October 2014 Colorado Editor

editor colorado

Official publication of the Colorado Press Association / coloradopressassociation.com / Vol. LXXXV, No. 10

CPA heads back to school for campus visits.

PAGE 8

October 2014

Digital First up for sale

Company operates 76 dailies, including Denver Post and Boulder Daily Camera

You need to notice Is your paper ready for new public notice requirement?

By Jean Williams CPA staff Newspapers and news associations have been aware that the government has been pushing for an online presence for legal notices for some time, and a Jan 1., 2015, deadline was set earlier this year.

Public and legal notices, in a victory for the Colorado news industry, will still be published in newspapers.

However, uploading them to the Public Notice Colorado website (www. publicnoticecolorado.com), will be required by law as a second step in the process. Colorado Revised Statues 2470-103 states, “When any legal notice is required by law to be published in any newspaper, the newspaper publishing the notice shall, at no additional cost to the person or entity placing the notice, place the notice on a statewide web

site established and maintained by an organization representing a majority of Colorado newspapers as a repository for the notices.”

Colorado Press Association is that organization. CPA CEO Jerry Raehal said: “There’s been a growing tide of government agencies that have made the argument that they should just post NOTICE on Page 8

The Denver Post is officially on the sales block. Digital First Media (DFM) announced Sept. 12 that it had hired UBS Securities LLC to plan “strategic alternatives for the company’s business” – a move that could involve a sale of some or all of the company’s news products.

CEO John Paton said in a DFM article on Sept. 12 that decisions could be made to sell the entire company, regional clusters, or no newspapers.

The company, which is controlled by hedge fund Alden Global Capital, has a portfolio that includes 76 daily newspapers and 160 weeklies. A news release indicated the company would not set a deadline for the sale or report any information until its board had decided whether or not to proceed with one or more transactions and/or until the review is completed.

DFM operates the Denver Post and 13 other newspapers in Colorado. It was formed in December 2013 with the merger of Denver-based MediaNews Group and the former Journal Register Co. It is the nation’s second-largest newspaper company based on circulation, in 15 states with 800 multi-platform news and information products. The company says it serves 75 million customers monthly.

Its largest properties include the Denver Post, the San Jose Mercury News, the Los Angeles Daily News, The New Haven Register, the St. Paul Pioneer Press and The Salt Lake Tribune.

In Colorado, it also owns the Boulder Daily Camera, Longmont Times-Call, Loveland Reporter-Herald, Cañon City Daily Record, Estes Park Trail-Gazette, and seven community newspapers in the northeast region.

As reported by The Poynter Institute’s Andrew Beaujon, Paton told employees in a memo that: “As employees, the best thing we can do while this review is underway is to SALE on Page 11

Passion came early for new board member Wiggins Staff report Mike Wiggins notes that he is a 16-year veteran in the newspaper industry. But the love for the industry started before then.

“I want to join the CPA board because from the time I began reading box scores in The Denver Post when I was in elementary school, I have been passionate about newspapers and the vital role they play as government watchdogs and instruments of information, entertainment and education,” the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel managing editor

penned about joining the board.

Wiggins will get that chance. He has been appointed to the Colorado Press Association Board of Directors, filling the vacancy left by Joe Hight. Hight resigned his position with the Board after announcing he is leaving the Colorado Springs Gazette for family reasons (See page 3 for story).

As a director, Wiggins will help direct and set policies for the CPA and its for-profit affiliate, SYNC2 Media. The Board is made up 11 newspaper members, and it meets quarterly.

Wiggins started as a reporter at The

Glenwood Post before moving to The Daily Sentinel in 2001. He was promoted to city editor in 2012 and managing editor in 2013.

“I am honored to join the Colorado Press Association board of Wiggins directors,” Wiggins said in an email. “Having spent my entire life in Colorado, I’m invested in the newspaper industry’s present and future in this

state. I look forward to doing my part to help ensure newspapers here continue to evolve and adapt while remaining true to their core mission of informing and educating the public in an accurate and ethical way.”

Per CPA bylaws, the board president — Terri House — selects the person to fill a board position that is vacated during its term.

“Mike is an awesome addition to the Colorado Press Association Board of Directors,” House said. “He has a solid grasp of the industry and will represent the Western Slope well.”

2

colorado editor

October 2014

Colorado Newspapers

colorado editor ISSN #162-0010 USPS # 0122-940 Vol. LXXXV, Issue 10 October 2014 Colorado Editor is the official publication of the Colorado Press Association and is published monthly at 1120 Lincoln St., Suite 912 Denver, CO 80203 p: 303-571-5117 f: 303-571-1803 coloradopressassociation.com

Subscription rate: $10 per year, $1 single copy Staff Jerry Raehal Chief Executive Officer jraehal@colopress.net Brian Clark Design Editor Board of Directors OFFICERS Chair Bryce Jacobson The Tribune bjacobson@greeleytribune.com President Terri House The Pagosa Springs SUN terri@pagosasun.com Vice President Keith Cerny Alamosa Valley Courier krcemail56@gmail.com Treasurer Bart Smith The Tribune bsmith@greeleytribune.com Secretary Matt Lubich The Johnstown Breeze mlubich@johnstownbreeze.com DIRECTORS Don Lindley The Durango Herald dlindley@durangoherald.com Larry Ryckman The Denver Post lryckman@denverpost.com Mike Wiggins Grand Junction Daily Sentinel mike.wiggins@gjsentinel.com Beecher Threatt Ouray County Plaindealer beecher@ouraynews.com Lisa Schlichtman Steamboat Pilot & Today lschlichtman@steamboattoday.com Jason Woodside Aurora Media Group jwoodside@aurorasentinel.com Periodical postage paid at Denver, CO 80202.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Colorado Editor 1120 Lincoln St., Suite 912 Denver, CO 80203

In the News The Gazette rolls out new subscription program On Sept. 8, The Gazette in Colorado Springs debuted its “new, all-inclusive” subscription program, with President & Publisher Dan Steever calling it a “new chapter” in the history of the newspaper.

Any subscriber at any level will now receive unlimited access to all Gazette content on any platform. Access includes the main website, mobile site, special interest sites, app, newsletters and other future projects.

To complement the move, the newspaper also launched its Gazette Insider Club, giving members exclusive contests, interactive events, entertainment event tickets, and other “deals and giveaways.” Membership is free to subscribers. Visit gazette.com, Member Center, for more information. Nonsubscribers will still have unlimited access to national and international news, obituaries, classifieds and section fronts on the website, as well as up to eight original articles each month after registering on the site (or four original articles per month without registering).

MetroWest rolls Carbon Valley pub into Fort Lupton Press From MetroWest Newspapers: Publication of the Carbon Valley Farmer & Miner, a weekly newspaper of MetroWest Newspapers serving Frederick, Firestone, Dacono and the surrounding area, ceased in its current form effective Sept. 1. The move comes as MetroWest and parent company, Landmark Community Newspapers, LLC, reconfigure their print strategy with an emphasis on incorporating coverage of the Tri-Towns into the Fort Lupton Press, which is also owned by LCNI and operated by the MetroWest staff.

Beginning with the Sept. 3 editions, current subscribers to the Farmer & Miner are now receiving the Fort Lupton Press, which will also include coverage of the Tri-Towns and southwestern Weld County in addition to its current local news, sports and features from Fort Lupton. The Farmer & Miner has been published under multiple names – including the Frederick Farmer and Miner and Tri-Town Farmer and Miner – going back to 1903.

New owners at Plainsman Herald There has been a change in ownership at the Plainsman Herald in Springfield. “We purchased the newspaper on Sept. 4,” said Sarah Steinman, adding that “everything with the paper will remain the same as before.” The official new owner is A Nuttshell of Notions LLC, owned by Steinman and Kathryn Nutt.

Steinman will serve as editor, while Nutt will handle billing and office administration. They have not as yet planned any personnel, design or circulation changes. The newspaper was established in 1887 and is published weekly on Thursday. New email for the company is plainsmanherald@gmail.com.

What’s new in Colorado news?

The Colorado Editor wants to hear from you. We’re on the lookout for news about your staff, publications and businesses for our all-new columns and features in the Colorado Editor – your monthly membership newspaper from Colorado Press Association.

