[BoulderCouncilHotline] Resolution regarding the editorial independence of the Daily Camera

[Brockett, Aaron]

Dear Hotline followers,


I am planning on offering the following resolution in support of editorial independence of the Daily Camera for consideration by the City Council at our May 1st meeting under Matters from City Council. I'm happy to take any feedback on its contents ahead of or at the meeting.


"The Boulder City Council, recognizing the importance of a free and fair press, calls for full editorial and journalistic independence for the Daily Camera. We feel compelled to take this public position in light of last week’s firing of Editorial Page Editor Dave Krieger, following his self-publication of an opinion piece calling out the effect of deep, profit-driven staff cuts on the viability of the newspaper as a functioning institution. No notice of the firing has previously appeared in the paper, despite it being widely reported throughout the region and the nation. Opinion pieces and letters to the editor regarding the firing have reportedly been denied publication. This is alarming because there should be a wall between the business and journalism functions of a paper.

The Daily Camera has a 128-year history of faithfully reporting on the events in our area, and the role of the free press is particularly important at this moment in our nation’s history. We take this position not in spite of the frequent criticisms of the council offered by the editorial page, but precisely because of those criticisms. It is crucial that our local paper be free to offer fair criticism of any institution, whether that be a local government or the paper’s corporate owners. Therefore, we call on the Daily Camera's owners Digital First Media and its parent company Alden Capital to allow the paper full editorial independence and the ability to cover any newsworthy event as the staff sees fit."

Best,

Aaron Brockett

Mayor Pro Tem, City of Boulder

brocketta at bouldercolorado.gov

(720) 984-1863
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