Spring Break
Journalism sees shift to online media
Jessica Cline
Issue date: 3/26/09 Section: News
Stuck in a tumultuous media industry and following eight newspaper closings since 2007 -- one Denver's Rocky Mountain News last month -- some journalists are skipping print versions entirely to forge online-only models, whose success is yet to be seen.
INDenverTimes, the online brainchild of 35 laid-off Rocky Mountain News employees, will go live May 4 if the effort garners 50,000 pledged subscribers by April 23.
Newspaper revenue streams are hurting due to what many believe is a now-archaic business model which hasn't figured out how to draw in readers while still drawing in money with their online content. INDenverTimes will test the waters in creating a profitable online model.
And while many CSU journalism professors and those working in papers agree that times are rough, they said they are eager to see the potential of online media.
"I'm hopeful that new media enterprises will succeed and flourish. These new media pioneers have a chance to develop revolutionary ways of packaging and delivering news, sports and entertainment," said Larry Steward, president of the Rocky Mountain Student Media Corporation.
After an outpouring of community support on Iwantmyrocky.com for the then-hurting Rocky, whose sale was announced in December, INDenverTimes was born after the newspaper's fall and from an idea for a marketing project by three self-funded entrepreneurs, Kevin Preblud, Brad Gray and Benjamin Ray.
INDenverTimes was launched on March 16 and combined with IWantMyRocky.com on March 19. The proposed full-site launch would give readers access to new multi-media features, such as daily live chats, commentary on stories, e-mail alerts and a customizable homepage.
"We want to create a viable alternative to the newspaper for people to get the news they want," said Steve Foster, future managing editor of INDenverTimes. "Right now the Web site content is what was covered at the Rocky Mountain News; eventually we want to add some humor to it, but the content will really be focused on the Denver metro area."
This site was started and supported by people the previously worked for the Rocky Mountain News. All of the writers are volunteering their time right now and until the Web site is officially launched they are not paid.
"I am excited about the new online newspaper that is being started," said Greg Luft, CSU Journalism and Technical Communications professor and head of the Journalism department.
"I will be interested to see how it develops."
INDenverTimes is not entirely unique.
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Seattle's 146-year-old newspaper and oldest business, printed its last paper March 17 but will maintain its Web site. This move makes the SPI the nation's largest daily newspaper to shift to an entirely digital news product.
Many of these innovative experiments in online journalism stem from a need to survive and combat the economic disparities and challenges of the current industry market.
The Associated Press reported March 20 that the Denver Newspaper Agency, which used to house both the Rocky Mountain News and the Denver Post under a Joint Operating Agreement, will layoff 200 employees across several departments. The cuts will not affect Denver Post newsroom employees.
These 200 employees represent about 17 percent of the DNA's payroll after the recent closing of the Rocky.
Jim Nolan and Gerald Gilly could not be reached by the Collegian for comment but Nolan told the Associated Press that the first 40 employees to be laid off were told last Friday. The agency will have about 850 full-time employees after all the layoffs are done.
Luft said that there has been a lot of talk in the Journalism department about what is going on with all the changes in media.
"There will still be an appetite from the public for news so this will open many new kinds of communication opportunities for students," he said.
"(The Journalism department) really needs to step up what we are doing teaching-wise to keep students up with the changing media and making sure what we offer is relevant for students."
Staff writer Jessica Cline can be reached at news@collegian.com.
INDenver Times
WHAT: An online-only news source created by three Denver entrepreneurs, featuring the work of more than 30 laid-off Rocky Mountain News employees.
SUBSCRIPTIONS: Sold in 3, 6 and 9-month subscriptions at varying costs. The site will go live on May 4 if 50,000 people subscribe by April 23.
Website: The INDenverTimes is accessible at http://indenvertimes.com.
INDenverTimes, the online brainchild of 35 laid-off Rocky Mountain News employees, will go live May 4 if the effort garners 50,000 pledged subscribers by April 23.
Newspaper revenue streams are hurting due to what many believe is a now-archaic business model which hasn't figured out how to draw in readers while still drawing in money with their online content. INDenverTimes will test the waters in creating a profitable online model.
And while many CSU journalism professors and those working in papers agree that times are rough, they said they are eager to see the potential of online media.
"I'm hopeful that new media enterprises will succeed and flourish. These new media pioneers have a chance to develop revolutionary ways of packaging and delivering news, sports and entertainment," said Larry Steward, president of the Rocky Mountain Student Media Corporation.
After an outpouring of community support on Iwantmyrocky.com for the then-hurting Rocky, whose sale was announced in December, INDenverTimes was born after the newspaper's fall and from an idea for a marketing project by three self-funded entrepreneurs, Kevin Preblud, Brad Gray and Benjamin Ray.
INDenverTimes was launched on March 16 and combined with IWantMyRocky.com on March 19. The proposed full-site launch would give readers access to new multi-media features, such as daily live chats, commentary on stories, e-mail alerts and a customizable homepage.
"We want to create a viable alternative to the newspaper for people to get the news they want," said Steve Foster, future managing editor of INDenverTimes. "Right now the Web site content is what was covered at the Rocky Mountain News; eventually we want to add some humor to it, but the content will really be focused on the Denver metro area."
This site was started and supported by people the previously worked for the Rocky Mountain News. All of the writers are volunteering their time right now and until the Web site is officially launched they are not paid.
"I am excited about the new online newspaper that is being started," said Greg Luft, CSU Journalism and Technical Communications professor and head of the Journalism department.
"I will be interested to see how it develops."
INDenverTimes is not entirely unique.
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Seattle's 146-year-old newspaper and oldest business, printed its last paper March 17 but will maintain its Web site. This move makes the SPI the nation's largest daily newspaper to shift to an entirely digital news product.
Many of these innovative experiments in online journalism stem from a need to survive and combat the economic disparities and challenges of the current industry market.
The Associated Press reported March 20 that the Denver Newspaper Agency, which used to house both the Rocky Mountain News and the Denver Post under a Joint Operating Agreement, will layoff 200 employees across several departments. The cuts will not affect Denver Post newsroom employees.
These 200 employees represent about 17 percent of the DNA's payroll after the recent closing of the Rocky.
Jim Nolan and Gerald Gilly could not be reached by the Collegian for comment but Nolan told the Associated Press that the first 40 employees to be laid off were told last Friday. The agency will have about 850 full-time employees after all the layoffs are done.
Luft said that there has been a lot of talk in the Journalism department about what is going on with all the changes in media.
"There will still be an appetite from the public for news so this will open many new kinds of communication opportunities for students," he said.
"(The Journalism department) really needs to step up what we are doing teaching-wise to keep students up with the changing media and making sure what we offer is relevant for students."
Staff writer Jessica Cline can be reached at news@collegian.com.
INDenver Times
WHAT: An online-only news source created by three Denver entrepreneurs, featuring the work of more than 30 laid-off Rocky Mountain News employees.
SUBSCRIPTIONS: Sold in 3, 6 and 9-month subscriptions at varying costs. The site will go live on May 4 if 50,000 people subscribe by April 23.
Website: The INDenverTimes is accessible at http://indenvertimes.com.
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