Send us your “breaking news” on: • New Hires • Promotions • People Moving On • Anniversaries • Retirements • Contest or Staff Awards & Honors

• New Building or Equipment Projects or Updates • Meetings, Seminars and Training • Community Projects • College-Related News and Events • Industry news that affects you • And any other personal news your staff members might want to share

Send your news items of 150 words or fewer (photo also welcome) to Cheryl Ghrist – cghrist@colopress.net – using subject line “Colorado Editor News.”

Craig Daily Press adds new Print Shop employee

Mountain Mail adds Cincinnati grad as reporter

Anna Griffing has joined the staff of The Craig Daily Press and The Print Shop as a graphic designer, replacing Laura Sigmund.

Griffing moved to Craig from Hattiesburg, Mississippi, where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in graphic design from the University of Southern Mississippi. This is her first job at a newspaper. Previously she did freelance work, including designing labels and packaging for a brewery in Georgia. “I want to get real-world experience,” she told the Press, “and this seems like a great place to work.” In her free time, Griffing enjoys reading and sports, and says she and her family are big fans of “Ole Miss,” the New York Giants and the Denver Broncos, adding, “We’re big Manning fans.”

Ryan Hoffman, a native of Cincinnati, Ohio, has joined the staff of The Mountain Mail in Salida as a reporter. Hoffman, 23, graduated with a degree in journalism and a minor in English from the University of Cincinnati this spring. He will cover education, health and Chaffee County, including the county commission, Salida Hospital District and the Salida School Board.

“I believe in the importance of informing people,” said Hoffman, who also noted in a Mail article that journalism should educate people and keep them up to date on different issues. “You cannot have a democracy without a free, strong and independent press,” he added. While in college, he worked for two years as editor of the school newspaper, The News Record, as well as an additional year as a reporter. Last summer, he interned at the Cincinnati Enquirer, covering mostly government and politics. Hoffman’s personal interests will fit in well with his new surroundings, as he enjoys hiking and would like to “do some rafting.” He also likes to read, garden and listen to music of all kinds.

Gazette intern gets advice from Pulitzer winner Phillips Like anyone else, Gisele Dogon was nervous her first day of work. When her internship at The Gazette began, it was her first “real job,” and unlike her fellow interns, “I didn’t know very much about anything in the journalism world.” Two days of orientation answered a lot of her questions, and Dogon began her work in the newsroom under the tutelage of editor Pula Davis. Dogon quickly learned the basics of page design and “compiling letters to the editor.” She also got invaluable advice from recent Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Dave Philipps, who told her to “wait a few extra seconds after a person answers a question” because, “If you wait until it’s a little awkward for you, they’ll probably say something else to take away from the awkward silence,” said Philipps. Dogon said she only did “a little reporting” at The Gazette, but that advice is “something that has stuck in my mind my whole time here.” Dogon is a Colorado Springs native and a student at Colorado College.

German student Dessecker interns at The Mountain Mail Lena Dessecker, 18, of Stuttgart, Germany, served a three-week internship this summer at The Mountain Mail in Salida. The opportunity was a part of the Rocky Mountain Language Adventure Program, which brought a group of 18-year-old Germans to Salida to learn about the language and culture. Dessecker was eager to learn more about and practice her English, as well as write and take photographs.

The “friendliness and politeness” of the townspeople surprised her. “Everyone asks how people are doing,” she said. Last year she visited New York and since that time had wanted to revisit America. “It fascinated me,” she said of that trip. Dessecker stayed in Salida with a host family, Connie Cole and her daughter. Her visit included a tour of the area and a hike up nearby Tenderfoot Mountain.

colorado editor

October 2014

3

10 Questions with: Joanna Bean

By Cheryl Ghrist Contributing Editor

This issue, “10 Questions” checked in with Joanna Bean, the new editor of The Gazette in Colorado Springs. A longtime journalist, she takes over for Joe Hight, who is returning to live and work near family and friends in Oklahoma.

1) You grew up in a southwest metro Denver suburb, and earned a journalism degree at Colorado State University. Where else did you work, and how did you wind up at The Gazette, where you’ve worn at least five newsroom hats?

Before The Gazette, I worked at a weekly newspaper in Littleton and at The Coloradoan in Fort Collins (I’ll leave out the parts of my work history in which I popped movie theater popcorn, wrapped gifts and made sub sandwiches). I was hired as a business writer at The Gazette in 1990 after hanging around the newsroom, trying to make myself useful and likable while doing freelance work on a big annual special section the newspaper used to produce. Every time I thought it was about time to move on, I was offered a chance to do something new, learn something new.

2) You’ve been working at The Gazette for 25 years, and managing editor for almost two, so you must understand your community on a deep level. What are some of the challenges in covering the Colorado Springs area?

I’d like to think I understand the community on more than a surface level. Raising two children here has certainly helped with that. I suppose the challenges of covering the Colorado Springs area are no different than the challenges of covering any area – how to fully represent the various communities within the larger community, how to write relevant stories, how to find the fun and interesting stories that

go beyond the institutions in town, how to give voice to all parts of our community. Colorado Springs and the surrounding communities encompass a big area geographically, so that’s a challenge sometimes – just getting to breaking news quickly, for example. And though we’re often labeled as that “conservative community at the foot of Pikes Peak that’s home to the religious right,” that’s not at all what Colorado Springs really is about. So we are very deliberate about making sure our coverage doesn’t play into those stereotypes.

3) You were an integral part of the recent 2014 Pulitzer honor for the “Other Than Honorable” series

by Dave Philipps. Was that process as incredibly stimulating as any writer would think it would be?

It was incredibly stimulating, challenging, humbling, frustrating, exhausting, intimidating, thrilling and sobering. Dave and Michael Ciaglo (the photographer), the rest of the team and I never for a minute forgot how serious the project was, in terms of the journalism we were trying to do and the human lives and institutions we were writing about.

4) Gazette columnist Bill Vogrin recently wrote that you want your newspaper “to continue to be at the center of all community conversations and discussions. I want people to look to us for more than just news reports. I want them to turn to us for analysis and debate. For leadership.” Do you believe that’s more important than ever, given the changing scene of the newspaper industry?

I do believe that. It’s what we, and other newspapers around the country, have been doing for generations, so it’s not a new role, but it’s an increasingly important one as the volume of news, information, chatter, discussion, etc. grows daily. We talk a lot at The Gazette about being relevant, being useful and being unique. I also remind everyone that we also should be fun and entertaining. We

“It may sound trite, but my goal is to be a great editor and steward of the 142-year-old Gazette news organization.”

do that well, too. For example, one of our features writers launched a Halloween fiction contest for schoolage children. She wrote the start to a spooky story and asked young readers to finish it. Their stories are rolling in. We have an interactive aspen map and reader photo gallery online that’s been a big hit. Being relevant doesn’t always mean being serious.

5) Many believe The Gazette had a very positive rebirth after the purchase by Clarity in 2012 and subsequent hiring of Joe Hight. Can you assess the changes, and note how you fit into the process?

We started with changes to the printed Gazette, and within 30 days of the acquisition we had added pages, added color, restored our daily Life sections, added new features, redesigned the paper and refocused on all sorts of coverage – investigative and enterprise work, features stories, business coverage and more. We then redesigned our website, moved our printing operations to The Denver Post and moved our offices downtown.

Readers have raved about what we’ve done, many thanking us for returning the paper to what they loved before we had years of cutbacks. Joe Hight and I worked closely as a team throughout – he brought the energy and vision of a new editor, while I provided historical perspective (we’ve done that before, this used to work for us, this person is great at such and such, and so on), follow-through on our many initiatives and ideas of my own. Now, we’re at a point of moving forward again, and looking at what we’ve been doing that can be tweaked or improved upon.

6) You love skiing. Do you sometimes want to sneak off and just cover that sport for a weekend or two?

I do sneak off! But not to cover the sport. I get in a good powder day every chance I get. Joe was from Oklahoma, so I’m not sure he ever

understood what it meant to “take a ski day.”

7) Can you rank for us your top three mentors and how they influenced you?

This is the toughest question you’ve asked. I’ve worked for dozens of bosses and learned something valuable from every one. All along the way, key editors have taken chances on me and believed that I was up to the challenges they put in front of me. They’ve taught me about being a good journalist and a good leader. It’s difficult to narrow this to just three.

