Denver, CO., October 9, 2011-
The Denver Post building located at 101 West Colfax, glimmers in the morning sun.
Helen H. Richardson, The Denver Post
So the Denver Post is for sale. What else is new?
When Thunderdome, the ill-fated (and goofily-titled) national wire service concept of Digital First Media, was dismantled this spring, a sale seemed likely.
The for-sale sign went up today.
I have no inside information on the sale, no idea what will happen or when. But I hope a local buyer emerges, someone with deep pockets who cares about journalism and the importance of the media’s gatekeeper role in local government and politics. We need our own
Ken Doctor, veteran analyst of the media industry whose books, website and lectures are respected in the field, has made predictions via his site and on Twitter, “The DFM Sale: Among early sales, Anschutz in Denver/Boulder. How purple is Colorado?” His Tweets say he expects regional sales “in 6 lots: LA, Bay Area, No.Cal, Colorado, Tex/NM, and E of the Mississippi. Sales close by March targeted.” He also notes the DFM Sale, “with 76 dailies; 160 weeklies, means more than 5% of U.S. press up for sale in one fell swoop.”
Who cares what the buyer’s politics are if they have the right approach to hands-off journalism? It all puts me in mind of the Tina Turner lyric from Mad Max, “we don’t need another hero.” Oh yes, we do. All we want is life beyond the thunderdome.
