december 2014/january 2015 colorado editor

7123December 2014 / January 2015 colorado Get to know

Dave Perry with this mont’s 10 questions. PAGE 3

Official publication of the Colorado Press Association / coloradopressassociation.com / Vol. LXXXVI, No. 1 December 2014/January 2015

editor

More money for newspapersChanges to statewide network meant to provide more revenue

Staff report

SYNC2 Media will change the rates on two of its statewide print advertising networks beginning Jan. 19, 2015.

The goal is to increase revenue for newspapers that participate in the program, said Jerry Raehal, CEO of SYNC2 Media — the for-profit affiliate of the Colorado Press Association.

The statewide network programs with increases include the Colorado Display Advertising Network (CDAN), which offers 2x2 and 2x4 ads; and the CoSCAN, which offers statewide classified ad-vertising.

The change increases the rate to purchase a 2x2 ad in the state-

THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THIS YEAR’S CONVENTION

The Colorado Press Association Convention is rounding into shape.

A bevy of industry-leading speakers are lined up for the 137th annual event, slated for Feb. 19-21 at the Westin Hotel in Downtown Denver.

The theme of this year’s convention is Back in Black, a focus on profitability, which is really a focus on quality.

Here are seven things to know about this year’s convention.

Kicking it offThe core of the convention is Friday and Saturday, Feb. 20-21, with the kickoff Thursday with the Legislative Reception at 6 p.m.

It replaces the annual Legislative Luncheon and is free to attend. We hope newspapers will have a

strong representation at this event, as it is a time to meet the state’s elected officials in a more social setting.

Who should come?The goal of the convention is bring in

industry-leading speakers, while also creating a social and learning environment for our members.

We believe we have the speakers and setting in place. All we need is

you. If you’re interested in one (or all)

of the following subjects, you should attend: writing, editing, newspa-per design, ad design, web design, sales processes, digital advertising, revenue enhancement, leadership, open meetings law, photography, networking and/or phone.

Register nowEven though the conven-

tion isn’t until mid-February, the deadline to register is

much sooner. Register by Jan.

29, or there is an ad-ditional $50 fee. This

timeframe is needed for the hotel and CPA staff to figure out food and other services.

See KNOW, page 9 See MONEY, page 9

BACK IN BLACKIf you goWHAT: Colorado Press Association annual conventionWHEN: Feb. 19-21WHERE: Westin Hotel, downtown DenverINFO: Go to www.coloradopressasso-ciation.com

2 colorado editor

Daily Camera editorial editor moving on

After nearly seven years on the job, editorial page editor Erika Stutzman has left that position at the Daily Camera to join the Community Foundation Serving Boulder County.

She joined the Camera staff in May 2000 as assistant business editor, and later worked as features editor. She founded and led the news magazines Fit and Women’s Magazine prior to taking the helm of the opinion page in January 2008.

Said Stutzman: “I was able to facilitate giving people a voice, whether it was through the open forum or guest opinions. It’s just a sheer joy to work as an opinion editor in a community where everybody has so many opinions. And I think I was able to advocate on behalf of the Camera for some things that aligned with my values as well.”

Slater joins Chieftain as new general manager

Brad Slater has joined the Pueblo Chieftain as the organization’s new general manager, replacing Randy Rickman, who left the Chieftain to take a regional publisher position with Wick Communications. Slater has had a nearly 30-year career with Lee Enterprises’ Rapid City Journal and an executive position with NPG Newspapers in Missouri. Rickman and Slater were co-workers and friends at Lee Enterprises. Slater’s wife, Jennifer, worked in Denver for 17 years, and his adult children now hold jobs with Denver-based companies. Slater also has extended family with roots in Colorado. He says his management philosophy is “to put people in a position to be successful and to grow as an organization.”

Aspen Daily News editor nets public radio gig

Carolyn Sackariason, 46, executive editor of the Aspen Daily News, has left that position for a news director job with Aspen Public Radio. She had served as editor of that newspaper since 2010.

As reported by Karl Herchenroeder of The Aspen Times, Sackariason said: “I love (National Public Radio). It’s a great opportunity. I’ve learned everything I know from (Daily News owner Dave) Danforth … I believe in everything the Aspen Daily News stands for. It’s hard to leave that.”

Danforth and Sackariason also co-own the Santa Monica Daily Press. Aspen Public Radio Executive Director Carolyne Heldman said that Sackariason was the first choice for the job there. Sackariason will oversee the station’s website and daily news content, plus produce two 30-minute programs, “Valley Roundup” and “Mountain Edition.”

She will also oversee local newscasts during two National Public Radio shows, and live broadcasts and re-broadcasts of lectures, concerts and panel discussions from the Aspen Institute, Aspen Music Festival and School, plus original Aspen Public Radio programming.

She will manage two reporters and a

digital-content manager. Prior to 2010, Sackariason covered business and Aspen City Hall for the Aspen Times for three years.

Daily Planet buys The WatchThe Telluride Daily Planet has purchased

the weekly newspaper The Watch. In an article by Daily Planet Editor Heather

Sackett, she noted that publication of both newspapers would continue.

In the article, Daily Planet Publisher Andrew Mirrington is quoted as saying: “We have not finalized plans for content changes, but we will likely be doing some new, more in-depth feature reporting in the weekly Watch newspaper – the kind of reporting that we can’t necessarily do in the Planet and that is not really available in the region.”

He also noted that The Watch had not been profitable “for a long time, but he is confident it can be turned around, much the same way the then-struggling Daily Planet was when it was purchased in 2008.”

The Watch was founded in 1996 by Marta Tarbell and husband Seth Cagin. It was first published as a faxed newsletter to fill a void when the Telluride Times-Journal closed. Both started their newspaper careers in New York City: Tarbell worked for the Herald-Tribune, the New York Post and Condé Nast publications, and Cagin worked for Rolling Stone, as well as writing three books and some screenplays.

They owned and published The Watch for more than 17 years.

Guidelines available for fact checking

Is your news organization planning to start or expand fact-checking efforts in 2015? The American Press Institute has developed guidelines for implementation and best practices.

To receive a copy by email, contact Jane Elizabeth, API’s senior research project manager, at [email protected]. Recent research indicates stories that deal with accountability and fact checking are the top choice among readers, and that readers have a higher regard for news organizations that offer such journalism.

API’s Fact Checking Project aims to assist news organizations in developing and improving fact-checking journalism, particularly in preparation for the 2016 election cycle.

NIE students take to the airAs a Newspapers in Education project to

introduce children to writing and journalism, the Craig Daily Press recently took first- through fifth-grade students from the city’s four elementary schools on a field trip to the Craig/Moffat Airport to check out several different kinds of airplanes.

Managing Editor Noelle Leavitt Riley chose the topic of aviation, while Daily Press Education Reporter Lauren Blair helped show the planes to the kids and introduce them to the pilots. The students then wrote articles about their experience; the article were printed in the Daily Press, complete with bylines and head shots of each student.

Durango Herald earns 11 Inland Press awards

The Durango Herald entered the annual Inland Press Association journalism contest for the first time this year and earned 11 awards in the national competition. The newspaper was awarded a first place for front-page design.

Two second-place awards went to reporter Chase Olivarius-McAllister for her investigative piece on a federal probe of possible labor law violations, and to Joe Hanel for explanatory reporting for the “Fire Trap” series on Colorado wildfires.

The Herald also won second, third and honorable mention awards for its designers’ use of photos in news stories.

Photographers won a third place (Shaun Stanley for breaking news) and three honorable mentions (two to Jerry McBride, one to Steve Lewis).

The Herald also won an honorable mention in a special sweepstakes category regarding creative use of multimedia tools, for stories in the “Fire Trap” series.

Inland has 1,200 member newspapers, representing all 50 states.

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.

What’s new in Colorado news?

Colorado Newspapers

In the News

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 – [email protected] – using subject line “Colorado Editor News.”

Stay up to date at coloradopressassociation.com

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Vol. LXXXVI, Issue 1December2014/Janurary 2015

Colorado Editor is the official publication of the Colorado Press

Association and is published monthly at 1120 Lincoln St., Suite 912

Denver, CO 80203p: 303-571-5117f: 303-571-1803

coloradopressassociation.com

Subscription rate:$10 per year, $1 single copy

StaffJerry Raehal

Chief Executive [email protected]

Board of DirectorsOFFICERS

ChairBryce Jacobson

The [email protected]

PresidentTerri House

The Pagosa Springs [email protected]

Vice PresidentKeith Cerny

Alamosa Valley [email protected]

TreasurerBart Smith

The [email protected]

SecretaryMatt Lubich

The Johnstown [email protected]

DIRECTORS

Don LindleyThe Durango Herald

[email protected]

Larry RyckmanThe Denver Post

[email protected]

Mike WigginsGrand Junction Daily [email protected]

Beecher ThreattOuray County [email protected]

Lisa SchlichtmanSteamboat Pilot & Today

[email protected]

Jason Woodside Aurora Media Group

[email protected]

Periodical postage paid atDenver, CO 80202.

POSTMASTER:Send address changes to

Colorado Editor1120 Lincoln St., Suite 912

Denver, CO 80203

See BRIEFS, page 7

December 2014 / January 2015

colorado editor 3December 2014 / January 2015

10 Questions with: Dave PerryBy Cheryl GhristContributing Editor

This issue, “10 Questions” checked in with Dave Perry, editor of the Aurora Sentinel for more than 21 years, as well as editor of The Aurora Magazine and a digital daily site. An award-winning writer and columnist, he’s worked for AP, the Denver Post and Westword, among other publications.

