Lawmaker happy with Rocky Mountain News demise

Many Denver politicians had mourned the loss of the Rocky Mountain News, which ceased publishing last week. Not freshman Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.). He sees the benefits in the venerable newspaper’s death.

“I have to say, that when we say, ‘Who killed the Rocky Mountain News,’ we’re all part of it, for better or worse, and I argue it’s mostly for the better,” Polis told those gathered at a meeting of local liberal bloggers, according to the Denver Post. “The media is dead, and long live the new media, which is all of us.”

Polis was referring to a website, WhoKilledTheRocky.com, on which message boards have sprung up debating who is responsible for the paper’s demise. Reason #438 states that “Jared Polis Killed Rocky.”

“It’s important for all of us to reach out to some of those . . . on the other side and present the progressive point of view,” Polis added about the responsibility of bloggers.

Polis represents Colorado’s 2nd congressional district, which includes the northern suburbs of Denver, an area which the Rocky Mountain News served in its nearly 150 years in existence.

We have lost an important voice in our community,” said Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper (D), upon the death of the paper.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, a former Colorado lawmaker, said he will “sorely miss” the paper, while former Gov. Bill Ritter (R) lamented the loss of a “Colorado icon,” and called it a “very, very sad day.”

Polis hedged against his earlier comments when followed up with by the Denver Post — now the only newspaper serving the metro area.

“It’s not just 200 jobs that have been lost; it’s also the silencing of a voice,” he said. “The rise of new media and citizen journalism has hastened the demise of many newspapers, and we, unfortunately, all share in the blame.”

(h/t Jeffrey Goldberg)