Fate of Rocky Mountain News to be announced

I have the highest opinion of their sports staff, but everyone there not named Tracy Ringolsby is going to have a hell of a time finding a job in this day and age.

Awful fucking news.

 

Among the tweet's (?) from the RMN_Newsroom:

Rocky Mountain News name and web site are for sale - Boehne.

Reporters are grilling company officials the same as they grill government officials. Very professional.

Tears filling many eyes. A lot of frustration from people who have poured their lives into this organization.

Reporter points out that Dean Singleton, owner of the Post, is in worse financial shape than Scripps. Boehne responds ask Singleton.

Reporter Laura Frank jokes she almost slid off a mountain on Tuesday to get a story for the Rocky's Saturday edition. "One more day?"

Boehne: "We are deeply sorry." Reporter says in background, "Pay my mortgage."

Temple: "We have one last shot to produce a great newspaper. Let's show people what we can do." Like playing music at your own funeral.

 

I think this is just the beginning for cities that still have two papers.

I'm guessing Tampa is on the clock.

 

There's nothing I can say, except sorry.

 

This is horrible news. But this and the P-I situation reflect that in most any city, supporting two papers is a pipe dream. The even-worse sign will be when a major in a one-paper town shuts down. And again, a case of a paper not trying to transition to the Web. Not that there's any money there, either. Cos we just hafta get everything for friggin' free, don't we? Well, that keeps on having a body count.

 

Also, wanted to add that I can see this happening a bunch in two-paper markets, with the smaller/less profitable papers of the two shutting down. Very, very sad.

 

I'm thinking Detroit is on the clock. Again. Especially if loss of Freep home delivery doesn't net the News more money.

 

Maybe that's what's going to happen over the next few years. The websites and newspapers have oversaturated the market. When papers start closing maybe it will eventually hit a point where the last ones standing are profitable. Of course most of us will be out of jobs by then.

 

Terrible, terrible, heartbreaking news.

 

If this happened five years ago, most of their staff would have been hired before they could cash their first unemployment check.

I wonder what they got for severance.

 

As a former reporter at a paper that Scripps shut down (albeit with a bit more notice than one day), I feel like vomiting and crying at the same time. Only one person from our staff has gotten another sports writing job since we died. The rest of us are freelancing or have moved on to other careers. Condolences to all.

 

My guess is that as soon as the smoke clears from this one, The Post will pull out the hatchet since they no longer have to compete with anyone.

This just sickens me on so many different levels.