Bob Ehlert, former Gazette features editor: Bob hired me as an assistant features editor in 2000 and gave me my first job editing and managing. He used to tell me that his role was to prepare me to replace him. He let me take risks and make mistakes, and he offered me endless coaching and encouragement. Bob used to tell us to “let fun rear its ugly head” in the newspaper, and he was a tremendous advocate for features content and its value and role in the newspaper.

Jeff Thomas: former Gazette editor and my supervisor in several roles. Jeff was and is a visionary about data reporting, the role of social media in journalism and the wrenching changes going on in our industry. He talked about the power of retweets and shares long before it was part of the daily conversation in newsrooms. He remains a staunch

advocate of open government and open records and the role the press play in that. I soaked it all up.

Joe Hight, former Gazette editor as of a couple weeks ago. Joe arrived at The Gazette in late 2012 with our new ownership and ushered in a host of changes. He rarely took “we can’t get that done that soon” for an answer. He coached me on how to rebuild our internship program, having run intern programs himself for years, and he introduced me to aspects of the newsroom operation that were new to me. And, of course, he gave me immediate support for our “Other Than Honorable” Pulitzer-winning project, which Dave, Michael and I had been working on for months before Joe’s arrival. He gave me wide latitude on the project, while also providing a firm hand from the top.

8) Do you have a current, professional goal in mind?

It may sound trite, but my goal is to be a great editor and steward of the 142-year-old Gazette news organization.

9) Neat desk or not? What would we see there?

Not. Newspapers, files, chocolate snacks, a few pictures of my daughters, lists and more lists.

10) What’s the next big thing on your personal horizon?

What personal horizon? I just got promoted to editor.

Gazette editor ‘Oklahoma Joe’ moving on Joe Hight walked into the challenging job of editor of The Gazette in Colorado Springs on Friday, Nov. 30, 2012.

Freedom Communications, Inc.; the night before two editors has been fired by the outgoing newsroom leader; and there had been nearly a decade of layoffs, plus cutbacks in the news hole, and a shrinking circulation.

Hight

As columnist Bill Vogrin described it: “It was bleak inside the newsroom…We were shell-shocked from the latest dismissals and bracing for impact as another new owner was announced.”

Vogrin explained that: Clarity Media, owned by The Anschutz Corporation and Denver’s Philip Anschutz, had just assumed ownership of the newspaper from

With Hight’s arrival, things quickly began to change for the better, and by the time his departure day came, Vogrin wrote a column that included this: “For his innovative work and his reconstruction of The Gazette, I’ll forever be in debt to Oklahoma Joe, as we fondly call him. He injected a new sense of purpose in the room and laid out a vision for a successful community newspaper.”

The Gazette began winning state and national awards, and eventually

the ultimate prize, a Pulitzer.

The editor with more than 30 years’ experience, primarily at The Oklahoman in Oklahoma City, wanted his crew to be aggressive, passionate and entertaining in covering local and regional stories.

They concentrated on expanded print, digital and social media work.

The website was redesigned, a new video initiative was launched. And it all paid off.

Hight wrote his own farewell column, saying, “I’ve loved being editor of The Gazette…and thought highly of the staff members who are vested in this community and are proud of this news organization as being the driver of issues within it…I was fascinated with the dialogue

in the community about its future and how it can grow into a large city that still gives the small-town feel to its residents.” And he added, “I appreciated the support that Clarity Media and Publisher Dan Steever gave me since I was hired as editor.”

Wednesday of that week was his last day as editor, although Hight said he will remain a senior contributing editor on the staff for at least a transition period, working remotely.

But the struggle to balance work, family and friends eventually led to he and his wife, Nan, deciding to return to Oklahoma. Besides their missing other family in that state, after two years teaching in Honduras, his oldest daughter, Elena, was moving back there.

Upon his return to Oklahoma, Hight said he will “enter another chapter of my life – literally – a family venture that will be announced soon. However, I’ll always be connected to this community. Thank you for letting me be a part of it. I’ll miss being a daily part of the newsroom and your lives.”

That was a big factor in the decision, along with the many longtime friends they had left behind to come to Colorado. So, decision made, the move began, with trucks pulling up to his home Sept. 26.

On his Facebook page, Hight announced that he and Nan, as of Oct. 1, purchased a retail store, Best of Books Inc., a 30-year-old business in Edmond, Oklahoma. So in the end, Joe’s print work lives on.

4

colorado editor

October 2014

New additions to CPA, SYNC2 Media Staff report The Colorado Press Association and SYNC2 Media recently gained a bit more Wyoming flavor with two new additions — Jean Williams and Jessica Nape.

Williams, who is the CPA’s new projects manager, grew up in Laramie, Wyoming, before moving to Colorado several years ago.

As projects manager, Williams is responsible for a wide variety of projects, ranging from the recent building move, to implementing projects such as the recent email groups project the CPA recently announced (see page 9).

“I couldn’t be more excited to start at the Colorado Press Association and SYNC2 Media,” Williams said. “I’m happy to join a team of people who really love what they do. I believe that the newspaper industry is essential, specifically to American culture and society, but also to anyone, anywhere who values available, truthful information so they can make informed decisions.”

CPA and SYNC2 Media CEO Jerry Raehal praised the efforts of Williams, who started in August.

“She has quickly shown she will be an asset to the team, and has a great attitude,” he said.

Nape is joining the CPA’s for-profit advertising agency, SYNC 2 Media, as Business Development Specialist. Nape previously worked at the Laramie Boomerang as a sales accountant.

In working with clients, Nape said she “pulls from a wide range of unique life experiences — including living in a bamboo house with no water or electricity and interning in Washington DC as an outreach intern at USAID — to offer insights and creative solutions for individual needs.”

Raehal worked Nape at the Boomerang, and said he was thrilled to have her join the team.

“I was very impressed with the work Nape did in Laramie, and her skill set and temperament fit perfectly with what we’re trying to accomplish with SYNC2 Media,” he said.

In addition to Williams and Nape joining the team, Lisa Woodworth, who has been the CEO Assistant, has been named the Office Manager.

Raehal said the additions of Williams and Nape put the CPA and SYNC2 Media back to full strength. The organizations have had an 85 percent turnover ratio since August 2013.

It’s always concerning to have such high turnover, Raehal said, but several of those people who went on to greener pastures have been willing to help answer questions and brainstorm on ideas.

Williams, left, and Nape

CPA/SYNC2 contact information In addition to a new address, CPA and SYNC2 Media now have direct lines.

Here is updated information: Main line: 303-571-5117 Fax line: 303-571-1803 Jerry Raehal, CEO

720-274-7171 jraehal@colopress.net, Lisa Woodworth, office manager

720-274-7170 coloradopress@colopress.net

Jean Williams, projects manager,

720-274-7174 jwilliams@colopress.net Luke Graham,

business development specialist 720-274-7172 lgraham@sync2media.com Jessica Nape,

business development specialist 720-274-7173 jnape@sync2media.com Cheryl Ghrist,

business development assistant 720-274-7175 cghrist@sync2media.com

He also said that despite all the staff transition, CPA and SYNC2 Media have not only maintained, but also been able to move forward on major projects such as relocation or creating new advertising projects.

“We have a great team, “ Raehal said.

“I have no doubt there will be some rough patches because of the loss of institution knowledge. But I also have no doubt that we have the people in place to overcome those issues.”

Fruita Times ceases publication Reprinted with permission from The Daily Sentinel, Oct. 1, 2014: The Fruita Times publishes its last issue today after serving the Fruita community for 120 years. “A combination of market forces, technology and demographics have combined to create a perfect storm a small weekly paper like the Fruita Times can’t overcome,” publisher Doug Freed said. “It is with great sadness we stop publication. We have worked hard for almost two years to grow subscriptions and advertising revenue, but in the end it hasn’t been enough.”

Jay Seaton, executive vice president of Grand Junction Media Inc., noted the Fruita community will be able to turn to The Daily Sentinel for news and information about

Fruita and the Lower Valley. “We have seen this phenomenon throughout the country.

