A Sad Farewell...

It's a bit of a difficult day for Colorado, and for the world of journalism. I have no idea what the longest running newspaper in the nation is, but the Rocky Mountain News was one of the longest. Now this 4-time Pulitzer Prize winning newspaper who was just 55 days shy of its 150th anniversary has died.

It was announced to us all yesterday that today, the 27th of February, 2009, would be the very last and final printing of this longstanding newspaper. It came as a shock to everyone, including the entire journalistic staff. The local news showed the printing live at the end of the 10pm newscast. People all over the state of Colorado have flocked to gas stations, newsstands, and various other places that sell periodicals to obtain this very last issue today. Believe me when I say that it was difficult to find a single copy by the afternoon, unless you knew where to look.

I am among those who have been saddened by this loss. It is due, in part, to the fact I have always wished to be a journalist. I even pulled a short stint in the military as a reporter, somehow managing to have a number of articles published in various Air Force publications. Despite my desire and love for this particular career, I declined to work toward it because I know full well how difficult a business it can be. I want to be able to support my family should the need arise....and journalism is a dying world. Maybe not the world of televised journalism, but I simply do not have the looks to be in front of a camera each day. Besides, even that world is difficult and you can be cut from it in a nanosecond.

The other part of this sadness for me is the fact I have periodically referenced this news source in my adult life. I was able to get my hands on copies of it in a lot of places, including Washington, D.C. That speaks volumes. It was a publication that was revered for its fair reporting, including spectacular sports reports and editorials that could make a sailor blush. Fair, blunt, and not always politically correct. All the things I love. I will no longer be able to refer to this media source when I want to put a particular subject square in the front of those I'm aiming to reach.

I haven't read all of the articles, editorials, memoirs, and eulogies yet, but I've scanned through. It brought tears. Perhaps what is the most clear thought is that it's not just the end of a very long running era, it is the death of one. It's a sentiment repeated multiple times. Interesting.

The Denver Post is taking over the subscriptions, has hired a number of the employees and journalists, and had their own poignant monument:

(Today Denver is at a loss for words. Farewell, Rocky)

Two political cartoons stand loud and clear amid the print. One highlights the thoughts and feelings of the Mile High City, the other echoes the feelings of the Colorado readers:

The edition is full of articles and thoughts over the last 150-years. I am sharing a few that were of more recent history, the ones people may remember most. The Columbine High School shootings.

The worst fire season in Colorado history, which included the largest fire in the state's history: the Hayman Fire. Started by a Forest Service employee and burned thousands of acres, homes included, in an area that was very close to Colorado Springs AND Denver.

And a story that reached across email inboxes throughout the world. That of a Marine who was killed in Iraq, who's coffin was unloaded from the belly of a commercial airliner while passengers stayed on board and watched, and who's wife spent one final night beside her husband's body while it laid in state before the funeral. Though he was from the Reno area, and the funeral took place there, she was from the suburbs of Denver. The photos and written story that became famous were done by a Rocky Mountain News photojournalist.

Perhaps the final page holds the words that are the most true. It's a tough pill to swallow, but it is still remarkable.

So long, Rocky Mountain News. May journalism do you proud and be fair....