Rocky Mountain News Prints Final Issue

Editor Tells Other Publishers To Focus On Niche Audiences To Survive; Grim Outlook For Newspapers

(AP)  On the day his newspaper published its final edition, Rocky Mountain News Editor John Temple advised a gathering of Colorado journalists to focus on local news and suggested creating online content that niche audiences might pay for.

"It's not realistic to think in this day and age that people are going to have one information source and you're going to be it. You try, you die," Temple told the Colorado Press Association convention on Friday.

"If you're not experimenting, then I think you're in trouble," said Temple, who also held the titles of publisher and president.

The E.W. Scripps Co., which owns the News, announced Thursday that the Friday edition would be the newspaper's last after nearly 150 years in business.

"Goodbye, Colorado," read the headline on a 52-page commemorative edition wrapping the regular newspaper Friday. "STOP THE PRESSES," read the front-page headline inside.

Mike Simonton, a bond analyst at Fitch Ratings, said a number of other newspapers could close by the end of 2010, and those that survive will be focused on local news with smaller staffs and less printed content.

Four owners of 33 U.S. daily newspapers have sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the past 2 1/2 months, and a number of other newspapers are up for sale.

"We think this downturn is incremental to a very severe longer-term pressure from the Internet," Simonton said. "Many of the newspaper groups are in dire financial situations. We believe there will be more newspaper group bankruptcies and more newspapers closing over the next two years."

Scripps said the News lost $16 million last year. In December, the company put the News up for sale, along with its 50 percent stake in the Denver Newspaper Agency, which handled business operations for the News and its rival, The Denver Post, under a joint operating agreement. No viable buyer came forward.

Under the JOA, approved in 2001, the newspapers shared business operations while keeping their newsrooms separate. Both papers published every weekday. The Post, owned by MediaNews Group Inc., published Sunday editions while the News handled the Saturday edition.

On Friday, The Post prepared to publish a Saturday print edition for its readers and for News subscribers, who will now get The Post for the length of their subscriptions.

Post Editor Greg Moore said his newspaper didn't consider an online-only edition for the first Saturday. After Scripps' Dec. 4 announcement that the News was for sale, he said, "we knew this might happen. ... So I've had a lot of time to prepare for this."

William Dean Singleton, chairman and publisher of The Post and CEO of MediaNews, has said he would like to keep at least 80 percent of News subscribers. Simonton said that was a realistic goal since those subscribers have shown they value a printed product.

The Post has hired 10 News staffers, including columnists, and is picking up features and comics that the News published.

"We're going to make a play to get all those readers over time, and to keep them," Moore said.

The overlap in readership for the newspapers is roughly 14,000, according to the Denver Newspaper Agency. There were no immediate plans to raise ad, subscription or newsstand prices.

The Saturday edition of The Post will include a new home section called "Inside and Out" and features on things to do on the weekend, Moore said.

Singleton, who is also chairman of the board of The Associated Press, has said Denver could support only one newspaper. He said Thursday he was confident his newspaper would survive.

The state Senate paused Friday morning to lament the closing of the News and applauded one of its statehouse reporters, Ed Sealover, who had stepped into the chamber.

Republican state Sen. Shawn Mitchell, one of the Senate's most vocal debaters, said he wouldn't even try to be eloquent.

"It's sad. I'm sad. Goodbye Rocky Mountain News," he said.

The American Society of Newspaper Editors announced Friday it was canceling its annual convention, scheduled for April, so newspapers can save money and focus on surviving the recession. The last time the group canceled was during the final months of World War II in 1945.

Temple said despite the tough times, the news still matters to people.

"I'm not pessimistic about the future of journalism at all," he said.

[mountaineer1959]

Yeah!!! I love hearing of the woes of the "HIGH and MIGHTY" print median being in trouble and closing!! It could not happen to a better bunch of idoits. I remember when the newspapers reported the news as it happened, but with the Clinton/Gore administration, but mainstream newspapers began their propaganda for the Democratic party. I wonder how many other will close? Can we only hope the Chicago Tribune, NY Time, Boston Globe, Charlotte Observer, LA Times and etc close. The print media is so far behind the times. By the time their papers are printed and delivered the new is HOURS old.

Hey editors of the remaining newspapers, perhaps you might ask Obama for a bailout? He ows is presidency to you. You helped him get elected and I am sure he will give you some "change".

[harbinger19]

Another page turned . Another era begins it's decline into the future that will be a question in years to come . Granpa what is a newspaper?
Posted by tootall1014 at 5:52 AM : Feb 28, 2009


More realistic: "Gramby, whabbeee be a paaapa, canby yoube tellbe mebee dabbee"

and it will be sent by text msg with illiterate spelling.

[luke_4u]

Nope sorry, it's not about politics. The right, or the left. And having the Gov't throw money at a failing business, is definitely not the way to go. The "print media" , is slowly but surely going by the wayside. I don't suppose it'll ever be totally and completely gone, but it's going to be much smaller. Just as with the U.S. Mail , computers are taking over, little by little. I used to buy newspapers years ago, when they were 25 cents, but why would I want to pay 75 cents or a dollar for a newspaper, when I can get all the news I care for, on the TV, the radio and the internet ? However, there was one good thing I did like about reading a newspaper, that I can't quite do with the TV or the radio, I could skip right past all the left wing B.S. Ha, gotcha !

[sendmecash]

Maybe we need a Fairness Doctrine for newspapers. Its just not fair if our President cannot get his message out because of all the lies the right are spouting. Lets get some more stimulus $ for those that are trying to fight the "Rich-Right". If it works, then we need only read/hear the sweet words/sound of our beloved president as he lulls us to sleep each night and as we wake each morning. Power to the Government, people get in line. Oh, an update: The peoples lunch will be served at PSD 13 today. All other government meals will follow the normal schedule and locations.

[brianbwb-2009]

As the car replaced the horse, Cyber info is replacing newspapers.

Soon paper mills will lose their clients, as will the timber industry, as substitutes for the remaining paper will be developed. good for the Earth, not so hot for the lumberjacks.

Adapt, or perish

[barbaram99]

I told my friend about t it being the last paper. He said*really*. I said yep. He used to read it years ago when he lived in CO. He thinks the computer is the reason. I read on the computer the news as iI hate the feel of the news prrint and read smakk print.

[winstrv]

Maybe if they had stuck to reporting the news instead of trying to influence people and put their slant on things, they would have survived. I hope all the liberal press goes away and honest reporting takes their place. I can decide what to believe or not. Just give me the facts so I can decide.

[platteman]

Hurray another one of those liberal rags bites the dust. Good riddance. AT least we will save some newspaper and not have to cut as many trees to supply one of those rags that just publish BS about conservitaves.
It has lived long past it's prime and to see it die a slow death is a wonderful thing.
Hope that BHO helps out all those who are now unemployed. Line up to get your food stamps and welfare.
Hurray, Hurray, good ridance to bad rubbish.