DENVER—On the day his newspaper published its final edition, Rocky Mountain News Editor John Temple advised a gathering of Colorado journalists to focus on local news and suggested creating online content that niche audiences might pay for.
“It’s not realistic to think in this day and age that people are going to have one information source and you’re going to be it. You try, you die,” Temple told the Colorado Press Association convention on Friday.
“If you’re not experimenting, then I think you’re in trouble,” said Temple, who also held the titles of publisher and president.
The E.W. Scripps Co., which owns the News, announced Thursday that the Friday edition would be the newspaper’s last after nearly 150 years in business.
Temple said that going forward, newspapers across the state should swap stories with each other, as the News did with newspapers around the state, and focus efforts on what brings the most value.
“It’s got to be local, because I can’t compete with CNN.com, I can’t compete with The New York Times,” Temple said.
He said all newspapers need to hire people “willing to make the digital leap” and likened what happens in the newsroom to music or jazz.
“You either can play or you can’t. You might be good, but I want to play and create something that’s much larger than what individuals can do alone,” he said. “Look for people you can play with, who can improvise.”
Temple said despite the tough times, the news still matters to people.
“I’m not pessimistic about the future of journalism at all,” he said.
