Temple: A newspaper for the 21st century

Published January 23, 2007 at midnight

Text size  

• 0 Comments
• Email
• Print

In 1859, the first edition of the Rocky Mountain News came off a hand press. Today, nearly 150 years later, we published a weekday edition of the Rocky for the first time on new presses that can print 80,000 copies an hour.

In the beginning, readers could see us only in black and white.

Today, we can print color that rivals magazines. And we can help readers keep up with the news and even share their opinions no matter where they are or what time of day.

Today, we can produce video documentaries to make even historic subjects come alive, the way Tim Skillern did with our 33-part series, "The Crossing."

Too often people talk about newspapers becoming somehow less than what they once were. Nothing could be further from the truth.

If you don't believe me, go back and look at old newspapers.

The new Rocky you're holding in your hands is an example of how we've been able to evolve - and improve. It's the paper that I've dreamed of publishing.

Today, newspapers are multi-platform information providers, freed from the constraints of newsprint but even freer to use newsprint to its best advantage because of the quality of tools we have in our hands.

That is what we tried to do with the new Rocky.

It starts with the Page 1 flag, perhaps the first thing you noticed that is different about today's paper. We're building on our history to better reflect this newspaper's vital role and character. Life in Colorado is changing rapidly, and the new Rocky is designed to fit even better into our busy lifestyles.

The second thing you might have noticed is the new size. The new Rocky is smaller. It was 14.75 inches deep and 12 inches wide. It's now 13.4 inches deep and 10.5 inches wide.

Readers have always preferred our tabloid format. Now it's even more convenient. The size is a result of the move onto new presses, which will result in economic savings and in higher quality for readers and advertisers.

There will be no less news in the weekday Rocky. We will have exactly the same number of column inches that we had in the old.

Other key changes:

• RockyTalk is now on an easy-to-find spot right inside the back page. The new Rocky is conceived more like a magazine. Magazines put their star columnists in the same place each week, inside the back page. Think of Rick Reilly in Sports Illustrated or George Will in Newsweek. My friend Gene Amole always told me that he put a reward at the end of every column. RockyTalk will be the reward at the back of the main news section. That location, directly behind our Editorial and Opinion section, also will allow us to test the benefits of having all commentary in one place, separate from the news. Of course, our star writers will still be up front when they have a special story to tell.

• Penny Parker's "On the Town" column will appear directly after the first full-page spreads of local news, giving readers a light break in their journey through the news.

• People news and overnight reviews will be anchored at the end of the World & Nation section, right before Editorial and Opinion.

• Dear Abby is now on the Break Time page to allow us to give Dusty Saunders and TV more space.

• Stories don't "jump." To make the paper quicker and easier to read, stories will continue on the next page.

• Our spotlight section is designed to be even more enjoyable and lively, something to look forward to. It looks different from the rest of the paper, more informal, which explains the lowercase S.

• We've added a new font to make sports agate and listings more readable.

• Finally, we've expanded the Web components of many print features, such as Weather and letters to the editor. I hope you'll go online to check them out.

We entered into this redesign hoping to build on the qualities that make the Rocky Colorado's most popular daily newspaper, to make it an even more unique and trusted source at a time when people have many more choices for what to do with their time.

I believe a newspaper can bring special understanding to a community. I believe a newspaper has to have a heart.

I believe a newspaper is uniquely positioned to meet the innate desire of human beings for stories that give meaning to their lives, the way "The Crossing" by Kevin Vaughan and Chris Schneider does.

I believe newspapers can be something people look forward to every day. The voice of a friend that touches them.

I also believe that this new world allows a newspaper to be a place filled with many more voices than you once found on our pages. Your voices.

I hope all of that is obvious from the paper you're holding in your hands.

If you have any questions, or would like to let us know what you think, please call 303-954-5999. As they say, we have people standing by.

Or if you'd prefer, please e-mail us at feedback@RockyMountain news.com.

This is your Rocky. We've worked hard to make you value it even more.

I hope you feel we've done our job. But it's not over. If anything, it's only just begun.

Featured

• Through Your Lens

  

  Submit your photos or see the Editor's Choice slide show here.

• Rocky Multimedia

  

  The news comes alive in our videos and slide shows. Catch up on what's happening today.

• Holiday Lights

  

  Is your house the jolliest on the block? Submit your holiday lights display.

• Holiday Gift Guide

  

  Looking to get a jump-start on the holiday shopping season?

• Mount Crushmore

  

  Which four Broncos greats should be immortalized on Mount Crushmore? Vote here.

• Bronco Dean's rant

  

  Listen to Bronco Dean's midweek rant on the Chiefs.

• Broncos Video

  

  Get the latest from Dove Valley as the Broncos prepare for Sunday's matchup.

• Calendar wallpaper

  

  Download this month's desktop wallpaper calendar

• Sam Adams' Open Mic

  

  Open Mic: Stirrin' the Soup with Matt Iseman