1) You’re originally from Rocky Ford then Denver, went to Pomona High School then Mountain Open High School, and earned a B.A. in journalism and English from Metropolitan State University of Denver. Was it always your plan to live, work and stay in Colorado? And how did you wind up at the Aurora Sentinel?

I wanted to be a playwright after a brief career as a social worker. I went back to school at Metro State for an English degree. After a production of my first play, this old guy told me it sucked, and if I really wanted to learn how to write, I should work for newspapers.

He was Greg Pierson, a notorious former desk jockey from the Rocky (Mountain News), who essentially created the J-school at Metro. I was the last of a storied group of students he led through the program. Lots of Colorado hacks owe it all to/blame it all on Greg, but most of us are dead, long gone to the dark side, retired or in rehab now. Greg died of cancer while I was an intern at the Post. I had to write his obit.

I worked under some of Denver’s greats: Dick Hilker, Billy Stanton, Jane Hoback, Mary Kay Connor, Jack Bacon, Patty Calhoun. I was packing up to work for AP in Santa Fe in 1990 when Bacon pleaded with me to stay in Denver and start a daily newspaper in Aurora. The Minnesota Star Trib had recently dumped the Sentinel, and he said it would be “the opportunity of a lifetime.”

My girlfriend was pregnant, I hated to pack, so I went with Jack. I was that stupid. Every day, every week, every year has been the best and worst life can dish out, mostly the best.

2) What are the challenges of covering such a vast and diverse community of 335,000 on a daily basis?

You said it, “vast.” The one thing I hear most from people who live here or don’t is, “I had no idea that was part of Aurora.”

Very little happens in Colorado, and especially the metro area, that doesn’t have a direct line to Aurora. Even on a national and international scale, I never cease to be amazed at how the city is part of world news and personalities. We regularly take calls or join radio and TV shows for journalists all over the world on a host of issues.

3) Aurora has flirted with becoming its own city and county, and many believe it will happen sooner than later. How might that move affect how and what you currently cover?

That’s actually part of the bigger picture, a symptom of the changes happening here, not a problem itself. Because the community is so large, diverse and increasingly urban, the city needs to better coordinate a wide range of services. The changes are prompted by the CU med school and Anschutz Campus, Buckley AFB, water, astounding diversity and the changing political landscape.

4) What are the biggest changes in your coverage area that have happened on your watch?

When I started here, the city was seen as a sprawling, gritty ‘burb plagued by gangs. Aurora moved beyond suburb when Fitzsimons became home to the state med school, hospital and research mecca, Anschutz, DIA opened,

and the city built far into the south and east. Aurora and Colorado Springs both are often overlooked for the political and water powerhouses they are. Aurora has not only grown up, it has the water, land, population and political influence to move beyond any other Colorado city.

5) The Sentinel did extensive coverage at the time of the Aurora theater shooting, and continues to do so in the trial phase. As an editor, how moving was it to participate in that initial process, and how exhausting? And have you and the public gotten enough regarding photo and television access to the trial?

I’ve unhappily covered my share of death and tragedy during my career. Nothing, however, prepared me for the Aurora theater shooting. The entire staff was overwhelmed and driven at the same time. As a newsroom, we did an outstanding job. Each one of us was traumatized. There was nothing in any way glamorous, exciting or enviable about any of it. We knew those kids.

The theater was across the street from our newsroom. The tragedy and the pain it inflicted on everyone here never dims. At times, I find myself embroiled in horrific debates over gun control. Some local lawmakers and I have been the subject of vitriolic attacks and death threats.

The fallout destroyed three state lawmakers and nearly took down the career of Colorado’s governor. After more than two years, a day does not go by that we all aren’t still profoundly touched by the massacre.

As to the trial, even before it starts, we are all exhausted from it. The ruling court has been unwisely greedy about information released to public.

Fearing contempt charges for violating gag orders, an enormous number of details about the massacre have been withheld, which could help Aurora and other communities prevent another inevitable attack.

6) Since 1996, you’ve been a big part of establishing AuroraSentinel.com, starting up and editing The Aurora magazine monthly lifestyle pub, and now you’re also editor of the new Colorado Table section within the magazine, with regional focus on sustainable and local cuisine. What spurred all that growth and how do they all complement each other?

The demographics of Aurora have changed

profoundly during the past 20 years. Southeast Aurora and the region encompass some of the most enviable homes in the Front Range.

With an eager readership, we created a full-fledged city lifestyle magazine that has worked to solidify Aurora’s transformation into a city in its own right.

If you want to be amazed and surprised, check out TheAuroraMagazine.com.

That publication more than anything keeps generating: “Wow, I had no idea.” ColoradoTable.com is a natural extension of the lifestyle magazine. Sustainable and gourmet food culture is growing exponentially, and we’re gearing up to become an integral part of that.

7) Do you see yourself doing this for many more years? Or do you have a secret change-of-career wish at some point in the future?

I quit this job every night. I frequently tell people that with all the changes that the newspaper industry has gone through over the past few decades, “this is a young man’s game, and I am not a young man.” But every morning, I’m anxious to get back at it, and I can’t imagine anything as rewarding as journalism. Besides, we’re damaged goods and not well suited for real jobs.

8) Neat desk, messy desk? What would we see there?

It’s a hand-washer’s worst nightmare. My wife says I’ve become feral.

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

Finding a way to combine journalism that can’t happen much faster or stupider than on Twitter, and what I see as the community’s need to get something more important than click bait on their iPhones. If we don’t want to become the next phone book, we have to move fast. We’re not there yet.

10) What do you do in your off hours? Do you escape the plains (and prairie dogs) of Aurora for a total change of scenery?

In the summer, I bike long distances before dawn, every day I have off. It’s therapeutic, unnerving and always amazing. In the winter, I ski every weekend or more on stupid terrain far above tree line. I have no friends on a powder day. I love all food and wine, but only local beers. My best pal is my wife, and after all these years, we laugh like middle-schoolers almost every day. I’m a Colorado kid, weird.

Aurora Sentinel Editor Dave Perry likes to get outdoors when’s he not in the newsroom. TOP RIGHT: Perry on the ridge east of Loveland Pass.

TOP LEFT: Perry shows off his inuksuk (stone landmarks built and used by peoples of the Arctic region of North America) skills in Greenland.

LEFT: Perry on an annual hunt for Christmas trees near Fraser.

4 colorado editor

The following slate of candidates will appear on the ballot during the annual board election, sched-uled for 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 21 during the annual convention at the Westin Hotel in Downtown Den-ver.

Bryce Jacobson, of the Greeley Tribune, is leaving

the board after completing his tenure as board chair. Don Lindley, of the Durango Herald, is leaving the board due to other commitments.

Two nominations were submitted to join the board — Matt Sandberg, publisher of the Summit Daily News, the Summit County Journal, the Middle

Park Times and the Sky Hi News; and Bob Hudson, advertising director of the Pueblo Chieftain.

Regular CPA members may vote in person or by proxy at the annual meeting.

If you would like to vote by proxy, contact the CPA office for instructions.

2015 annual meetingTIME: 10-11:30 a.m.WHEN: Saturday, Feb. 21WHERE: Westin Downtown

Get in the know: CPA Board election

CHAIRTerri HousePublisher, The Pagosa Springs SUN [email protected]

Terri House began her newspaper career at The SUN at age 15, work-ing in the mailroom. She held the positions of advertising manager, gen-eral manager and assistant publisher before purchasing the newspaper in 2003.

Service to her community is of utmost importance to House. She

received the Pagosa Springs Volunteer of the Year Award in 2008 and Citizen of the Year in 1996. She has served as Presi-dent of Big Brothers Big Sisters of South-west Colorado and received the Mashaw’s Magic Moments Award in 2010. House has served as Council Chair of United Way, board of directors of Archuleta

County Fair, Western Heritage Committee producing the Red Ryder Roundup Rodeo, Operation Helping Hand Christmas charity, the Prevention Coalition and Reach for the Peaks balloon rally among others. She is currently President-Elect of Pagosa Springs Rotary Club and serves on the advisory council of Southwest Colorado Community College.

Terri was elected to the board of Colorado Press Association in 2009.

PRESIDENTKeith CernyPublisher, Valley Courier, Alamosa [email protected]

Keith Cerny is publisher of the Valley Courier in Alamosa. He is also a division manager for News Media Corporation with oversight of nine newspapers in Colorado and Wyo-ming, including a daily, six weeklies

and a shopper in the San Luis Valley.

Prior to moving to Alamosa in 1992, Cerny served on the Wyoming Press Association Board of Directors while publisher in Evanston and Lusk, WY. Cerny sits on the Adams

State College Foundation Board, is president of the ASC Grizzly Club Board, Alamosa County Economic Development Board, Creede Theatre Board, SLV Arts and Entertainment Committee, San Luis Valley Regional Council for El Pomar Foundation and the Alamosa Rotary Club.

He was appointed to the CPA Board of Directors in 2009.

DIRECTORBeecher ThreattCo-Publisher, Ouray County Plaindealer [email protected]

Beecher Threatt is co-publisher of the Ouray County Plain-dealer. Threatt and her husband, Alan Todd, purchased the Plaindealer and Ridgway Sun in Sept. 2010.

