Former rivals agree Colorado journalism needs public support

There was a time, not so long ago, when the two of us were foes in a “newspaper war.”

We thought that the winner would be in a position to thrive as the sole surviving major newspaper in the Denver metropolitan area.

Were we ever wrong.

John’s Rocky Mountain News died 10 years ago.

Greg’s Denver Post lives on, with about 70 journalists in a newsroom that once had 275.

The journalism world in Colorado — and nationally — has been turned upside down in ways we never anticipated.

As a result, instead of going head to head every day, the two of us are putting our heads together working on the Colorado Media Project, a concerted effort to sound the alarm about the decline of journalism and how we might build a brighter, more sustainable future.

This month, the project is releasing a report (https://coloradomediaproject.com/public-good) we think deserves the attention of anyone who cares about the state’s future.

It starts with a premise we both share: that quality journalism is essential to our democracy, and that without it, the state and country risk not having vibrant, engaged and informed communities.

The report sounds many alarms. Since 2010, the number of reporters or correspondents working in all media in Colorado has plummeted from roughly 1,000 to fewer than 600, a trend that shows no sign of abating, even while the state’s population is booming.

Since 2004, the state has lost 21 newspapers — almost one out of every five. And there’s good reason to think more will suffer the same fate. Television and radio news staffs have declined as well. There is lots of blame to go around from declining advertising revenues, changing news consumption habits, a premium on profits and questionable responses to the emerging digital landscape.

The full article is available in our e-Edition. Click here to subscribe.