DENVER—A sampling of reaction to the closure of the Rocky Mountain News:
“As much in public life you may disagree with editors, you may get taken to task by editors, I really do believe that the First Amendment and the free exercise of the press is at the heart of what makes us strong. … For me, it’s a very, very sad day.”—Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter.
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“Colorado grew up with the Rocky; our history has been written on the pages of this great paper. … I have enjoyed my relationship with many of the Rocky’s editorial writers and reporters.”—Sen. Mark Udall, D-Colo.
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“I have read the Rocky Mountain News for decades and will sorely miss it. My heart is with the Rocky and its employees.”—Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar.
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“We have lost an important voice in our community. We appreciate that these are difficult economic times for many; today our hearts go out to the talented, hardworking reporters, staff and management of the Rocky Mountain News.”—Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper.
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“As more Coloradans choose to get their news online, we must ensure that the news they get continues to meet the standards set by the Rocky Mountain News. … The Rocky’s closure is more than the loss of a single newspaper, it’s just one example of a failing model for the news industry.”—Jenny Rose Flanagan, executive director, Colorado Common Cause.
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“It’s really the readers who have been overlooked in this. I feel bad about that. There’s so, so many stories that are not going to be told.”—Rocky Mountain News reporter Jerd Smith.
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“The Rocky Mountain News has chronicled the storied, and at times tumultuous, history of Colorado for nearly 150 years. … I am grateful for their hard work and dedication to not only their profession, but the people of Colorado as well.”—Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo.
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“I’m sure a lot of people older than me will be really upset.”—Nigel Perrymond, software salesman, 32, Denver.
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“The closing of the Rocky Mountain News is sad for those of us who knew and respected journalists like Lynn Bartels, M.E. Sprengelmeyer and Mike Littwin. They were the soul of a newspaper that covered people and politics for the West without succumbing to Washington-think.”—Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass.
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“It’s a terrible tragedy for the paper and everybody involved. It’s a very sad day for Denver as well.”—Rick Boehne, president and chief executive officer of The E.W. Scripps Co.
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“People are in the grief and they’re very, very upset trying to process all the emotions that go with it and trying to recognize that we will be putting out our final edition tomorrow.”—John Temple, editor, publisher and president of the Rocky Mountain News.
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“This is not a day that anybody ever wanted to see. We had hoped to preserve two very good newspaper for a very long time.”—William Dean Singleton, president and publisher of The Denver Post, chief executive officer of ap Inc. and chairman of the board of The Associated Press.