Prior to purchasing the Ouray and Ridgway newspapers, Threatt served as a legislative aide in the Texas Housex of Representatives in 1981. She then practiced law as a partner in an Austin, Texas firm from 1982-1991.

From 1991-1996, Threatt served as Executive Editor of a legal non-profit and adjunct professor of law at Univer-sity of Texas Law School.

She became licensed to practice law in Colorado in 1997, and worked for Killian and Associates in Grand Junction as a research and writing attorney until 2004.

Threatt was a columnist for Longview News-Journal in Texas from 2004-2008 and an adjunct professor at Kilgore College in Texas from 2007-2010.

Threatt still works part-time as a senior research attorney for the Texas Lawyers for Children.

Threatt was elected to the CPA Board of Directors in Feb. 2014.

DIRECTORLisa SchlichtmanEditor, Steamboat Pilot & Today [email protected]

Lisa Schlichtman was named Editor of the Steamboat Pilot & Today in July 2013.

In addition to her passion for the newspaper industry, Lisa has been actively involved in a variety of community projects and organizations, serving in leadership roles for many.

She currently is a member of the Steamboat Springs Rotary Club, is involved with the Leadership Steamboat program and serves on the Yampa Valley Autism Program Advisory Board.

During Lisa’s 25-year newspaper career, she has served in many capacities including: newspaper reporter, editor, owner and publisher of newspapers and magazines in Southwest Missouri.

She is a native of St. Louis, Mo., and a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism.

Lisa and her husband, Mike, owned the Cassville Democrat and Wheaton Journal weekly newspapers from 1995 to 2005, during which time Lisa served as editor and co-publisher of both publications.

The Schlichtmans sold the newspapers to Rust Commu-nications, and Lisa continued her career with the newspaper company.

She helped oversee Rust’s acquisition of The Monett Times, being named editor and co-publisher of the four-day-a-week daily newspaper while retaining those same duties with the Cassville Democrat.

During her tenure, the Cassville Democrat and Monett Times won numerous awards from the Missouri Press Asso-ciation Better Newspaper Contest.

Lisa was also instrumental in launching a monthly regional lifestyles magazine (Connection) and a quarterly outdoors magazine (Ozarks Outdoors) for Rust, serving as editor of both publications.

Lisa and Mike have two sons, Nicholas, who lives in Scotts-dale, Ariz., and Ryan, who lives in Denver.

Lisa was elected to the CPA board of directors in February 2014.

VICE PRESIDENTBart SmithPublisher, Greeley Tribune [email protected]

Smith became publisher of the Greeley Tribune in 2007, and soon after was named general manager of the newspaper group for Swift Communications that includes the weekly Windsor Now, and the Fence Post weekly agricul-ture publications and websites in Colorado and Nebraska, as well as two agricul-ture weeklies in South Dakota.

After earning a journalism degree from the Univer-sity of Wyo-ming just up the road from Greeley and stints in Rawlins and Lander, Wyo., Smith moved on to White-fish, Mont., Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, and Roseburg, Ore., in editor and publisher roles before circling back to the Rockies.

Smith got hooked on newspa-pers as a young U.S. Army corre-spondent in Vietnam in 1971.

He is past president of the Montana Press Association and chaired the News Education Com-mittee of the Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association. He is a former member of the National Press Photographers Association and the National Conference of Editorial Writers.

Smith lives in Greeley with his wife and a daughter attending college. His oldest daughter is a re-porter for the Summit Daily News in Frisco, Co.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE HOLDOVER DIRECTORS

TREASURERMatt LubichExecutive Editor, Co-Owner, The John-stown Breeze General Manager, The Mir-ror [email protected]

Matt Lubich is the Executive Editor and co-owner of The Johnstown Breeze and General Manager of The UNC Mir-ror. He has co-owned The Breeze with his wife, Lesli Bangert, since 1997.

The 108-year-old weekly newspaper has been covering the communities of Johnstown and Milliken (Colo.) and surrounding Weld and Larimer counties since 1904. Lubich grew up in Pueblo, Colo., where his first job in the business was driving a Sunday morning contract delivery route for the Pueblo Chieftain; filling racks and newsstands around town.

A graduate in 1986 with a degree in journalism from the University of Northern Colorado, Lubich was voted the “Most Promising Freshman Journalism Student” and also was once introduced to someone by UNC J-School professor Dave Anderson as “my

most recalcitrant student.” Lubich had to go home and look up recal-citrant.

He worked at the Evans Star Press and for legendary Colo-rado editor Percy Conarroe at The Lafayette News in the late 1980s. Returning to Colorado in 1991 from New Mexico, he wandered into the Breeze one day looking for freelance work. He eventually became the paper’s editor, before he and his wife purchased it from Clyde and Ardis Briggs in 1997.

In 2002, and again in 2005, The Breeze won the General Excellence Award for small weeklies from The Colorado Press Association.

Lubich and Bangert have two daugh-ters, Riley, a freshman at Montana State University in Bozeman, and Harper Lee, a junior at Roosevelt High School in Johnstown.

SECRETARYLarry RyckmanCity Editor, The Denver Post [email protected]

Larry Ryckman is the City Editor at The Denver Post. He was appointed to the board of directors in June 2013 to fill a vacancy. Larry will be eligible for election to the board of directors for a two-year term beginning in February 2014.

Larry spent 22 years at The Associated Press as a Mos-cow correspondent, National Editor and Assistant Manag-ing Editor, among other postings. He covered the war in Chechnya and has overseen coverage of major events and disasters including hurricanes, wildfires, Columbine and the presidential election recount in Florida in 2000.

He also has been Local News Editor at the Greeley Tribune and Managing Edi-tor at The Gazette in Colorado Springs.

He was appointed to the board in 2013. See DIRECTORS, next page



TWO-YEAR DIRECTORSDIRECTORMike WigginsManaging Editor, The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel [email protected]

Mike Wiggins became the manag-ing editor of The Daily Sentinel in Grand Junc-tion in 2013. He’s been at the Sentinel since 2001, working as a reporter for 11 years before being named city editor in 2012.

Wiggins graduated from Mesa State College in 1998 with a bachelor’s degree in mass communication. He worked as a reporter at The Glenwood Post for two years before moving to Grand Junction.

Wiggins serves on the board of directors for Kids Voting Mesa County, a nonpartisan, nonprofit group that strives to encourage and engage students in voting and other forms of civic participation. He previously served on a group that worked to prevent suicide in the workplace in conjunction with the Western Colo-rado Suicide Prevention Foundation. A native of Aurora, Colorado, he lives in Grand Junction with his wife, Erin.

Wiggins was appointed to the board in 2014.

DIRECTORBob HudsonAdvertising Manager, The Pueblo Chieftain [email protected]

Bob Hudson began his newspaper career over 22 years ago at The Hannibal Courier-Post in Hannibal, Missouri as an account executive and later becoming the advertis-ing director. Hannibal is the hometown of Mark Twain and one of Bob’s favor-ite quotes from Twain, “To succeed in life, you need two things: ignorance and confidence.” Throughout his newspaper career, he has held the positions of advertising manager, general manager, and clas-sified manager before becoming the advertising manager for The Pueblo Chieftain since 2003. Over the years the commitment to the print industry has not lessened, yet increased. He believes the printed version of the newspaper will remain the force to be reckoned with as newspapers progress through the digital age. Bob earned a Bachelor’s degree in busi-ness from Hannibal LaGrange Univer-sity and a Master’s degree in business from Franklin University, and Hudson believes understanding businesses and the challenges they face to be the root to his success in the newspaper industry.

DIRECTORMatt SandbergPublisher of the Summit Daily News, the Summit County Journal, the Middle Park Times and the Sky Hi [email protected]

Matt Sandberg started his newspa-per carrier as a route carrier for the Ft. Collins Colora-doan in 1988. In high school he furthered his passion about the business as a staff reporter for Ti-ger Tracks, which was printed by the Summit Daily News, the newspaper where he now serves as Publisher in Frisco, Colorado. Matt oversees Colorado Mountain News Media’s operations in Summit and Grand counties and is publisher of the Summit Daily News, the Summit County Journal, the Middle Park Times and the Sky Hi News, along with a variety of seasonal weeklies and magazines.

Matt began his tenure with Swift Communications, the parent company of Colorado Mountain News Media and his operations, in June 2003 when he joined the Summit Daily as adver-tising account manager. In that time he has had roles as advertising sales manager and advertising director of the Summit Daily, director of sales for the Summit Daily and Vail Daily, and now his present role as Publisher.

He is active in the community serv-ing on the Summit Chamber of Com-merce board, school organizations and is a member of Rotary. Matt and his wife Shannon have two young daugh-ters, Madison, 10, and Sarah, 8, and a playful Bernese Mountain Dog, Apollo. As a family they spend a lot of time enjoying the outdoors of Colorado.

DIRECTORJason WoodsideAdvertising Director, Aurora Media Group [email protected]

Jason Woodside currently serves as the Director of Advertising for Aurora Media Group in Aurora.

