editor colorado
Official publication of the Colorado Press Association / coloradopressassociation.com / Vol. LXXXIII, No. 6
weighty issue
Inside: Silverton newspaper gets its historic marker. PAGE 2
June 2012
legislative roundup
Unified start, but testy end to session
Getting the lead out in Leadville 200 of town’s residents weigh in and shed 2,400 pounds in community weight-loss challenge By Claire Martin The Denver Post LEADVILLE — People in this scrappy mountain town are delighted to be a little less substantial than they were in January — 2,357.2 pounds less substantial, to be precise. Nearly 200 people initially signed up in January when the Leadville Herald Democrat, the local newspaper, announced it was sponsoring Get the Lead Out, a community weight-loss challenge. The competition founder, Herald Democrat advertising director Karen Rinehart, was stunned at the response. “We were hoping for 60 people,” she said. Instead, 196 people, all in teams of four or more, registered for the 16-week competition. The mayor and his wife signed up, along with the city clerk and three members of the City Council. Teachers from the local schools formed teams. In a town where Anglos and Latinos often selfsegregate, Get the Lead Out drew people from both communities. LEADVILLE on page 8
postal issue
NNA opposes USPS plan to divert newspaper ads to aggregator The National Newspaper Association today added its voice of firm opposition to that of other newspaper organizations in opposing a plan by the U.S. Postal Service to intentionally divert advertising from newspapers to national advertising aggregator Valassis Inc. NNA’s comments were directed to the Postal Regulatory Commission, which is considering a proposed Negotiated Service Agreement between USPS and Valassis that would provide 20 percent to 34 percent postage rebates to Valassis if it produces one million new pieces of mail within 12 months after the agreement is implemented. The target for this new business is POSTAL on page 4
Local Media Foundation 2012 West Coast Innovation Mission attendees spent a day at the Googleplex in Mountain View, CA. The mission, intended to give newspaper executives insight into some of the most innovative media and technology companies in the United States and Canada, included 20 executives from around the world.
Innovation A story that begins at the plate
In a continuing effort to gain addi• Social media and digital innovational insight into positioning Colorado tion strategies are key to engaging newspapers to compete in the digital readers, driving future revenue and age, the Colorado Press Association maintaining audience. Travis Mayfield, Board showed tremendous foresight director of digital social strategy at with eyes on the future by deciding to Fisher Interactive Network (@travissend me to the 2012 West Coast Innomayfield) in Seattle, encouraged our vation Mission, a training opportunity organizations to allow each individual through the Local Media Foundation. within a newspaper company to alThe mission included visits to some samantha low their own personalities to shine of the world’s most successful technoljohnston through on Facebook and Twitter. ogy companies and media houses. The Social media training is a drumbeat, agenda exposed me to some of the best according to Mayfield, and it isn’t for cpa executive and most innovative minds in media everyone. Allow employees to play in director and technology. the space where they are comfortable, The following are points I believe but help them develop their voice and most relevant to the CPA membership and gather a following. Colorado media outlets: INNOVATION on page 4
The 2012 Colorado General Assembly session began with a unified bipartisan message of the need to jumpstart Colorado’s economy and create jobs and ended with nasty partisan rhetoric over a failed measure to recognize civil unions and the first special session since 2006. The fact that Colorado’s legislature was under split control with Democrats holding a 20-15 advantage in the Senate while the House was under a narrow 33-32 Republican majority created both a tense election year environment and an effective checks and balance system. A variety of proposals that were closely identified with one party passed the first house only to be quickly dispatched in the other body. Improved revenues allowed for a relatively non-contentious budget process. The legislature was able to restore the senior property tax exemption and maintain state support to local school districts at the current level. There were significant bipartisan successes, most notably a proposed constitutional amendment that has been referred to voters in November to update Colorado’s personnel system. Other significant successes included a comprehensive proposal to address early literacy, a revamp of the Colorado Energy Office and legislation to fix the Colorado Benefits Management System, the long maligned computer system to provide public assistance. The last week of the regular session reached a crisis point over legislation to recognize civil unions. The bill passed the Senate and the House Judiciary, Finance and Appropriations Committees with one Republican joining Democrats in each committee to allow the bill to pass each committee by one vote. On the next to last day of the session, the civil unions bill, along with dozens of other Senate bills that had not passed the Senate and been introduced in the House until the closing days of the session, died on the calendar after majority Republicans put the House into recess when Democrats attempted to force action on the civil unions bill. A number of the issues that were lost on the calendar were salvaged through amendments to other bills on the last day of the regular session. Gov. John Hickenlooper called for a SESSION on page 6