Rumors that one of the two Denver dailies will close after the conclusion of the Democratic National Convention have been running rampant for months -- and they got a considerable boost in July, when Rocky Mountain News business writer David Milstead wrote a column predicting that the Mile High City will eventually become a one-newspaper town. Post editor Greg Moore has heard such rumblings, and judging by an August 22 memo, he finds them to be particularly irritating during a time when his staff is supposed to be thinking of little else other than covering the DNC. In the e-mail, Moore does his best to knock down suggestions that the Post is about to disappear by, among other things, declaring that if either of the major newspapers goes away, it'll be the Rocky.
The memo is reproduced below. -- Michael Roberts
To the staff:Once again, I am being asked to address rumors about the possible demise of one of the two newspapers in Denver. No doubt, some of this was fueled by the David Milstead story in The Rocky a month or so ago, predicting The Post might be the paper likely to go away.
I have told you all that as soon as I know anything like that, I will share it. I don’t know anything. And it is a distraction to have to address this stuff.
It is no secret that the Denver Newspaper Agency is struggling to generate enough revenue to ensure profitability for both papers. That’s been widely written.
But I am not aware of any plans for either newspaper to cease publication. I know there is a rumor out there that one of us will go away after the DNC.
I will tell you this: Despite that story in The Rocky, if a paper ceases publication, it will not be The Denver Post. It is a matter of math. The Denver Post generates a majority of all advertising revenue daily, and all the revenue on Sunday. And the Sunday Denver Post generates about half of all newspaper revenues at DNA.
It seems foolish to think The Post would disappear. The Rocky Mountain News declared itself a failing newspaper in 2000, and nothing has changed.
I don’t want people distracted by all these rumors. Especially with the DNC coming, let’s focus on doing great journalism. The next week will be an exciting time for newspapering at both newspapers.
Let those on the fifth floor wallow in rumors, while we do good journalism.
Greg