Second and third newspapers in a single market just can’t make it,” Seaton said. “The Daily Sentinel remains committed to covering Fruita-area news in robust fashion. We will continue to produce special products and magazines that reflect the unique character of Fruita.”

All subscribers to The Fruita Times who also have subscriptions to the Sentinel will receive a credit to their Sentinel subscriptions equal to the remaining balance on their Times subscriptions. Those who do not subscribe to the Sentinel will receive a refund for the balance remaining on their Times subscriptions.

Stay up to date at coloradopress association.com

colorado editor

October 2014

5

Will body-cam footage be public record?

In Colorado, the decision will be up to local police departments

By Corey Hutchins COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.

— Police departments across Colorado, like their counterparts around the country, are rapidly embracing the use of bodymounted cameras worn by officers.

While the move is generally applauded as a governmentaccountability measure, it raises a serious question: When and how will members of the public and the press have access to the footage?

Widespread use of the cameras is a relatively new phenomenon, and there don’t appear to be any disputes yet over access to the footage. But the varying policies being announced around the state are a reminder of something transparency advocates and media watchdogs have often complained about: Law enforcement officials here have broad discretion to withhold information that in other states might be public, and the courts take a deferential attitude to decisions made by local departments.

“Records of official action,” like arrest reports, are generally public.

But state law authorizes local police to decide whether to release a wide range of other records on a caseby-case basis, and to withhold them if they believe release would be “contrary to the public interest.”

As a result, those decisions too often have “nothing to do with the public interest” and everything to do “with police interests,” says John Ferrugia, an investigative reporter for Denver’s ABC affiliate, KMGHTV 7News.

Ferrugia and his colleague Keli Rabon delivered a great investigative series last year that exposed, among other things, how law enforcement agencies keep public records under wraps and the high costs public bodies charge for documents.

The station hasn’t yet tackled what might happen with bodycam footage, but Ferrugia expects more of the same. “If you thought it was tough getting car-cam video, wait until you try to get body-cam footage,” he told me. “It’s never going to be in the public interest.”

Of course, there are good reasons why some body-cam footage should not be public. Police get called to sensitive situations, and the members of the public they interact with will often have a real privacy interest. You wouldn’t want crime victims to hesitate to call the police because they feared ending up on video. And in some cases, cameras may capture investigative material that police have a legitimate interest in not releasing.

But there are concerns about leaving that balancing test up to police. “The accountability process will be controlled by those committing the abuses,” one advocate told The Denver Post for a recent story. “I feel that is a

“If you thought it was tough getting car-cam video, wait until you try to get body-cam footage.

It’s never going to be in the public interest.”

John Ferrugia, KMGH TV 7News problem.”

The Post article, by Noelle Phillips, is the most detailed look at the issue I’ve seen in local coverage.

But a spate of recent articles in Colorado shows how different departments are exercising their discretion. In Denver, the police chief must authorize any release of the videos on a case-by-base basis. In Fort Collins, residents can request to see the recordings of their own interactions with police; other requests are handled on a case-by-case basis, according to the Coloradoan. In Aurora, where police are expanding a body-cam program that began in 2011, the department won’t release video without an open records request and a ruling from city attorneys, reported the Aurora Sentinel. And in Colorado Springs, where a bodycam pilot program is about to begin, it sounds like policy details haven’t yet been worked out. (A possibly related side note: When I asked Colorado Springs police whether surveillance video had captured a bizarre episode that led to the death of a police dog during a training session, a spokeswoman quickly told me release of the video, if it existed, “serves no public interest.”)

Steve Zansberg, a Denver-based media attorney who represents the state’s newspapers and broadcasters and is president of the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition, said he didn’t know of any particular dispute yet involving the body-cam footage.

But he lamented “the unfortunate state of Colorado law” that allows police to decide in many cases whether release is or isn’t in the public interest. (The situation isn’t necessarily much better for non-law enforcement records. The 2012 State Integrity Investigation gave Colorado an “F” for public access to information.)

And if you want to fight a local department’s decision, good luck.

Courts here have said that once a record-holder explains why he or she has made a decision to keep something secret, judges shouldn’t second-guess it, says Zansberg. “It is an extremely deferential standard of review.”

Which is not to say that

successful appeals never happen.

In 2008 the state Supreme Court ordered a county sheriff to exercise discretion and release a redacted portion of a completed internal affairs investigation file to The Gazette in Colorado Springs after the sheriff had denied access to it.

Zansberg recently pointed to the 2008 ruling as part of a current effort to help the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel gain access to internal affairs files in a different jurisdiction.

Still, the patchwork of policies around the state, and the deference to police, means it won’t be a surprise if open-government advocates are frustrated by lack of access to body-cam footage at some point. And wherever you come out on the balancing test, there’s a case to be made for a more uniform policy and more rigorous reviews on appeal.

I asked Zansberg if he believes there should be a uniform policy here. He came back with this mockup of what one might look like: 1. The body-cam footage of any suspect being apprehended and placed under arrest, including the footage that depicts the interaction

between officer(s) and the arrestee(s) that preceded or precipitated the arrest (including the audio, of course) shall be subject to public disclosure in all cases. These are “records of official action” in that they document the arrest of an individual. (If someone is arrested in a compromising position, e.g. naked or some other highly personal and embarrassing circumstance, then the video could be blurred or “blue dotted” as necessary to protect that person’s legitimate privacy interests).

2. Even when no formal arrest is made, whenever a citizen (or any person) lodges a formal complaint about police conduct while on duty, e.g., “excessive use of force,” “discriminatory treatment,” “racial profiling,” or other such conduct in violation of department rules, regs, or “code of conduct,” that video must also be available for public inspection and copying. (I would say this is true even while the citizen’s complaint is being investigated by internal affairs; it is difficult to understand how the public’s ability to view such official documentation of official police conduct could “interfere with an ongoing investigation” as is often the claim).

Beyond these two categories

of “must release” videotapes, I would probably agree that all other situations should be addressed on a case-by-case basis, but there should be a strong presumption that video recordings of peace officers engaging in official on-duty conduct are subject to public inspection, barring some strong public policy reason for withholding that “criminal justice record.”

Consider that a marker for discussion, when events force this issue onto the agenda.

Meanwhile, at KMGH in Denver, reporters plan to keep on the story of police records access.

“I appreciate what police do for me everyday, no question about it, but the issue is that we also have to have transparency,” Ferrugia says. “That’s what democracy is about.”

Corey Hutchins is CJR’s Rocky Mountain correspondent based in Colorado. A former alt-weekly reporter in the Palmetto State, he was twice named journalist of the year in the weekly division by the SC Press Association.

Follow him on Twitter @ coreyhutchins or email him at coreyhutchins@gmail.com.

6

colorado editor

October 2014

PART 2

Colorado Press Days Past Current and former staff members check in as CPA moves from an iconic building to a new downtown location

CPA handbook: Watch for ghosts, don’t talk to strangers, be kind to lizards

By Samantha Johnston On my first day as the new executive director of the Colorado Press Association, then executive assistant Nancy warned me that I should let someone know if I was going to venture into the basement because there were ghosts.

Ghosts?

Fantastic.

My bucket list includes a real live ghost encounter. I’ve stayed in hotels across the country featuring “ghost encounters” to no avail. A ghost or ghosts in my place of business was like having every prayer answered. Of course, I immediately ventured into the basement alone.

I don’t need no stinking reinforcements if I’m going to encounter possibly the coolest thing ever. And a journalist-type ghost? Seriously? He/she won’t be murderous or mean. Crotchety and drunk? Probably, but that’s the worst of it. I never did see, hear or feel a ghost when Nancy worked at CPA. Enter Lisa Woodworth, my executive assistant following Nancy.

I’ll be damned if by day three the basement ghost issue didn’t resurface.

I asked Lisa to grab something from downstairs and she promptly said, “I’m not going down there by myself, there are ghosts down there.” Now they’ve multiplied?

Nancy believed there was a ghost there and now Lisa thinks there are “ghosts?” C’mon.

Lisa insisted that odd occurrences and weird vibes permeated the basement. I didn’t feel it. And Murphy, my golden retriever, promptly bounded into the basement at any opportunity and never raised a hackle or gave a sideways look to anything there.

And dogs know about ghosts and stuff.