Prior to join-ing Aurora Media Group, Wood-side moved to Colorado to serve as the Advertis-ing Director at the Summit Daily News in Frisco. During his 15-year career in the newspaper industry, he has served as account executive, online sales manager, niche sales manager, and as advertising director at three newspa-pers. Aside from his two recent posts at Colorado newspapers, he has worked for newspapers in Carbondale, IL, Wilmington, NC, and Twin Falls, ID in both traditional and resort markets.

He is a native of Southern Illinois where he attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, IL. He resides in Englewood with his wife, Trisha. Woodside was appointed to the CPA Board of Directors in August of 2014.

from previous page

Directors

Year-in-review lists can help us see a big-ger picture sometimes. For the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition, revisit-

ing 2014 reveals a somewhat troubling string of stories about issues and problems affecting government transparency in Colorado. Consider them one by one, as we did throughout the year, and you might not be all that concerned. But put them in a list, as we’ve done here, and you could reasonably conclude that open government in the Centennial State is still a work in progress.

That’s not to say there wasn’t good news on the transparency front in 2014. There was, and we’ll start with some:

CORA fees State lawmakers helped

make the cost of public records more affordable in many jurisdictions with the passage of HB 14-1193, sponsored by Rep. Joe Salazar and Sen. John Kefalas. For the first time since the Colo-rado Open Records Act was enacted in 1969, the law now specifies a maximum rate ($30 per hour) for re-searching and compiling public records that aren’t criminal justice records, setting a standard for all governments in the state. The first hour must be provided at no charge. Previously, as a Colorado Ethics Watch report showed, charges for public records in Colorado were “all over the map.” The law did have an unintended consequence – some governments that were charging less than $30 per hour started charging the maximum rate.

Challenging Sunshine Law violationsChallenging Sunshine Law violationsThe Arvada City Council’s use of secret ballots

last January led to the passage of HB 14-1390, which ensures that anyone has legal standing to challenge violations of the Open Meetings Law, aka the Sunshine Law. A Jefferson County judge had tossed out a lawsuit filed by Arvada resident Russell Weisfield, who balked when the council filled a vacancy by marking unsigned sheets of paper four times to eliminate candidates, in ap-parent violation of a 2012 provision in state law. The judge, while acknowledging that “the voting procedure may have violated the secret ballot provision” of the statute, ruled against Weisfield because he couldn’t prove he had been personally harmed by the council’s hidden votes. The bill to fix the standing issue flew through the legislature without a single no vote.

Pueblo emailsTwo Pueblo City Council members resigned

and another faces a recall following allegations in the Pueblo Chieftain that they engaged in illegal email meetings with a county employee. The council members were accused of working on their own covert agenda on trash hauling and other issues. It’s a violation of the Sunshine Law if three or more members of a local public body – two if that constitutes a quorum – discuss public business via email or text messaging.

Poudre emailsA 7NEWS investigation found that the Poudre

School District in Fort Collins had purposely destroyed emails and paper records related to a special-education student to prevent the child’s family from getting them under CORA. “Delete your message!” “Delete your deleted!” “Delete your sent!” Those words from the boy’s principal

to other school district employees were in emails obtained by the family. Obviously, not all of the emails had been trashed.

Colorado Springs emails Supervisors at Colorado Springs Utilities tried

to avoid releasing information about a power plant fire by instructing employees to include the words “attorney-client privilege” in emails about the fire. The attorney-client CORA exemption applies only to bona fide legal advice. After The Gazette exposed the practice, the mayor ordered that it be stopped.

Fort Collins emailsWhile some jurisdictions had trouble with of-

ficials using or misusing email, Fort Collins made it easier for the public to see City Council email exchanges without having to file an open-records request. The city’s Email Transparency Project is an online archive of emails to and from council members with limited exceptions (senders can ask that public visibility be blocked by putting #PRIVATE in the subject line).

Choosing a city manager in secretThe Denver suburb of Englewood announced

the hiring of a new city manager in August, more than a week before the City Council was set to vote on the appointment in a public meeting. The city didn’t seem to care that the Sunshine Law expressly prohibits the “adoption of any proposed policy, position, resolution, rule, regulation or formal action” during a closed-door executive session. “The council’s posting on its website, that they’ve reached full agreement, is an admission that they’ve violated the Open Meetings Law,” said CFOIC President Steve Zansberg, a First Amend-ment attorney.

Using FERPA as an excuseThe superintendent of Littleton Public Schools

deflected reporters’ questions about threats made by student Karl Pierson before the Arapahoe High School shooting a year ago, citing the federal Fam-ily Educational Rights and Privacy Act as a reason he couldn’t talk about it. But the FERPA rights of an adult student lapse upon his or her death, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Pierson was 18 when he opened fire, killing a fel-low student before killing himself.

School violence reportsState data on campus violence showed no

violent incidents at Arapahoe High during the 2013-14 school year, despite the December shoot-ing that left Claire Davis and the gunman dead. The Colorado Department of Education called the omission a processing error, but a Denver Post/7NEWS investigation showed significant shortcomings in the state’s system for reporting school safety information to the public.

Barring the press, No. 1In January, a reporter for the Craig Daily Press

was twice denied access to a public meeting on sage grouse conservation in Moffat County. The meeting included the governor and county com-missioners as well as U.S. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, who in a letter to the newspaper called the incident a regrettable “miscommunication.” Jewell said her department was “redoubling…ef-forts to coordinate with local government offices to ensure transparency and respect for important press freedoms.”

CFOIC’s year in review: Transparency highlights and lowlights from 2014

Jeffrey A. Roberts

CFOIC Executive Director

See TRANSPARENCY, page 8

6 colorado editor

By Cheryl GhristContributing Editor

If we were reminiscing about the ‘60s, talk of a revolution at a state uni-versity would likely not be a good thing. But we’re decades past the climate that fostered student protests at institutes of higher learning, and change in today’s mass communication departments has been positively embraced by all.

At Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction, Daniel Flenniken, associate professor and the director of Mass Communication, touts the changes recently made – changes that have already earned a warm reception. “Many of our older mass comm grads, when returning to campus for a visit say they wish our program’s revolution had happened sooner, when they were studying here,” said Flenniken. “Current and future students have come to expect nothing but the best from our program. They know change is a constant in mass communication, that we are nimble enough to alter our curriculum when it’s warranted.”

A basic premise warranted was a change of direction for the department. Explained Flenniken: “We eliminated ‘silo’ concentrations in our mass com-munication program and established a new ‘Media Strategies and Applica-tion’ component. We kept most of the original courses but added more selections to our curriculum, including software fundamentals and storytell-ing for freshmen and a career portfolio class for seniors.” The moves recognize that students need to be versatile in a broad range of communications. The new approach allows students to work more strategically from freshman year until they graduate by customizing their options based on their strengths and interests.

And how are the changes pitched to prospective students? “They discover that their success in mass comm de-pends not only on our core curriculum, but also on their choices from a lengthy list of Strategies and Applications courses,” said Flenniken. Those choices include new computer and broadcast fa-cilities. Students take classes in two new computer labs – each equipped with 30 new Mac computers and state-of-the-art software and technology – and new production facilities that, in partnership with Rocky Mountain PBS, are outfitted with new HD cameras and control-room gear.

The university also invested in a new audio production lab, edit suites and portable gear. “With all this technology,” said Flenniken, “we still stress a core of fundamental courses that include mass media theory and research, as well as writing, reporting and storytelling.”

Students are also required to work on CMU’s media – The Criterion week-ly newspaper, KMSA-FM radio, PR Club, Society of Professional Journalists, CMU-TV and Horizon Magazine – for hands-on experience throughout their years at the university.

Flenniken has real-life experience in these areas. He has more than 25 years of experience in production and management for television stations and networks, including Rocky Mountain PBS, where he won an Emmy for educa-tional television production in 2002. He previously taught at State University of New York-Plattsburgh and the Univer-sity of Colorado (where he earned both his bachelor of arts and master of arts degrees), and today teaches public rela-tions, advertising and television produc-tion courses. He has been with CMU and the Mass Communication depart-ment since 2005, so he has first-hand

knowledge of where CMU journalism students have been, and now, where they have the opportunity to go.

With all these improvements, how does CMU stack up against other state programs?

“We have a relatively small program compared to some others, around 200 majors,” said Flenniken. But local busi-nesses bolster the appeal: the university uses a cadre of adjuncts and industry partners, such as Western Colorado Rocky Mountain PBS. Students must complete an internship to graduate, with many done locally with four TV networks in the area; newspapers across the state, including The Daily Sentinel and Durango Herald; the Grand Junc-tion Rockies (a minor league baseball team) and the Denver Broncos; and a multitude of other businesses and government entities. “CMU has become a dynamic university with a growing mass communication program that has developed a strong network across Colorado,” he added.

To accomplish the new direction for the department, the university turned to faculty already in place, and those need-ing to be added to the mix.

“Our current faculty was closely involved in the design of our new facil-ity,” said Flenniken. “CMU expected the faculty to know best how bricks and mortar should mesh with technology. Escalante Hall, where our program is located, has so many innovative features that even our faculty are learning how to exploit them.” As for new hires, he recently noted that the university was “recruiting as we speak.” New open-ings included a full-time, tenure-track faculty member, “someone well-versed in new media, good in technology, but most importantly in storytelling and producing dynamic content.”

Mass Communication courses run across a broad spectrum. Students can opt to study Media Law & Ethics, Multi-media Storytelling, Writing Opinion for Impact or Social Media. Photojournal-ism, Design & Editing for Print, Video Production and Emerging Media are also on the menu.

