Liberal bias doesn't explain Rocky Mountain News' death, columnist says

It's fashionable these days for conservatives to suggest that the troubles currently afflicting daily newspapers can be traced to the persistent left-wing slant of most pubs in this category -- an ideologically driven argument that Boston Globe columnist dismantles in a piece headlined "Liberal Bias Isn't Killing Newspapers." His examples...

By Michael Roberts

May 6, 2009

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It's fashionable these days for conservatives to suggest that the troubles currently afflicting daily newspapers can be traced to the persistent left-wing slant of most pubs in this category -- an ideologically driven argument that Boston Globe columnist dismantles in a piece headlined "Liberal Bias Isn't Killing Newspapers." His examples include a local one: "How does liberal bias explain the shutdown of Denver's more conservative Rocky Mountain News, but not the more liberal Denver Post?" he asks. As for the real culprits, he points his finger at the rise of the Internet, Craigslist and the explosion of info-dissemination operations whose products are typically free. "The culture has changed," he writes. "Only 15 percent of Americans younger than 40 now read a printed newspaper every day. It isn't political bias that keeps them away. Conservatives who insist otherwise do themselves no favors."

Read the column by clicking here.

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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