Former Rocky journalists announce new venture
A group of former Rocky Mountain News journalists announced Thursday the creation of the Rocky Mountain Independent, an online news magazine they plan to launch this summer.
Ten to 12 staff members investing their own money will own and operate the venture, according to news reports. Advertising and memberships also will be sold to back the publication of original content, supplemented by material from paid freelance writers and partner bloggers, who would share revenue.
INDenverTimes supports the founding of the Independent. Several journalists associated with the new publication were part of INDT before departing in late April.
“While our site continues to add new voices to the local conversation about news, sports and business, we certainly welcome another concept dedicated to professional journalism,” said Kevin Preblud, lead partner of the business group that founded INDT in March. “Quality content has great value to readers and advertisers.”
The Denver Post said Tuesday it plans to charge readers for some of its online content and deliver some services in bundles.
“We cannot continue to give all of our content away for free,” Dean Singleton, CEO of the Post’s parent, MediaNews, said in a May 8 memo to employees. Current practice “devalues the core of our business — the great local journalism.”
Paid content is a hot topic in discussing the future of newspapers, but the prospects for charging to read news online are debatable. More than 84 percent answered they would not pay to access news online in a poll question on the Post’s Web site after its announcement.
You know, people are pretty limited in thinking ahead. I view poll results with a real knowledge that the questions get what they ask for. If people really know options and ideas surrounding an issue the results are totally different. That is where experience and leadership need to plow the ship into deep water. If you can provide asnwers to questions and have a real understanding of the problems and options for solutions, is it not the winner that leads the way through choppy waters?
Well, I for one will certainly want to sign up when the new Independent starts. I hope INDT plans continue as well?
Is there a place I can go to inquire about the content of the new venture? In particular, I wonder if they are going to have the weekly grocery ads & maybe some form of the weekly coupons. The grocery ads, at least, already exist in an online format – it’s just a pain to have to go to the site of every different store I might visit.
A food section would be great, too. I don’t suppose they could get Marty Meitus to chip in? I really miss her recipes.
For the love of the Rockies.
Do not call it an ‘Online Magazine’
This is like the Wall Street Journal calling their blogs ‘Real Time Columns’
Get over it, if you’re not printing, it’s a blog. Running away from this will cut any hopes of making this work.