The university was founded in 1925 as Grand Junction Junior College with just 39 students. In 1932, the name changed to Grand Junction State Junior College, with enrollment exceeding 200 for the first time the following year. Time marched on. In 1937 the school was renamed Mesa College, and in 1988 it became Mesa State College. And finally in 2011, Colorado Mesa Univer-sity, or CMU. Today, it advertises itself as “a comprehensive regional public higher education institution offering liberal arts, professional and technical programs at the master’s, bachelor’s, as-sociate and certificate levels.” Moreover, the school takes “great pride in provid-ing educational opportunities and tools that help students succeed in today’s complex and interconnected world” – a statement that could easily be perceived as describing the current state of the changing media industry.

There are more than 9,400 students here, more than 73 percent of them full-time on a campus encompassing 86 acres in the region of the state that – with the nearby picturesque San Juan Mountains and high-desert canyons – embodies true southwestern living. Students are attracted to that life, and to pursue a career in journalism, mass communication, broadcasting, multi-media – whatever label they choose. They now have even more options as a journalistic metamorphosis, rather than a true revolution, has decidedly taken place at CMU.

MASS COMM REVOLUTIONTiming good for journalism changes at Colorado Mesa University

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With all this technology, we still stress a core of fundamental courses that include mass media theory and research, as well as writing, reporting and storytelling. – Daniel Flenniken, associate professor and director of Mass Communication



The past twelve months have been an invigorating time for the newspaper media business. The next twelve are

shaping up to be even better. In 2014, the newspaper industry over-

flowed with new ideas, technologies and content. Our industry developed better ways to reach readers and give them more of what they want – more stories, more en-gagement, more person-alized information, and more content on their preferred platforms.

The future of the newspaper media industry is across all platforms, from print to digital to mobile.

For example, our col-leagues across the indus-try boldly experimented with technologies such as Google Glass, drones and automated technology to enhance reporting and developed new forms of interactive stories.

Thanks to a wealth of information about digital news consumption, we are able to analyze data to personalize content, iden-tify trends and create better products for both consumers and advertisers. Newspa-pers’ digital content audience rose to 166 million unique adult visitors in October – a record high.

The segment of readers accessing con-tent exclusively on mobile exploded by 85 percent last year, according to comScore, and we expect that trend to continue.

This growth offered new insight into our readers. In fact, the fastest growth for mo-bile content came from women ages 18-24 and men ages 25-34. Cutting-edge technol-ogy, immediate information and engaging social media content are important to these readers, and each of those things will be a

key component of publishers’ strategies in the next year.

It’s now time to build on this success and move forward with exciting initiatives to better serve and inform our communi-ties. Here are three ways the industry will accomplish that objective:

More collaborationSometimes all it takes is a creative idea.

I believe that next year, we will see more partnerships between newspaper media and new start-ups, collaborating to bring news and information to readers by what-ever method they choose to engage.

In 2014, NAA launched the Accelerator Pitch Program as a way to directly connect winning start-ups with industry executives at our annual NAA mediaXchange confer-ence.

I was delighted to find so many entre-preneurs focused on the newspaper media space, with fresh visions for maximizing our content, interacting with readers and leveraging appropriate new technology.

We are hosting the competition again in March at NAA mediaXchange 2015 in Nashville. The event will lead to a new wave of ideas and partnerships as we work together to serve our readers.

More engagementOne way to deepen engagement with

local communities and offer something unique to loyal readers is to create and host specialty events. This has already proven immensely popular for newspapers such as the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Denver Post.

It is likely that more newspapers will engage in these across the country.

For the reader, engagement can involve giving them access to cooking demon-strations online when the food section is especially well-read.

It can mean hosting bridal expos to

feature the best local businesses; offering panels on key, local topics with recognized community experts; or holding a music festival for those who turn first to enter-tainment information.

These types of unique and targeted events foster a deeper engagement with readers, while having a positive impact on the community at large.

More contentThe Boston Globe recently launched an

expanded, stand-alone business section, recognizing the tremendous corporate and entrepreneurial growth in the region. Similarly, the Dallas Morning News will offer its third luxury lifestyle magazine in 2015, leveraging journalists’ insights and storytelling strengths to discuss home designs, furnishings and elegant living in North Texas.

The Omaha World-Herald has expanded its digital offerings with niche websites, aimed at popular categories in Nebraska such as high school sports and the outdoors.

These are all examples of publishers understanding their readers and commu-nity, and offering more of what they like – whether that is more local news coverage, unique videos or expanded content.

It’s about customizing offerings to each reader and finding new ways to offer more of what matters to the community.

More is the best word to describe what I expect from the newspaper industry in 2015. We have changed how people view newspaper media, and are doing even more. With technology, journalism and media engagement rapidly evolving, so does the business structure that supports those efforts.

We enter 2015 with more ways to build on the successes of 2014. I have every reason to believe these actions will pay off for our readers, our advertisers and our industry.

On Nov. 4, 2014, Colorado’s vot-ers passed Proposition 104, which amends the Colorado Open Meet-

ings Law with respect to school board dis-cussions concerning collective bargaining agreements of school em-ployees.

The proposition will take effect as soon as Gov. Hickenlooper proclaims the election results, or no later than 30 days after the votes have been can-vassed, and upon its taken effect it will alter the Open Meetings Law in two sig-nificant ways:

First, by including within the definition of “local public body,” whose meetings are subject to the Open Meetings Law, not only the Board of Education for a school district (which is true under the prior exist-ing law) but also “school administration per-sonnel or a combination [of school adminis-tration personnel and members of the board] who are involved in a meeting with a repre-sentative of employees at which a collective bargaining agreement is discussed.”

This means that any discussions between a school teachers’ union representative and anyone representing the school district who is a member of school administration or a member of the board of education, must be conducted in accordance with the Open Meetings Law.

Thus, only meetings between a school union representative and a negotiator (or ne-gotiators) who are not members of the board of education or on school administration are exempt from the Open Meetings Law.

And secondly, in addition, Prop 104 has removed from the ambit of the authorization to meet in executive session that allows local public bodies to “determin[e] positions rela-tive to matters that may be subject to nego-tiations; developing strategy for negotiations; and instructing negotiators,” any meetings convened by members of a board of educa-tion “during which any collective bargaining negotiations are discussed,” or at which any negotiations for employment contracts, other than for an individual employee’s contract, are discussed.

Proposition 104 also similarly amends the section of the Education Code concern-ing meetings of the Board of Education by stating, unequivocally, that “any meeting of a board of education at which a collective bar-

gaining agreement is discussed shall be open to the public and any notice required by § 24-6-402(2)(c), C.R.S., shall be given prior to the meeting.”

Although the proponents of Prop 104, the Independence Institute Executive Director (Jon Caldara) and its and attorney (Shayne Madsen) were quoted in pre-election news reports as stating the proposition was not in-tended to remove the ability of school boards to meet with their negotiators in executive session, this is, indeed, the plain language of the proposition which has now become law. Ms. Madsen also stated that a school board remains authorized, even after passage of the proposition, to designate its own attorney as the negotiator for the school district and, in that case, the school board could meet to discuss matters with that negotiator (its at-torney) in executive session.

It remains to be seen whether school boards hereafter employ this device and, if so, whether such meetings with their coun-sel will be deemed to fit within the existing statutory provision authorizing executive sessions only “for the purposes of receiving legal advice on specific legal questions” from that attorney.

Please let me know if you have any ques-tions concerning the above.

In 2015, expect more content engagement and collaboration

In the know: Legal effect of Proposition 104

SteveZansberg

CPA Attorney

CarolineLittle

NAA President, CEO

Pulitzers to include onlineThe Pulitzers for journalism will now

include many online and print magazines. The Pulitzer Prize Board recently

announced that the prizes that honor American newspapers and news sites will now have expanded eligibility for two categories, Investigative Reporting and Feature Writing. Material should come from organizations that publish at least weekly. Broadcast organizations and their websites are still ineligible under the new guidelines.

The board also amended its rules regarding partnerships so that along with its own employees, eligible news organizations can now nominate journalists employed by their partnering organizations even if those organizations are ineligible to compete on their own.

The change was made because of the growing number of joint journalistic projects by newsrooms.

State students honored at national press meet

Journalism students from across the state were recently honored at the JEA/NSPA (Journalism Education Association/National Scholastic Press Association) Fall National High School Journalism Convention in Washington, D.C.

Next year’s Spring Convention will take place in Denver, April 16-19. This year, in Best of Show rankings, Colorado students took a number of awards, including the following first-place honors:

Newspaper Special Edition – Arapahoe Herald, Arapahoe High School, Centennial Junior High Yearbook – Eagle Eye View, Sierra Middle School, Parker (The Crusader, Castle Rock Middle School took second; The Nighthawk, Rocky Heights Middle School, Littleton took third in this category for a top-three sweep).

For 2014 NSPA Picture of the Year Awards, first places went to:

Marissa Herrington, Imprints, Mesa Middle School, Castle Rock; Sports Action – first place, and Sports Reaction – first place – Madeline Malhotra, Golden Images, Chaparral High School, Parker. She was also named Colorado High School Press Association (CHSPA) 2014 Photographer of the Year.