Almost four years later, I never, ever got to see that ghost. Nor did said ghost ever ransack my office.

Or anything else for that matter.

So, CPA ghost(s), this is your last chance … if you are real, then do me a favor please and draw a picture of a monkey on Lisa Woodworth’s desk.

The CPA building was located in a part of downtown that had seen and will probably again see better days. The goings on in that part of town ranged from obscene to scary and everything in between.

But there was the time that I was leaving the Denver Athletic Club after an early morning workout when a man approached me as I was entering the CPA building. He pointed to his car and asked me if I could “help a brother out.” I told him I was inclined to help if the request was reasonable, so to lay it on me.

He wanted me to drive his car to pick up his “girl” so she could get her “nails did” while he was in court. I repeated the scenario to him to be sure I was perfectly clear about what it was he was asking.

“So, sir. You want me to get in a car you tell me is yours, drive to a neighborhood I don’t know, pick up a woman I’ve never met and drive her to a nail salon while you are in court.”

He replied that, in fact, I had it correct.

“Because I thought that my court would be done and my girl is going to miss her appointment and if that happens, hell hath no fury.”

I told him that I just couldn’t see driving his car, that probably had a dead body in the trunk, to a neighborhood where I was probably meeting the hit man, to pick up a woman who probably had payoff money, to drive her to a nail salon where the cops would probably apprehend me.

I was, in fact, going to work.

He asked me what we did at CPA and I told him. He then told me that he wrote a letter to The Denver Post one time that they never printed.

Probably because they had heard about his criminal record so he wasn’t very credible. Man, I really should have driven that car to help his girl get her nails did.

Then there was the time that I was washing my hands in the downstairs ladies bathroom. I’d done that 1,000 times before and nothing eventful ever happened.

Nothing. Until the day that an exotic lizard shot out of the faucet and stared at me with terrified eyes.

I stared back.

I wasn’t prepared to foster a lizard, but it was a bit chilly outside and I simply couldn’t fathom turning him out into the downtown

concrete jungle. I calmly walked out to executive assistant Nancy’s desk and asked her if she had a container that I might trap a lizard in.

Any good executive assistant doesn’t just answer that question.

They ask, “Why the hell do you need to trap a lizard?”

So, I showed her. We trapped him. Nancy immediately told me it was a baby alligator. A baby alligator? We made a few phone calls, most of which resulted in the same solution … flush him down the drain. Anyone who knows me knows that no way, no how, am I flushing a living creature down the drain. Especially when it isn’t bothering anyone.

So, we named him Clyde and we started to source food. After a trip through 1920s pipes into one of the most rustic buildings in downtown Denver, he had to be hungry.

We Googled “lizard food.” But what if he was an alligator. So, “alligator food.” I don’t remember who finally got smart first, but we called a reptile store in Denver that agreed to take him. Turns out, Clyde was a lizard native to Utah, most often seen as a pet, who had clearly gotten off on the wrong pipe system. The store assured me that they would give Clyde a good home until someone bought him.

All of my bets are on the fact that they fed him to one of their huge snakes. But his blood was not on my hands. Also, it didn’t occur to me until years later that I drank the tap water in that place. A lot.

Samantha Johnston is general manager of The Aspen Times. She was executive director of Colorado Press Association/SYNC2 Media from 2010-2014.

Building a new life at CPA

By Cheryl Ghrist I had been to the Colorado Press Association building in downtown Denver before, but one day was special. A veteran of many years of editing and writing for community newspapers in the metro Denver area, I had made a lot of last-minute trips to the building to park and rush inside to drop off contest entries as the minutes of the annual deadline ticked down. I had met many CPA staffers this way and at their conventions, including Executive Director Ed Otte. One year, wanting a change, I applied for an open spot on the ad side, and Ed and Ad Director Elizabeth

Bernberg hired me. So when I drove to CPA on Jan. 2, 2006, I didn’t have to run this time, I walked into the stately, historic building on Glenarm Place and into a new career. After many hectic deadline years at various publishing groups, it was different enough but familiar enough a change to be successful.

I felt honored to be working for a professional newspaper association.

I’d done some advertising over the years but now threw myself into learning it from top to bottom, databases, ad tracking systems and all. I stayed late and worked extra to figure out the complicated computer systems. We all got pretty good at it and had a good run. I enjoyed seven years before I got restless again and went to work for our family communications firm, but came back this year to CPA and the rebranded ad side, SYNC2 Media, when Elizabeth took a great new job at the Denver Post.

Now that I’m back, and now that we’re moving on, I’ve had a lot of thoughts about what I’ve experienced in this grand old building. Here are a few “hits and misses”: • Hit: I’ll miss my first office at CPA: big wooden desk, two large windows and a painted brick wall – from which I could often hear the scratching and cooing of pigeons nesting somewhere inside.

• Hit: Two floors below is the basement, and all the treasures therein. We cleaned it out some in 2006, then again a couple of years ago. At the base of the stairs is one large room, at one time full of records so old they were on dot-matrix printer paper. Past all that and the stored furniture is a room with cubicles of sorts that we heard telemarketers used to work in (or be chained to). Past that is a small room with a door that opens to a wall of cement – which we all suspect was the rumored tunnel entrance over to the Denver Press Club next door.

(I’ll miss that too; remodeling gave it a real pub feel, making for very relaxing happy hours…) The last room down there is very dark, very cozy and affectionately called The Bomb Shelter. I wanted to host a Halloween séance there, but no one would ever take me up on it.

Cowards. We could have tried to contact the various ghosts said to be wandering our halls at night.

Elizabeth swears she saw one, a small girl dressed in old-fashioned clothes, hovering nearby. We all heard her scream from another part

of the building, but none of us saw the spirit. Darn it.

• Hit: Two words – Rooftop Patio. In the boardroom upstairs is a compact, spiral staircase that leads up to the roof. We often said we should throw parties up there, perhaps with a newly installed outdoor hot tub and redwood deck.

We figured we could probably hit the DAC from there with water balloons, or unsuspecting patrons of the Press Club.

• Hits: The cool front, iron gate we can lock up at night to keep creepy non-ghost people out.

Having the 16th Street Mall just a block or so away. The funky snack machine that ate our money. The funkier cold-drink machine that wouldn’t take our money – we had to open it up, plunk our coins into the box, then un-wedge the can from the inner workings.

• Won’t Miss: Bricks from the Denver Press Club walls falling near my car. Parking in our one-wayin, one-way-out lot. Free parking is good, backing out into an alley every day not so much.

Won’t Miss: Cement, irregularheight back stairs going up to the second floor. An ancient heating and air conditioning system that would leave us dying in 90-degrees, or donning coats, hats and gloves and mittens to work at our keyboards in freezing temps.

• Won’t Miss: The pigeons that would suddenly fly up from nowhere to the brick ledge outside my window and startle me. The dark hallways. The creepy building sounds that seemed to come only when I was working alone at nights or on weekends. Odd people coming in looking for the food bank and heading right up our front stairs, or the time a man wanting a “sample copy of every newspaper you have” came in, with a golf club, to make his demand… er, request.

Mostly I’ll miss all the people I used to work with and whom the building reminds me of daily, and all the stories we either heard or manufactured on our own. Here’s to new stories in our new digs. And hey, I hear they already have an outdoor patio.

Cheryl Ghrist is Advertising Assistant for Colorado Press Association/SYNC2 Media, where she worked from 2006-2013, returning in June 2014. She is also vice-president of the John Ghrist Agency, an editing and writing communications firm in the Denver metro area.

colorado editor

October 2014

Out of the old, into the new

CPA makes the move from home of 50 years to fresh digs

Short and sweet CPA stories

By Elizabeth Bernberg Here are a few quick recollections of my time at the Colorado Press Association building: • I started at CPA as Ed Otte’s executive assistant, and while sitting at my desk in that front reception area, I distinctly remember seeing through the large, front window someone pulling a gun on a stranger one day.

• There were often scary noises in that building, especially during late or early morning hours, which only backed up all the ghost stories we all heard about CPA. • In fact, I do swear I saw a ghost once, a little girl. I screamed and the whole building heard me.

• I had a total of five office spaces in that building, one of them in the room that usually was reserved for the ad director, at a large U-shaped wooden desk we all called The Starship Enterprise.

