Fred Brown, a longtime Denver Post political reporter who was also an indefatigable advocate for media ethics and open government access, has died at age 85.
Brown, who died Wednesday, is remembered as “an institution” at The Post, working at the paper from 1963 to 2002. He covered Colorado politics for decades as a reporter, chief of the paper’s Capitol Bureau, political editor and finally as a columnist.
After his retirement, he went on to leave his mark on the next generation of journalists in his role as a media ethics instructor at the University of Denver. He has also influenced media ethics nationally, with his name appearing on the cover of the .
“He never stopped doing things,” said Jeff Roberts, the executive director of the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition, who confirmed Brown’s death. “We are really sad. He was just a wonderful person.”
Brown was heavily involved in the CFOIC and the , serving on both of their boards of directors. He continued to serve as the secretary of the CFOIC executive committee until he had a stroke last month.
Brown was remembered as a kind, witty gentleman who dressed well and kept spirits high, even when tensions rose in a fast-paced newsroom.
“He didn’t have that cynical edge that a lot of journalists get,” said Roberts, who worked at The Post at the same time as Brown. “He had a great sense of humor.”
Mark Harden, who also worked with Brown at The Post and sat on the local SPJ board with him, said he was a “deeply centered guy” who kept the newsroom grounded and cared greatly about the journalism profession.
“He had a dry wit that was delightful in a stressful situation,” Harden said. “He always seemed like one of those people who would go on forever.”
Harden said Brown was an institution at The Post. He was also known for his haikus and limericks, including some written to summarize ethics.
In 2002, he with this limerick:
Seek truth and report it and think,
Shunning favors, free tickets, and drink.
Please, minimize harm,
And sound the alarm
When someone goes over the brink.
Roberts in 2022 about the 50th anniversary of the state’s 1972 Sunshine Law, which began opening up the workings of government to more transparency.
Brown recalled: “When the first quarterly lobbyist reports were filed, I pored over them at the Secretary of State’s office and wrote down everything that looked interesting — including, in the spirit of transparency, how much the state alcohol lobby spent to keep the refrigerator in the press room stocked with beer.”
He reported that the Colorado Beer Distributors Association had spent about $140 per month to supply the statehouse press corps with free beer.
“That (story) pretty much ended the beer distribution … and also had a chilling effect on the afternoon poker games, and on my warm relationships with my colleagues — at least for a while,” he added.
Roberts pointed to the anecdote as an example of Brown’s dedication to media ethics. Brown’s email address even began with “ethicalFred.”
Brown held several leadership positions in the SPJ organization, including president of the Colorado SPJ chapter and the national organization, along with the chair position of the SPJ national ethics committee.
“When it came to journalism ethics, Fred was true north on the compass,” said Doug Bell, the immediate past president of the local chapter. “He literally wrote the book on it, and he was the first phone call for many of us when faced with a sticky ethical situation.”
Among Brown’s survivors is his wife, Mary, who couldn’t be reached Thursday.
The SPJ and the CFOIC plan to host a celebration of life for Brown at the Denver Press Club, where he’s in , in lieu of a funeral service. Details on the event were still being worked out.