Post reports increase in its digital readership

The Denver Post recently reported that unique visitors to its digital replica edition had increased 39 percent, and that page views had risen by 14 percent through September, compared with the previous six-month period.

The Post also reported a decrease in total circulation of the newspaper over the same time period.

Total daily circulation was 351,240, down 10 percent from the previous reporting period.

Total circulation of the Sunday Denver Post, which includes print and digital readers, was 573,542, down 6 percent. The digital replica edition is provided to all

subscribers under its All Access subscription plan. The edition averages 12 million page views per month, and more than 67,000 monthly unique visitors, according to an analysis filed by the Post with the Alliance for Audited Media.

In social media, The Post’s Twitter followers now number over 1 million. Over the past six months, followers increased 22 percent, while Facebook fans rose 24 percent.

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8 colorado editor

Barring the press, No. 2The House and Senate agriculture com-

mittees blocked a Durango Herald reporter from attending a field trip to a marijuana cultivation warehouse. Although lawmak-ers considered several pot-related bills during the 2014 session, they excluded the public “based on the finding that we weren’t conducting any official business,” Rep. Randy Fischer told the newspaper. The field trip, however, had been noticed on the legislature’s daily agenda as a meet-ing of the two committees. “The public cannot be excluded from a meeting that is noticed as a public meeting,” Zansberg said.

Barring the press, No. 3In November, a reporter for the Col-

legian student newspaper at Colorado State University was kept out of a hearing at which the student government impeached an elected senator. The student govern-ment’s vice president and CSU’s admin-istration claimed that Colorado’s Open Meetings Law doesn’t apply to the Associ-ated Students of Colorado State University. But the student group seems to fit the criteria for being a public body under the law: It was formally constituted by CSU and controls the allocation of more than $2 million of student funds.

Papers seen as ‘electioneering’Larimer County Clerk and Recorder

Angela Myers determined that copies of the Collegian, displaying a front-page photo and story about U.S. Sen. Mark Udall’s campaign visit to the CSU campus, had been placed too close to a ballot drop-off area, in her mind a violation of Colorado’s

electioneering statute. She reversed course upon receiving a cease-and-desist letter from Zansberg as the newspaper’s attorney. Routine news coverage, Zansberg noted, “plainly is not campaigning for or against any candidate or ballot initiative.”

An expensive autopsy reportThe Routt County Coroner’s Office sued

the Steamboat Pilot & Today, seeking to block the release of an autopsy report on the death of 3-year-old Austin Davis. A judge ordered the report’s release and directed the county to reimburse the newspaper $10,287.85 for legal fees. “So this basically ends up being a very expensive lesson,” county Commissioner Steve Ivancie said.

Open teacher labor talksColorado voters in November over-

whelmingly approved Proposition 104, an Independence Institute-sponsored initiative that requires school districts to let the public observe collective bargaining negotiations. Opponents said that open negotiating sessions should be a matter of local control, but those calling for greater transparency noted that personnel costs make up the vast majority of a school dis-trict’s operating budget.

Executive sessions in BoulderThe Boulder City Council held its first-

ever closed-door meeting after voters gave council members limited permission to discuss municipalization-related strategies in secret. Recordings of closed sessions will be kept at least through the end of 2022.

Sheriff Maketa’s apology videoEl Paso County Sheriff Terry Maketa,

accused of having affairs with female subordinates and other misdeeds, made a video on which he apologized to his employees for inappropriate behavior. The

sheriff ’s department initially denied CORA requests for the tape, claiming it had noth-ing to do with sheriff ’s office functions and, therefore, did not fit the definition of a public record. Maketa eventually relented and released the video.

Death penalty recordsThe CFOIC and a consortium of media

organizations successfully persuaded an Arapahoe County judge to unseal transcripts in the case against death-row inmate Sir Mario Owens. Transcripts of proceedings held in open court had been kept secret more than five years after Owens and Robert Ray were sentenced to die for killing Javad Marshall-Fields, a witness in a murder case against them, and Marshall-Fields’ fiancée, Vivian Wolfe. “The public’s right to know what transpires in its courtrooms was vindicated today,” said media attorney Ashley Kissinger.

Reporter’s shieldJana Winter, a reporter for Fox News

in New York, learned that she won’t be compelled to reveal the identity of confi-dential sources who gave her information about the Aurora movie theater gunman’s notebook. Lawyers for defendant James Holmes had appealed a New York court order shielding Winter from testifying. A bill to strengthen Colorado’s press shield, introduced because of Winter’s ordeal, died in a Colorado Senate committee.

Newspaper wins lawsuitThe Herald-Democrat in Leadville suc-

cessfully sued the Lake County Commis-sion for violating the Open Meetings Law by holding an executive session without giving notice. The commissioners made the decision to appeal via email, rather than at a public meeting, raising additional trans-parency questions.

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TransparencyDecember 2014 / January 2015

Looking for CPA members to join committees

Do you have an idea of what the Colorado Press Association should do?

Maybe provide more trainings? Perhaps update the contest? What membership dues? Other ideas?

The CPA is seeking volunteers to join a variety of committees with a goal of doing just that.

“The Board of Directors is dedicated to ensuring the CPA is reflective of what our members want,” said Jerry Raehal, CEO of the Press Association. “We wanted a more structured outline so if people vol-unteer, they know what they are getting involved in, as well as when. The latter is important, as we have very busy people, and if we can get this information on their schedules right away, it won’t be an issue of trying to get the committees going forward.”

The committee outreach is just one example of the CPA staff and board’s outreach, Raehal said. The board recently started a calling tree where are call-ing around the state to talk to newspaper leaders, and the CPA will be sending out a member survey in 2015.

“We know we can’t be all things to all people,” Raehal said. “But we can listen and figure out how to best serve.”

And one way to volunteer to be on a committee. Below is an outline of the committees, what they would do and when it would meet.

If interested, contact Raehal at [email protected] or at 720-274-7171.

Legislative committeeWhat it would do:

Help plan CPA’s future

See COMMITTEE, next page

• To look at current issues newspapers face and help create and propose legislation on news-papers’ behalf

• To look at proposals and legislation coming from other enti-ties to decide the Press Association stance

When it would meet:• During session, would get

consistent updates and schedule meetings as needed (January, Feb-ruary, March)

• Meet the second week in May, August and November

Who would be on it:• CPA CEO• CPA lobbyist• 3 board members as selected

by the board president; board members of this committee would not be on other committees due to the number of times it meets

• 2-4 members of CPA mem-bership either volunteering or selected through outreach by president/CEO

Convention and training committee

What it would do:• To help set the standard and

expectation of the upcoming con-vention including, but not limited to, the focal point of that year’s convention as well as list possible speakers

• Help craft budget

• To help plan future conven-tions and other trainings beyond the convention.

• The committee will look at possible new venues and new ways to approach the convention itself

When it would meet:• Three times a year, second

week of March, May and August • March would be to recap the

previous convention• May would be to focus on

potential changes to the current year convention and look at other training options

• August would be to continue research but also finalize changes for the upcoming convention

Who would be on it:• CPA CEO• 2 board members as selected

by the board president• 2-4 members of CPA mem-

bership either volunteering or selected through outreach by president/CEO

Membership committeeWhat it would do:• To look at current member

benefits and see what is valued. To help create new member benefits to continue value in membership. To help create outreach so mem-bers understand the benefits

• To create a dues structure that can be established and voted on sooner rather than later

When it would it meet:• In 2015, it would meet

monthly until a new membership rate structure has been presented and approved by the board of

directors• The Thursday prior to each

board meeting (during annual convention, meet the Thursday morning of the convention)

Who would be on it:• CPA CEO• Executive Committee• 1-2 former board members• 2-4 members of CPA mem-


• Chaired by board president

Contest CommitteeWhat it would do:• To look at contests structure

and fees, make recommendations and changes

When it would meet:• Three times a year, fourth

week of March, May and August• March would be to recap pre-

vious contest, and start discussions on new ideas

• May would be to continue discussion, present information based on previous meeting, etc

• August would be to finalize changes prior to sending out infor-mation to the membership

Who would be on it:• CPA staff• 2 board members as selected

by the board president• 2-4 members of CPA mem-



To find the registration form — which includes speaker bios and a tentative schedule — go to colora-dopressassocation.com. Or contact us to send you a print version.

You can also resister online. Go to http://goo.gl/forms/AG9g8r0cfn and you can register up to four people at a time.

Get your place to stay

The deadline to reserve a room at the Westin Hotel is also Jan. 29. You get a special rate of $135 a night. After that, the price goes to hotel’s seasonal

standard rate, which can vary up to $80 to $150 more per night.

To reserve rooms at the Westin Hotel, call 1-888-627-8435 and ask for the CPA rates.

Award honorsFiled under the “Damn if you do,

damn if you don’t” file is how to best recognize winners of the annual Better Newspaper Contest.

With more than 1,400 awards to be handed out, some people say if

you announce all the win-ners’ names, it takes too long. Others express concern that, if you don’t announce the win-

ners, people are not appropriately recognized.

We will attempt the former, but we will try a different format to best recognize your work while also being cognizant of your time during the Awards banquet on Saturday night. Wish us luck.

In addition to the Better News-paper contest, there is also the Associated Press CAPER Awards ceremony Friday night slated to start at 5:30 p.m. (please note this is a change from the tentative sched-ule), and the Innovation Awards during lunch on Saturday.

