For 61 years, we’ve been Colorado’s chatroom.
Long before the Internet, people in the Rocky Mountain West turned to The Denver Post’s editorial pages for a sense of community.
Here they could find a strong voice on issues that mattered to them, along with insightful commentary and well-crafted opinions.
Through your letters to the editor and guest commentaries, a town hall of sorts was created, where ideas could be debated and sometimes even settled.
When Palmer Hoyt took the helm of The Denver Post in 1946 and re-created its editorial pages, he likely never dreamed that someday they could be beamed around the world in mere seconds. Or that our commentary could be supplemented with video. Or that we could engage our readers throughout the day on the Internet as they offer instant feedback on the day’s opinions.
But that’s exactly where we stand at the dawn of the 21st century. These should be exciting days for journalists and our readers.
As the new editor of the editorial page, I hope that you will continue to welcome us into your homes each day, whether in print or online. We won’t always see eye to eye on the issues, and that’s fine. But we do hope you will find us relevant to your lives, maybe even thoughtful and provocative.
“This page will present the divergent views of nationally known columnists and public figures, and of its readers,” read the lead editorial from the May 19, 1946, Denver Post. “… In this column you will find the views of The Post. Those views will not be found elsewhere … .”
Much like the pages that Hoyt envisioned, we want to give you a good mix of the best of today’s opinion leaders, whether it’s Cal Thomas or Maureen Dowd, Ed Quillen or Bob Ewegen. We hope to offer you a different perspective on local and state events, and maybe even challenge your view on an issue.
We’ll offer possible solutions to community problems, when appropriate, rather than just point fingers or wring our hands. (Of course, there will be a time to point fingers, too.)
And as we move further into this digital age, we’ll try new things, opening new portals on the Internet that give you more access to the newsmakers who shape our state, region and country.
Take a look at by Christine Tatum, a Denver Post features editor. As president of the Society of Professional Journalists, she recently went to Washington, D.C., to interview national lawmakers about strengthening our access to information. Rather than just packing the traditional reporter’s notebook to scrawl interview notes, she flipped on a small, handheld video camera. to watch a short video of Tatum’s trip.
(I also took a turn in front of the camera for this column. You can see it above.)
The Post’s editorial pages are a community sounding board for the stories of our times, whether it’s the war in Iraq, a new energy policy or the state budget. To make it work, we need to keep hearing from you. For details on sending a letter to the editor or how to reach us, see the bottom of .
Don’t hesitate to drop us a line, or to visit us online, as we make this voyage.
Dan Haley (dhaley@denverpost. com) is editor of The Post’s editorial page.
