The following resolution was brought to the Executive Committee at their meeting on June 11

Denver Inter-Neighborhood Cooperation, Inc.

Draft Resolution Supporting Journalists and Newspaper Workers
at The Denver Post

WHEREAS

The mission of Denver Inter-Neighborhood Cooperation, Inc. (INC) is to advocate for Denver citizens by bringing together, informing and empowering Denver neighborhood organizations to actively engage in addressing city issues; and

Denver INC represents more than 80 Registered Neighborhood Organizations in the City and County of Denver, which in turn represent more than 200,000 Denver residents; and

Denver is a vibrant, growing, major metropolitan area with a population of 3.1 million people, and every city needs a great daily paper to publicize and support local businesses and organizations, as well as inform the city’s and state’s readers of daily news and events that shape their lives and well-being; and

All forms of journalism and sources of public information, including print, online, and broadcast media, are critical to keeping citizens informed on a daily basis; and

Local journalists who have roots in, understand, and are responsible to the local community are critical to the daily reporting of news about local government, politics, economy, business, sports, health, and entertainment, as well as in-depth stories about important current trends and uncensored commentary; and

Daily news gathering and reporting by local journalists at The Denver Post has been severely weakened by recurring job cuts undertaken by its owner Alden Global Capital and its subsidiary Digital First Media, thus having incalculable adverse impacts on Denver residents by depriving them of coverage of important daily news and events; and

Alden Global Capital and Digital First Media made an estimated $28 million last year from The Denver Post, but have nevertheless continued to decimate the paper’s news coverage capability.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that

Denver INC affirms its support for local journalists at The Denver Post and the critical work that they do in gathering and disseminating news for local and state residents to be informed in a timely manner about matters of local importance.

Denver INC urges Alden Global Capital and Digital First Media to (1) reinvest profits to support the long-term future of The Denver Post and daily news-gathering functions in the Denver metropolitan area as well as the state; and (2) immediately double or triple the number of local journalists at The Denver Post to ensure that all local news stories are covered and reported daily.

If Alden Global Capital and Digital First Media refuse to invest in the future of The Denver Post in a timely, productive, and sustainable manner, then Denver INC encourages the sale of the paper to an owner who understands the importance of a free press, who will support objective news-gathering functions and reporting that serve the needs of Denver and Colorado residents, and who will make a long-term commitment to daily publication of The Denver Post.