At the Innovation Awards, hon-ors will be handed out for Friend of the First, Service to the First, Innovation Award, Rising Star Award and Newspaper Person of the Year.

Meet our futureWe’ve received several calls and emails, asking about the Job Fair.

It’s scheduled for 3:15-4:45 p.m. Friday, Feb. 20.

Whether you are looking for 2015 interns or prospective

entry-level employees, the CPA’s College Student Internship and Job Fair, sponsored by CU College of Media, Communication and Media, is a great opportunity to meet some of Colorado’s finest young journal-ists from across the state.

Colorado’s four-year college journalism departments and cam-pus newspapers will invite students to participate in our job fair in the Foyer of the Westin Denver Down-town Hotel.

Please let CPA know who will represent your newspaper. Please RSVP no later than Thursday, Jan. 29, to Jerry Raehal at [email protected] or by calling 303-571-5117.

Sponsors step upPutting on the convention is a

time-consuming and expensive task. We could not do it without our sponsors.

Sponsors and hosts include:

Gold level:• Signature Offset Printing

Opening reception host:• TownNews

Innovation lunch host:• CSU Journalism and Media Communication

Job Fair Host:• CU College of Media, Commu-nication

Silver level:• Colorado Mountain News Media

Past President’s Breakfast Host:• Bob Rawlings of the Pueblo Chieftain

Breakfast and Break Host:• Great Outdoors Colorado Bronze level:• Newz Group• Creative Circle• Metro State University• Westin/DIA Hotel• Clean Air Foundation• Lightbox Images Photography

Partner level:• University of Northern Colorado • Athlon

We hope you will take time to stop by and chat with our spon-sors at the event.

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Report: Billionaire explores possibility of resurrecting Rocky Mountain News

wide program from $850 to $1,500, and a 2x4 ad from $1,700 to $2,800. Classified ads are increasing from $250 to $350 per run.

The reason for the change was multi-faceted, Rae-hal said.

“It’s a way to increase revenue for newspapers while at the same time bringing the value in line with the great return on investment print advertising provides,” Raehal said.

Revenue enhancement for newspapers is not just through the increase in purchase points for clients but increasing the percentage newspapers get from partici-pating in the program, he said.

For example, if a newspaper sells a 2x2 statewide ad, the paper will retain $450 (30 percent of the sale), with another 20 percent going into the pool-payback system, which will be distributed among participating papers twice a year.

“This is a great opportunity for newspapers in terms of revenue and serving their clients,” Raehal said. “The vast majority of newspapers don’t come close to mak-ing $450 on a 2x2 ad. In addition, they can also work with their client to say not only can you be in the home-town paper, but in newspapers across the state.”

Previously, newspapers retained 15 percent if they sold a 2x2 or 2x4 ad, and a pool-payback system was not in place.

Even with a price increase, the value of the state-wide programs to clients is still tremendous, Raehal said.

Currently 97 papers participate in the program, and if someone were to purchase a 2x2 ad in those papers, it would cost him or her more than $6,000, not to men-tion the time it would take to contact all the papers.

The changes were also to encourage more newspa-pers to participate in the program. Nearly a third of all CPA members — the only newspapers allowed to participate in the programs — do not take advantage of the program, Raehal said.

“From talking to publishers and ad directors,” he said, “it seems to come down to a couple of issues: one, some wanted the pool-payback reinstated, which we’ve done; two, some papers felt they didn’t get enough in return for selling the ads, which we’ve changed; and three, some have switched to modular formats which don’t fit the 2x2 or 2x4 programs, which we are looking to resolve.”

The goal is for 110-125 newspapers to take part in the program, which would increase the value to clients even more.

In addition to increased revenue for newspapers that sell the CDAN or CoSCAN ads, SYNC2 Media plans to offer quarterly contests for the newspapers sales teams that sell the most.

Another change is also likely coming. SYNC2 is looking at reintroducing regional buys instead of just a statewide option.

“The approach is on what’s best for the client,” Rae-hal said. “If we do that, we will be successful.”

The statewide programs are critical to SYNC2’s fu-ture success, as they provide both revenue for newspa-pers and advertising agency.

“This is an important program,” Raehal said. “It’s a way for us to provide great customer service to clients, as well increase revenue for newspapers.

“More money for newspapers and better service for our clients — we think these are some good steps to take.”

If you have questions, contact Raehal or another SYNC2 representative at 303-571-5117.

from page 1

Money

from previous page

Committee

Ad type Cost If paper sells the ad, it retains

Money that goes into pool-payback system for participat-ing papers

2x2 $1,500 $450 $3002x4 $2,800 $840 $560

Classified $350 $105 $70

DENVER (AP) - Billionaire inves-tor Philip Anschutz is exploring the possibility of resurrecting the Rocky Mountain News after the newspaper in Denver was shuttered five years ago.

The Denver Business Journal was the first to report Tuesday that An-schutz’s Clarity Media Group has posted a prototype newspaper online and is researching the feasibility of

publishing the Rocky once again. E.W. Scripps Co. closed the newspaper in 2009 after nearly 150 years in op-eration, citing losses that reached $16 million the previous year.

Clarity President and CEO Ryan McKibben tells the Denver Business Journal that readers can comment on the prototype, but no decision has been made to republish the Rocky.

10 colorado editor

Submitted photo

Hot coffee and hot news togetherThe monthly North Forty News, founded in 1993, recently launched a new weekly in Wellington and a new monthly in Timnath. The Wellington Weekly and Timnath News newspapers are delivered to all homes in those markets via saturation direct mail. North Forty also recently opened a community coffee shop, Owl Canyon Coffee, that shares office and retail space in downtown Wellington. Residents can now get hot news and hot coffee in the same community-gathering place.

A friend of mine from South Dakota noted that the U.S. Postal Service delivered a lump of coal to

many small towns last Christmas when it proceeded to eliminate overnight mail in most of the nation in 2015. That was a good description. USPS will slow delivery officially by one day for First-Class and Periodicals mail. Many members of Congress have asked it to hold off. But USPS is plowing ahead.

It is time for lawmakers to consider how rural and small town mail is suffering.

The USPS plans to close more than 80 mail processing plants in 2015. Smaller plants will be consolidated into urban plants. It has already closed nearly 150 plants in the past three years and says service was not affected.

That is hard to believe, at least in small towns.

Longer road trips for most mail, traffic delays in urban areas to get sorted mail back to the local post offices, post office clos-ings and shorter business hours have made claims of good service hard to trust. There is also the upheaval while workers lose their jobs or have to be retrained. Now, accord-ing to the nation’s mail agency, cost-cutting means admitting service will be even slower, even in urban areas, by at least a day.

What the public announcements do not say is that when America’s mail sneezes, ru-ral mail gets pneumonia. Cutting a service day is a big sneeze even in the metro areas. But rural and small town mail had already contracted the illness. Many subscribers who receive newspapers by mail have been disappointed by late deliveries. The scat-tered reports we may hear of delayed credit card payments and business invoices would be much louder if consumers felt there was any point in complaining.

Unfortunately for many—seniors without Internet capabilities, lower income residents, rural folks without good Internet service and people who just don’t trust the Internet—the mail is a necessity.

The USPS inspector general last October chastised the agency for not fully analyzing

the impact from its proposed plant closings and the Postal Service said it would do so—but only after its slower service standards go into effect. In other words, it will consider whether it can reach its goals after it has lowered them.

Even before the change, it has been hard to find out how well rural mail is delivered.

The Postal Service provides a public report to its regulator, the Postal Regula-tory Commission, on how well it performs against its service standards. See Periodic Reports at www.prc.gov. USPS gathers in-formation on speed of delivery from several sources, including its own digital scanning. The greatest volume of mail is in urban areas, so national statistics may look ok. But the law doesn’t require USPS to report on how the rural mail is doing. That is some-thing Congress should consider.

For a list of cities where changes in mail processing are scheduled in 2015 go to https://ribbs.usps.gov/index.cfm. Then open “2015 Network Consolidations.”

ohn Edgecombe Jr. is the publisher The Nebraska Signal, Geneva, Neb., and the president of the National Newspaper As-sociation.

Rural mail will suffer with more mail plant closures

JohnEdgecombe

Jr.

NNAPresident


State County Commissioners tackle public notices again

In a recent editorial, The Weekly Register-Call in Central City reported that the Colorado Counties Inc., the association of county commissioners re-cently voted to pursue state legislation to allow coun-ties to post their legal notices on individual county websites instead of in community newspapers.

Similar legislation failed in 2013. “It’s unreasonable to expect the public to keep

track of governmental activities in a decentral-ized state such as Colorado … that must notify the public of planned actions,” the editorial noted. “We want independent publication to help prevent cozy contract deals or simple mistakes by careless bureaucrats. We also know the costs of legal adver-tising. The counties’ proposal could end up costing money as counties examine the personnel and equipment they might need to post and maintain legal notices in a way that satisfies people who read them, professionals who use them in their business, and in many cases, older residents who have long scoured legal notices to be aware of their govern-ment’s plans.”

The editorial also noted that “in 2014, the Colo-rado Press Association won approval of legislation to create www.publicnoticecolorado.com, a free, searchable, digital compilation of public notices published in Colorado newspapers,” providing 24-hour access to statewide notices.


