So today, Denver becomes a one newspaper town. After nearly 150 years as Colorado's original newspaper, the Rocky Mountain News dies after today's edition. Employees found Thursday that after Friday, they wouldn't have a job.It's hard to find the words to express my feelings here. I spent 12 years working in print journalism, and I've seen it become an increasingly difficult business to remain viable. I once made the statement as a cub reporter in Olean, N.Y. that the Internet would save newspapers because people would have the ability to access their "hometown" news from anywhere in the world when they wanted to. Some papers, mainly the uber-large ones like the New York Times have been able to pull enough revenue from the Web to remain viable.
Most have not. The inability to draw revenue from the Web is killing newspapers, not saving them. A former colleague of mine, the last columnist Joan Dickinson, vehemently disagreed with me when I made my comment about the Web saving newspapers. In later years she changed her stance. Joan, I think you were right after all.
The Rocky tried to change with the times, moving to a tabloid format and entering into a joint operating agreement with the Denver Post in 2001. Obviously it wasn't enough.
I fear for my friends and colleagues who remain in print journalism. These are uncertain times. More newspapers will die. The Tucson Citizen is closing in March. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer is on life support. Unless print finds a way to adapt to a rapidly changing world - and now - it's days are numbered.
And people may then come to realize they miss the relaxation of their morning paper and the ink on their fingers.