• Not long before I left CPA this year, there were terrible thunderstorms one spring day and when the construction guys next door came and said they had spotted a tornado, we all ran for cover in the basement “bomb shelter” room.

Dark, but safe I guess.

• When Samantha Johnston came to CPA as the new executive director, we became a dog-friendly zone, and I enjoyed bringing in my new dog, Blu, to the office to hang with me, and to play with Sam’s golden retriever, Murphy.

• I loved bringing in my daughter Eliana to the office with me, three times a week, when she was just six weeks old. We camped out in a back office upstairs. I worked, she slept.

• The most memorable thing about the building was of course not the building, but the people inside.

Smart, fun, team players who love the industry.

Elizabeth Bernberg is Advertising Sales Manager – Cause Marketing and Sponsorships at The Denver Post.

Prior to that, she was Vice President of Sales & Marketing for SYNC2 Media at Colorado Press Association.

The start of the big move from 1336 Glenarm Place. The Colorado Press Association was located there for just over 50 years.

Jean Williams, Luke Graham, and Jerry Raehal getting ready for one last meeting in Jerry’s old office.

Lisa Woodworth was excited to make some of the CPA’s historical photos a focal point in the new office.

The Colorado Press Association and SYNC2 Media are settled into their new location within the Chancery, located at 1120 Lincoln Street, Suite 912, Denver, CO 80203. There has been an increase in motivation to get to work early—the sunrises are hard to beat.

7

8

colorado editor

October 2014

Who is the newspaper person of the year?

CPA seeks submissions for peer-nominated award categories Staff report The Colorado Press Association annual convention sees many well deserved awards handed out— but CPA CEO Jerry Raehal said there is something special about the prestigious, peer-nominated categories.

“It truly is an honor to win an award by the very people in the front lines with you,” he said.

2014 Nominations are being accepted now through Nov. 17 for Newspaper Person of the Year, Service to the First, Friend of the First, Rising Star, Advertising Innovation Award, Newspaper Innovation Award and Editorial Innovation Award.

Bob Silbernagel of the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel was named the 2013 Newspaper Person of the Year, while Paul Berry (former Engagement Editor, Fort Collins Coloradoan) won the 2013 Rising Star and Josh Awtry (former Executive Editor, Fort Collins Coloradoan) the 2013 Editorial Innovator of the Year.

There are seven categories to look at for nominations—and occasionally awards do not get handed out due to lack of nominations.

Raehal said he hopes this year will see that start to change.

“Part of the problem is that we’re all very busy people, but it would be nice if we could slow down a little bit to try to take some time to recognize the people who make this industry what it is,” he said.

For further information and guidelines, visit coloradopressassociation.com.

Submit entries to Jerry Raehal at jraehal@colopress.net by Nov. 17, 2014.

2014 Newspaper Person of the Year The Newspaper Person of the Year is a prestigious award given to a Colorado newspaper professional

whose commitment to and leadership within the industry help to shape, support and contribute in a meaningful way to the long-term success of the industry. Nominee must be actively employed as a newspaper professional for no fewer than five years, and be currently employed at a Colorado Newspaper that is a member of the CPA. Nomination package to include: Nomination letter, resume/ summary of nominee’s career accomplishments, digital photo of nominee and any additional supporting documentation.

2014 Service to the First The Service to the First award is intended to honor a newspaper’s service to the First Amendment guarantee of a free press, including, but not limited to, fighting the threat of censorship in America, overcoming uneasiness with regard to press credibility, combating government secrecy at all levels, and instilling in the public an appreciation of its need as well as its right to know. Entries could include news and feature stories, editorials, staff-written columns and house ads reflecting the newspaper’s service to the First Amendment, or any other documents or explanation of the newspaper’s commitment to ensuring Freedom of the First.

Previous entries have ranged from court actions filed by the newspaper to public awareness campaigns conducted by the newspaper or in partnership with other organizations.

Nomination to include: A letter of nomination along with any supporting materials.

2014 Friend of the First The Friend of the First award recognizes a person in your community, or in the State of Colorado, who is a passionate advocate of First Amendment rights, freedom of the press, and open government. Awareness

Convention update The Colorado Press Association is planning the 2015 annual convention, to be held Feb. 19-21 at the Westin Hotel in downtown Denver.

One change to the convention this year will be the timeframe of the final two days. In recent years, the core of the convention started Friday morning and ran through Saturday afternoon. This year, the main part of the convention will start around noon on Friday and run through Saturday night.

The CPA awards banquet will be the final event on Saturday night. Last year, the awards banquet was on Friday.

Check out the CPA website, Facebook page and Twitter for the latest updates.

of First Amendment issues isn’t limited to efforts by the press; it is strengthened by the actions of people in local communities, in public or private organizations, in local or state government.

Nomination to include: A letter of nomination along with any supporting materials.

2014 Rising Star Award The Rising Star award is intended to recognize, celebrate and encourage the next generation of leadership in our industry and in the State of Colorado. Candidates will be recognized for their commitment to the newspaper, passion for the industry and contribution to the future success of the industry. This award should recognize an individual who is curious, innovative, progressive and stands out as a future leader. The competition is open to all employees

of CPA-member newspapers who have been in the industry for five years or less.

Nomination package to include: A nomination letter, resume/ summary of nominee’s career accomplishments, a digital photo of nominee and any additional supporting documentation.

2014 Advertising Innovation Award This award recognizes an advertising or creative department or individual for the implementation of an idea that employs creative concepts in design and execution, and demonstrates a new or significantly improved revenue stream. Winning entries can be a new idea or an old idea made relevant. Preference will be given to entries that demonstrate collaboration, use of new technology in addition to print and the use of alternative and emerging media.

Nominees must be a CPA member newspaper or a staff member at a CPA member newspaper during contest period (Sept. 1, 2013 – Aug. 31, 2014).

Nomination package to include: A cover letter explaining nomination and detailing project/program/etc., materials showcasing components of nomination, a brief description and a picture (if applicable).

2014 Newspaper Innovation Award This award will be given to a news organization that has significantly improved its business model in one or multiple areas to reflect changes in audience, revenue streams, content dissemination and other applicable areas of change within the industry. The winning news organization will demonstrate the ability to create, foster and promote innovation, sideways thinking, cultural transformation, originality, measurable impact, a spirit of

experimentation and the willingness to risk failure to achieve greatness.

Winning submissions could include innovative new business practices, known business practices or products that have been substantially improved for long-term viability, increase revenue generation, higher audience engagement with products or services or any other demonstrable practices or concepts that have revolutionized the organization and/or industry.

Nominees must be a CPA member newspaper or a staff member of a CPA member newspaper during contest period (Sept. 1, 2013 – Aug. 31, 2014).

Nomination packet to include: A cover letter explaining nomination and detailing project/program/ etc., relevant materials showcasing components of nomination, a brief description of the company and a picture (if applicable).

2014 Editorial Innovation Award This award recognizes innovation in newsrooms, content development and audience engagement. Winning submissions could include improved use of social media, incorporation of digital analytics to drive daily practices, innovative audience engagement programs, revolutionary print ideas, process improvement, business model impacts, collaboration, use of technology and internal cultural shifts. Winner(s) will be chosen based on the ability of the entry to communicate its message, idea or appeal. Nominees must be a CPA member newspaper or staff member of a CPA member newspaper during contest period (Sept. 1, 2013 – Aug. 31, 2014).

Nomination package to include: A cover letter explaining nomination and detailing project/program/ etc., relevant materials showcasing components of nomination, a brief description of the company and a picture (if applicable).

Papers can start uploading once training is complete NOTICE from Page 1 legal and public notices online; this was our response to say we understand that there is a digital age and people want to take advantage of that, and that we can take the legal notices that are in the papers and, in addition, put them online.”

The Colorado Press Association’s office manager, Lisa Woodworth, in

conjunction with Jeannette Chavez, is working to train newspapers on website use and start the process of uploading their legal notices.

Woodworth said of the imperative nature of starting as soon as possible, “It’s not optional; it’s by law and they could lose their legal newspaper status. It’s very important that [the newspapers] get

on board with this.”

