observed Mike Hankinson, a Regional Transit District security officer.

In Washington, Democratic Sen. Mark Udall called it "a sad day for Colorado journalism."

"Colorado grew up with the Rocky; our history has been written on the pages of this great paper," Udall said. "My hope is that all of these good, hardworking Coloradans find ways to build new careers in journalism, public information and the printing trade."

SUBSCRIPTIONS

I was a Rocky subscriber. What happens to me?
You will receive the Denver Post instead, beginning Saturday. The days of delivery and the expiration date of your subscription will remain the same.

Whom can I call for customer service?
The same number as before: 1-800-543-5543.

Denver Newspaper Agency

ABOUT THE ROCKY

History: Founded in 1859 by William Byers. The E.W. Scripps Co. bought the paper in 1926 and began a newspaper war with The Post. In 1942, then-Editor Jack Foster saved it by adopting the tabloid style, and circulation took off. By the late 1990s, subscription price had dropped to a penny a day.

The past decade: The Rocky has won four Pulitzer Prizes, more than all but a handful of U.S. newspapers. Its sports section was named one of the 10 best in the nation this week.

Its business section was cited by the Society of American Business Editors and Writers as one of the best in the country last year, and its photo staff was regularly listed among the best in the nation when the top 10 photo newspapers are judged.

Employees: 230 editorial employees, paid through April 28.

Circulation: 210,000 weekdays, 457,000 on Saturdays.

Corporate: The E.W. Scripps Co., 130 years old, has 10 TV stations; newspapers in 14
markets; the Scripps Howard News Service; and United Media, the licensor and syndicator of Peanuts, Dilbert and about 150 other features and comics.

The future: Scripps owns the newspaper's name, masthead, archives and Web site after the Rocky ends publication, and the company will offer those assets for sale.

E.W. SCRIPPS CO., Rocky Mountain News