TEMPLE TALK: Saving the News meeting in Denver shows level of concern among public, reveals new Colorado Public Television in-depth reporting initiative

Thursday, September 17, 2009

About 200 people gathered Wednesday night at the Colorado History Museum in Denver for a meeting put on by Savethenews.org.

The 14 roundtables where citizens could talk about their concerns about what's happening to the media and the future of journalism in Denver seemed to be the most lively aspect of the meeting. They were followed by a general panel and Q&A. (I was one of the five panelists.)

The "news" from the meeting was the announcement from Wick Rowland, president and CEO of Colorado Public Television , KBDI-TV/12, that his station would be creating a web site and television program featuring local "in-depth and investigative reporting."

The service, to be called, Colorado Public News, is being led by Ann Imse, a former reporter at the Rocky Mountain News. Rowland's station is providing 24% of a $2.2 million full-year budget for a staff of 12, according to a flier Imse provided at the meeting. The donation includes air time on the station, a web site, libel insurance, staff for handling underwriting and donations, a media center with offices and administrative services and a 501 (c)(3). An initial donation of $10,000 is financing a prototype web site with a sample package of in-depth stories.

The flier says the group needs $400,000 to get started, $1.7 million for a full year with a full staff.

KDBI has a history of fund-raising, so that might give this initiative a leg up in the competition for dollars to support in-depth reporting in Colorado post the Rocky Mountain News. But raising that kind of money won't be easy.

Among the issues addressed at the meeting were the impact on the community of the loss of the Rocky, the plummeting levels of public trust in the media, how to insure that people and minority groups continue to have a voice, how to support investigative journalism, what alternatives there might be to mainstream media, diversity, "corporate media" as a problem and the possibility of more funding for a "public option" for news. Organizers promised a follow-up session in January.

The session was put on by Free Press and I want my Rocky.