Although newspapers that print legal notices must upload the notices to the website starting Jan. 1, they can begin as soon as they have completed the online training, something Woodworth encouraged.

One of the benefits of the Public Notice Colorado is that it keeps newspapers as the public record-

keeper for legal and public notices.

One of the options originally considered was the government keeping their own public notice website, which Raehal pointed out is “the fox guarding the henhouse.”

Newspapers are a necessary thirdparty for accountability.

Both Woodworth and Raehal spoke of the website as an asset for

the general public, noting that you can search specific things, either published by individual newspapers or using keywords to search all Colorado legal and public notices.

For questions about Public Notice Colorado, contact Lisa Woodworth at 720-274-7170 or coloradopress@colopress.net.

colorado editor

October 2014

You’ve been (list) served New email groups meant to improve communication among members

By Jean Williams Colorado Press Association One of the Colorado Press Association’s goals is to improve communication not only with the Association but among newspapers in the state.

To that end, CPA has formed three new email groups using Google Groups: one for publishers, one for editors and one for ad directors. The email groups are meant to improve communication for newspaper professionals in Colorado.

Individuals are invited to join

the group or can request to be added to the group. Once in the group, if they have a question or suggestion that is pertinent to the group they are in, they can send out an email and everyone in said group will receive it, as well as all of the replies. Instead of listing email address after email address—or having to maintain your own group emails—this one email address will put you in contact with all of the other current participating editors, publishers or ad directors in Colorado.

So you have a question about a recent ad? Just send an email to “coloradoaddirectors@ googlegroups.com” and all of the ad directors that have been invited or added themselves will receive the email. Anyone can join the groups, regardless whether you have a “gmail account” or not. Members can post responses after reading

Obituary

the email, which will also be sent to everyone in the group. It’s an easy format to bounce ideas off peers in your profession.

Keeping the group current is simple. The Colorado Press Association will monitor the groups and can invite and remove members from the group as appropriate.

Visit the group site to SUBSCRIBE:

After you have subscribed to a group, you can send emails as follows:

Colorado Publishers:

coloradoaddirectors @googlegroups.com

groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/ coloradopublishers Colorado Editors:

groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/ coloradoeditors Colorado Ad Directors:

groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/ coloradoaddirectors

9

Colorado Publishers:

coloradopublishers @googlegroups.com Colorado Editors:

coloradoeditors @googlegroups.com Colorado Ad Directors:

The CPA will monitor and regulate the groups. If someone from your paper leaves, let us know and we can take them off the group.

If you have questions, please get in touch with either CEO Jerry Raehal at jraehal@colopress.net or Projects Manager Jean Williams at jwilliams@colopress.net.

FOI at Issue CPA legal experts weigh in on Pueblo City County question

Berthoud Weekly Surveyor involved in Sunshine Law question

Chieftain monitoring emails between metro district, county official

Christopher Beall and Steven Zansberg, attorneys with the Denver law firm Levine, Sullivan, Koch & Schultz, and longtime advisors to the Colorado Press Association, said recently that three Pueblo City Council members engaged in an illegal meeting over email with a county employee. In an article in the Pueblo Chieftain by Jeff Tucker, Zansberg was quoted as saying “One does not need to affirmatively ‘speak’ in order to be a participant in a meeting at which public business is discussed.” The attorneys had reported that “the instant” three council members were copied on an email exchange with Pueblo County Transportation Director Greg Severance on his “bazooka plan” against area trash haulers, they were in violation of the Colorado Open Meetings Law. According to Zansberg: “When three city council members (either all at one time, or in a series of emails) discuss ‘public business’ without providing notice to the public of the ‘meeting,’ and they also deny the public its right to ‘attend’ and observe that meeting, they are violating the Open Meetings Law. That is absolutely clear.” Beall explained further that: “When one council member forwards to a third council member the thread of an email communication between himself and a second council member, where those two council members were discussing public business, then that forwarded email thread constitutes a ‘meeting’ under the COML (Colorado Open Meetings Law).”

John Gardner of the Berthoud Weekly Surveyor reported that “a recent email sent out by a Berthoud trustee apparently violated Colorado Open Meetings Law by discussing public business prior to a scheduled board meeting.” The email was obtained by the newspaper through a Colorado Open Records Act request. It was sent by Trustee Paul Alaback on Aug. 1, then addressed to six trustees and Town Administrator Mike Hart. Gardner said that under Colorado Sunshine Law – which prohibits three or more elected officials from meeting privately to discuss public business, including in email – the act technically constitutes a public meeting. However, Jeff Roberts, executive director of the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition, said the email might not be a technical violation because, while three trustees engaged in the conversation, only two engaged in the actual conversation regarding public business.

Mayor David Gregg responded to the message as well, but “only attempted to stop the conversation,” due to potential law violation, reported Gardner. Roberts said it is still inappropriate to discuss public business in this manner. At issue was the appointment of Dick Shepard to an open planning commission seat, who was appointed to that post on Aug. 5 by a 5-2 vote.

The Pueblo Chieftain, in an article by Anthony A. Mestes, reported that the Pueblo West Metropolitan District Board recently asked Pueblo County for copies of private emails between officials of those two entities.

The vote was 4-1 to ask for emails involving county Transportation Director Greg Severance related to a memorandum of understanding dealing with the Southern Delivery System (SDS) and a water variance between the district and Pueblo County School District 70. The board also asked for emails concerning the last metro board election regarding a road tax and a proposed baseball field in Pueblo West, to be built by Matrix, a company by whom Severance was once employed. The county then filed a Colorado Open Records Act request to the metro district, asking for all communications regarding SDS between Severance and the district from June 1, 2012 through Aug. 15.

Metro officials responded by saying the emails the county received through the request are not questionable. District board member Mark Carmel said the request implicated “all present and past Pueblo West officials as of the CORA request of the county associated with Mr. Greg Severance as of 2012,” reported Mestes, but suggested the metro board give metro district lawyer Harley Gifford permission to send the request. A prior Chieftain report “revealed emails between Pueblo City Council President Sandy Daff ” and two council members “showed them working on a covert agenda with Severance.”

Rob Larimer Rob Larimer a former journalist with The Gazette and managing editor of the Colorado Springs Business Journal, died Sept. 24 in a motor vehicle accident in Old Colorado City on the west side of Colorado Springs.

Larimer, 40, left The Gazette and his post as a reporter and editor in May. He was born in the Denver area, attended Denver South High School, and went on to Larimer study journalism at Metropolitan State College in Denver. He was a reporter for The Gazette’s weekly community newspaper, The Slice, from 2002-2003, From 2003-2004 he worked for MetroNorth Newspapers in Westminster, in addition to an internship at the Rocky Mountain News. In 2004, he became a reporter for the Colorado Springs Business Journal, where he became managing editor in 2007. In fall 2013, he returned to The Gazette.

When he wasn’t officially working, Larimer played guitar and enjoyed various music-related projects.

From 2011-2013 he played in the band Slightly Bent. He also hosted “Sunday rambles” for friends and their families to share food and music.

He also restored classic guitars, once refinishing a Fender Stratocaster in bright hunter-orange paint for a friend, who thought it typical of Larimer’s sense of humor.

He was also active in his home community, connected to such events as the Manifest held the previous weekend in Manitou Springs.

Larimer is survived by his wife, Michelle Beckmann, and their twin daughters, Gretchen and Rachel.

Beckmann shared the news on her Facebook page, saying: “My wonderful, kind, funnier-thananyone husband … was killed in a car accident … last night. I know Rob was loved by so many of us and this is all so surreal. Please stay tuned for information on how we can celebrate his life. Today I look forward to some private time with our beautiful, precious daughters.”

A memorial “Celebration of Life” was scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 5, at Manitou Art Center in Manitou Springs.

Information for this article used with permission by Andrea Sinclair, The Gazette, and Marija B. Vader, Colorado Springs Business Journal.

CPA Marketplace GENERAL MANAGER FOR TEMPORARY ASSIGNMENTS Landmark Community Newspapers, LLC is seeking an experienced journalist who has significant management experience and understands how to operate small, community newspapers. We are seeking someone to fill General Manager/Advertising Manager and General Manager/Editor positions

on a temporary basis throughout the company. We anticipate that most of the needs will be at weekly newspapers, and assignments will range from several weeks to several months. Assignments could be in any of the 11 states where Landmark owns newspapers. Travel arrangements can be made from the person’s current location.