COPY DESK CHIEF/EVENING EDITOR The Steamboat Pilot & Today, an

award-winning digital first, daily news publication, is seeking a copy desk chief/evening editor to help lead a three-person copy desk and work closely with a talented group of journalists to pro-duce two newspapers — one daily and one that publishes four times a week.

The right candidate is a proven leader with strong management and organi-zational skills who also has a talent for page design and is a strong line editor. This person should be adept at manag-ing workflow smoothly and efficiently. This position also requires someone who is skilled at using social media to con-nect with readers.

We’re also looking for a person who thrives under deadline pressure, is an excellent multi-tasker and is a team player who can think critically and who embraces change and new ideas in the ever-changing world of digital and print journalism.

A mastery of AP style, layout and de-sign as well as a high level knowledge of Photoshop, InDesign and CMS sys-tems are required. A college degree is prerequisite, and previous experience at a daily newspaper is preferred. This is a management-level, salaried position with room for advancement.

The Steamboat Pilot & Today is an equal opportunity employer that offers competitive salary and benefits includ-ing health, dental and life insurance,

paid time off and 401(K) with a company match.

Be ready to join a talented team of journalists who work hard and play hard in one of the most beautiful mountain resort communities in the world.

The hiring process will move quickly. Serious candidates should email their cover letter, resume and appropriate clips and references to [email protected]. No phone calls, please.

CIRCULATION MANAGERThe Montrose Press, a Wick Com-

munications newspaper, is seeking an experienced, hands-on Circulation Manager to lead our team and manage all aspects of our growing circulation department.

Exceptional service is a vital compo-nent. Almost 5,000 area homes count on timely, quality delivery of the Montrose Press six mornings a week. You will also ensure delivery of our TMC product and distribution of quarterly magazines.

That means working with our fine crew of independent contractors, handling subscription starts and stops and re-solving delivery issues. It also means building relationships with single-copy dealer outlets and making sure coin-operated machines look appealing and work well.

Sales: Sales is equally important. Residents are subscribing, our products are improving and we don’t wait for a

customer to walk through the door. De-veloping our messages, tailoring them to prospective customers and growing our customer base are all part of the op-portunity. Marketing know-how and fol-low through are a must. The successful candidate must be able to consistently meet and surpass revenue, expense and volume targets.

Management: As circulation manager, you will lead by example, always making sure the job is done to the highest stan-dard. You will inspire and energize your team members with effective coaching and feedback. As part of the leader-ship team at the Montrose Press, you’re charged with making decisions to en-hance the entire company.

Education and experience: The ideal candidate will have earned a college degree, or equivalent work-place experi-ence. You don’t have to have extensive newspaper circulation management ex-perience…though it would be helpful.

This is not an easy job; it’s not an entry-level position and not 8am – 5pm. It is best suited for someone with a track record of success who is very prideful in their work and eager to build a solid team.

The position is salaried; it may require some nights, early morning and week-end time. You will need a personal car with insurance coverage; we’ll reimburse normal business expenses. Competitive compensation is tied to your ambition, experience and capabilities. We offer a

nice package of medical, vacation, bo-nus and other benefits.

If you are not familiar with Montrose, we are on the Western Colorado slope near Telluride. The location does not get any better. Think skiing, hiking, biking, kayaking, art and music.

Please send cover letters, resume and salary history to: Vincent Laboy, Publisher, The Montrose Press, 3684 N. Townsend Ave., Montrose, CO 81401 or [email protected].

PRESIDENT/CEOThe Rocky Mountain Student Media

Corporation (RMSMC), is hiring for a President and Chief Executive Officer Position. RMSMC is an independent non-profit organization, is dedicated to community service and enhancing the educational mission of Colorado State University by empowering, training, and equipping students to excel in journal-istic and other media methods, ethics, critical thinking, and management. Their five student-run media outlets in-clude: College Avenue magazine, CTV television station, KSCU radio station, Rocky Mountain Collegian newspaper, and Collegian Central digital hub.

Full job description, qualifications, and how to apply: http://www.collegian.com/employment-and-volunteer-opportuni-ties/.

Deadline, 8:00 a.m. (MDT), January 30, 2015. The RMSMC is an equal op-portunity employer.

Former Denver Post Editor William Hornby

Former Denver Post Editor William H. Hornby, who worked for the newspaper over four decades, died Nov. 18, 2014, at his southwest Denver home. He was 91.

He was born July 14, 1923, in Kalispell, Montana. Hornby was a graduate of Stanford (B.S. 1943; master’s 1945). He served in the Army Sig-nal Corps in China and other locations in World War II. After the war, he first worked as a profes-sional journalist for the U.S. government as part of the Marshall Plan in Paris, then for Stars and Stripes in San Francisco, as well as doing graduate work at the London School of Economics. He married a fellow Stanford stu-dent, Rosemary Cross, with whom he had two daughters.

Hornby worked for the San Francisco News and Associated Press before moving back to Montana to work for the family lumber busi-ness for a short time before taking a job as press aide to Montana Governor Hugo Aron-sen, then a staff position on the Great Falls, Montana, Tribune. In 1957, he married Helen Schnitzler Sullivan (with whom he had one daughter) and moved to Denver to begin his long tenure at the Denver Post. He worked his way up from copy reader to editorial page writ-er to managing editor, then executive editor and senior editor to vice president. He wrote an op-ed column until his retirement in the mid-90s.

Hornby’s interests included state and Amer-ican history, the development of Denver Inter-national Airport, and Freedom of Information issues – working with Ed Murray to pass FOI

Act legislation. Hornby served as president of the American Society of Newspaper Edi-tors. He also served as chairman of the board of History Colorado 1981-82, while his wife, Barbara Sudler Hornby (whom he married in 1983, and who died in 2006), served as director and president of the Colorado Historical Soci-ety during his tenure as a society trustee and board member.

Projects he supported and helped obtain funding for included the Colorado Heritage Center and the restoration of the Byers-Evans House, both in Denver, as well as facilities for the Georgetown Loop Historic Mining and Railroad Park.

In 2008, he married Suzanne Davis, who survives him, as well as two daughters, four stepdaughters, two stepsons, a sister, three grandsons, three granddaughters, and three-great grandchildren.

Former Denver Post Publisher Donald Hunt

Donald F. Hunt, for-mer publisher of the Denver Post, died Nov. 20, 2014, after a long bat-tle with leukemia. He was 85. Hunt was born Oct. 4, 1929, in Canada. He be-gan his journalism career at age 9, when he began publishing a broadsheet in Sarnia, Ontario.

He was a co-founder of the Toronto Sun in 1971, and also served as publisher of The Houston Post, among other jobs. He came out of retirement at the request of Post owner William Dean Singleton to head that newspaper from 1989-1994, during the rivalry years with the Rocky Mountain News. Singleton commented that: “His tenure was very, very good for the Denver Post. He was an

outstanding publisher and a great leader in the community. He and (former editor) Gil Spen-cer were very seasoned veterans who set the stage for the long-term growth of the paper.”

Hunt is survived by his wife, Helen; five children; 10 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

Reporter Matthew NeslandMatthew Nesland, who worked for vari-

ous publications in Colorado as a reporter and photographer, died Nov. 2, 2014, in Denver. He was born July 31, 1971, in Port Washington, New York. A 1989 graduate of Overland High School, he earned a B.A. in Journalism at Colo-rado State University. During his college years, he worked as a reporter for the Rocky Moun-tain Collegian, CSU’s daily student newspaper, and the Denver Business Journal.

After graduation, Nesland joined the staff of the I-70 Scout. From there, he moved on to become a regional correspondent, reporter and photographer for the Pueblo Chieftain. He also freelanced for the Fence Post in Greeley, the Beacon in Grand Junction, and other news-papers.

He is survived by his parents and a brother, among other family.

Orvilla OtteThe Denver Post reported that Orvilla Otte,

93, mother of former Colorado Press Associa-tion executive director Ed Otte, died Dec. 31, 2014. A memorial reception took place Jan. 9, 2015, in Lakewood. She was originally from Bruno, Minnesota, but had been a resident of Denver since 1951. Otte was preceded in death by her parents, Pearl and Albert Sangren, and a sister, Ella Mae Flick. She is survived by her children, Ed Otte and Sharon Stuart; five grand-children; seven great-great-grandchildren; two nieces; two grandnieces; three grandnephews; and three cousins.

cpa marketplace

obituaries Aspen woman’s case off to Court of Appeals

As reported by the Aspen Daily News, Elesabeth Shook, of Aspen, is taking a case concerning a land-use complaint to the Colorado Court of Appeals.

In March, “an Aspen judge refused to allow (her) to inspect records containing the name of the person” who had made a land-use complaint about construction on her property in 2012.

Judge Gail Nichols of Pitkin County ruled that Shook wanted the person’s identity because she “intended to retaliate against the complainant if she could,” reported the newspaper.

The judge also found that the complaint form with the person’s name “is an investigatory file compiled for a law enforcement purpose, making it exempt from the request Shook filed under the Colorado Open Records Act.

Shook testified during a hearing in June that she wanted to know the identity of the neighbor who complained because she would like to resolve the matter on a friendly basis.

Nichols disagreed, calling her testimony about her desire to identify the complainant “incredible.”

12 colorado editor December 2014 / January 2015

december 2014/january 2015 colorado editor

Documents

ad design

2x2 ad

opinion page

statewide network programs

features editor

camera staff

westin hotel

annual event