This is a temporary position with no

benefits, but success in this position could lead to a full-time job as one of our general managers. Landmark Community Newspapers is based in Shelbyville, Ky., and owns 52 paid circulation newspapers and is a division of Landmark Media Enterprises, LLC of Norfolk, Va. Qualifications: • Solid understanding of business practices, with oversight of

advertising, circulation, news and production departments.

• MUST have at least 10 years of newspaper experience and MUST have at least 5 years in leadership positions with hire/fire authority.

(Please note if you meet this criteria along with specifics of each in your cover letter.)

• Prior experience as a general manager or publisher is a plus.

Interested candidates should send a

cover letter and resume only to: Dan Sykes Executive Vice President Landmark Community Newspapers, LLC P. O. Box 549 Shelbyville, KY 40066-0549 gmjob@lcni.com (preferred method of communication) No phone inquiries EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

10

colorado editor

October 2014

CPA going back to school Campus Visits in full swing Staff report Summer vacation is out and that means students are returning to school.

And so is the Colorado Press Association.

The annual Campus Visits kicked off at the University of Northern Colorado on Sept.

11 with members of the industry going to classes, as well as meeting with students and faculty. Another set of journalists headed to CSU-Pueblo on Sept. 23, and the University of Colorado on Oct. 7.

Industry members answered students’ questions and gave insight to what it means to be a journalist in today’s field.

The CPA coordinates the Campus Visits, and invites CPA members as well as others representing the field of journalism to present to the students.

“It’s an important function,” said Jerry Raehal, CEO of the CPA. “Part of our mission statement is education, and meeting with future journalists to prepare them entering the profession is a benefit to them as well as the industry.”

Two more Campus Visits remain. The CPA goes to Metro State on Oct. 14, and Colorado Mesa on Oct. 17.

If you would like to learn more, or represent the CPA at this year’s remaining visits, or be put on the contact list for next year’s visits, contact Raehal at jraehal@ colopress.net or at 720.274.7171.

Below are two articles written by CSUPueblo students about the visit to their school.

Photo Jerry Raehal Matt Lubich — of the Johnstown Breeze, the UNC Mirror and the CPA board — provides insights about the newspaper industry to students at the University of Northern Colorado during the annual CPA Campus Visit series. This year’s event at UNC occurred Sept. 11.

CSU-PUEBLO STUDENT STORIES

By Sara Knuth CSU – Pueblo Student Five members affiliated with the Colorado Press Association visited an introduction to journalism class at Colorado State University-Pueblo Sept. 23.

The members, who come from an array of positions within the field of journalism, offered advice to students and made themselves available to answer questions.

Common themes throughout the association’s presentation included the importance of accuracy and credibility in journalism. “It’s going to be on you to get it right,” said Jerry Raehal, CEO of the association.

Peter Roper, CPA member and reporter for the Pueblo Chieftain, said, “If people do not trust you, you’re worthless to your organization.”

Matt Lubich, publisher of The Johnstown Breeze and manager of the student newspaper at the University of Northern Colorado, expressed the importance of making an effort to limit subjective writing.

He acknowledged that achieving complete objectivity in journalism writing is impossible.

“There is no such thing as objective journalism,” he said.

The association members also discussed changes in the industry.

“Digital media is not just the future. It’s the present,” said Gil Asakawa, journalist and manager of the student-run newspaper at University of Colorado Boulder.

Asakawa also mentioned that every news organization he has worked for since 1996 has had an online presence.

The association expressed the importance of maintaining a balance between professionalism and fun on social media.

“There’s a fine line there,” said Jeff Roberts, executive director of Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition.

He suggested that journalists “stay within a boundary” when it comes to social media.

Raehal advised students to be aware of their actions on social media as they may influence the decisions of hiring managers in the future.

“I’ve actually fired someone for something they’ve put on Facebook,” he said.

“Journalists are public figures.

Be very aware of that,” Asakawa added.

Megan Petersen CSU-Pueblo student In professor Leticia Steffen’s introductory journalism class, members from the Colorado Press Association were invited to speak on Tuesday to Colorado State University-Pueblo students about journalism, their careers and any advice they might have for budding journalists.

The five men discussed details about their lives and paths to journalism and the CPA. They also gave tips for journalism and mass communications students about breaking into the industry and being successful, in addition to the changing scope of the news and what matters in journalism work.

Jerry Raehal, CEO of the Colorado Press Association, discussed his prior work at several newspapers in Oregon and Wyoming. He mentioned the responsibility of a reporter saying, “We sell integrity.” One of his tips for the students was not to trust a list and to always check the spelling of names.

He said, “It’s on you to get it right.”

Peter Roper, a reporter for The Pueblo Chieftain, who has been working for more than 35 years, also discussed integrity and discovering the truth in a story. His recent report on secret correspondence between Pueblo city council members highlighted the importance of finding evidence, and checking the factual information as well as the legal implications of such findings.

Roper’s colleague, Jeffrey Roberts, the executive director of the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition, added to this discussion, stating, “You need to interview records,” as well as people in order to help find the truth. His work with the coalition

provides transparency for the public and journalists on important local and state government officials and proceedings.

Discussing ethics, Gil Asakawa, the manager of student media at the University of Colorado-Boulder, stated, “Ethics is really important,” and advised to not report on subjects in which you have vested interest.

Matt Lubich, the co-owner of The Johnstown Breeze and a board member of the Press Association, stated that the “key is credibility,” and that a good journalist should ask the question, “what are the things we probably should be covering?”

Tips for aspiring journalists were also mentioned by members of the panel. Taking initiative was a key theme. Lubich stated, “The way you get better is by doing.” He also emphasized that writing for a university or local paper will help when trying to get a job.

Asakawa reiterated Lubich’s point, saying, “Internships are super important,” and discussed showing clips and portfolios of past work when job hunting.

Roper also said initiative is an important trait for a successful journalist as well as the initiative to read good writing. “You only write as well as you read,” Roper said.

The group also touched on the reason why they like journalism and the work they do. “Journalism is your ticket to ride,” Lubich said, because it provides the opportunity to do interesting and unique things.

Raehal talked about his love of learning and the opportunity to continue learning that is afforded by the journalism profession. And Roberts emphasized that in journalism you are working for change and can make a difference.

colorado editor

October 2014

Sale of whole company allows DFM to test the marketplace SALE from Page 1 keep doing what we have been doing best these past years – producing unsurpassed local journalism, serving our customers’ needs, and continuing to boldly experiment with our digital future.” Paton said the combined companies are closing in on $200 million in digital ad revenue a year, noting, “The strategy we pursued was to put the companies together and to drive digital revenue relentlessly.”

At the same time, the spinoffs of print publishing by a number of media companies have received a good reception from investors, he said.

Beaujon also noted that DFM had already put on the market many of the buildings that house its publications.

In April there was talk that DFM planned to sell its newspaper assets after it closed its experimental Thunderdome project, whose aim was to build a national digital newsroom. At that point, media analysts began speculating about the future of DFM. Paton said the new review is unrelated to Thunderdome, which he noted was one of many digital experiments the company has undertaken under his leadership.

Paton said DFM has been approached by “various interested parties” over the past months, but there have been “no formal or serious” discussions. Regarding sale of the company whole, in regional chunks, or expanded or not sold at all, he added, “One of the benefits of making these announcements is you end up testing the

“One of the benefits of making these announcements is you end up testing the marketplace for all of those options, rather than doing it theoretically.”

Digital First Media CEO John Paton marketplace for all of those options, rather than doing it theoretically.”

The DFM article said media analysts believe it would be hard to find a buyer for DFM as a whole and that a more likely course would be for regional buyers to acquire pieces of the company. Newspaper analyst Ken Doctor of Outsell, who first reported Alden Global Capital was getting ready to sell DFM, predicted a sale – “largely the dissolution of this company” – within six months.

This summer, DFM put 51 real estate properties on the market, including newspaper buildings in nine Colorado cities. The Longmont Times-Call building recently sold to a local investor for $2.4 million.

11

12

colorado editor

October 2014