The Denver Post
In August 1892, The Evening Post emerged from a $50,000 fund raised by supporters of Grover Cleveland. These backers sought to stem the flow of Colorado Democrats leaving their party and publicize political ideals during a turbulent era. The paper operated as a Democratic voice in a state increasingly divided over silver policy. President Cleveland had been nominated for his reputation for honest government, yet he opposed government purchase of silver. This stance made him unpopular locally when silver prices collapsed in 1893. Following that bust, the country and Colorado entered a depression. The Evening Post suspended publication in August 1893 due to financial strain.
A new group of owners with similar political ambitions raised $100,000 to resurrect the paper in June 1894. On the 28th of October 1895, Harry Heye Tammen and Frederick Gilmer Bonfils purchased the Evening Post for just $12,500. Neither man had newspaper experience, but they excelled at promotion and understanding reader desires. They introduced sensationalism, editorialism, and what critics called flamboyant circus journalism. Circulation grew rapidly until it surpassed all three other daily papers combined. On the 3rd of November 1895, the name changed to Denver Evening Post. By the 1st of January 1901, the word Evening was dropped entirely, creating The Denver Post.
The Post became the flagship newspaper of MediaNews Group Inc., founded in 1983 by William Dean Singleton and Richard Scudder. On the 1st of December 1987, MediaNews acquired The Denver Post from Times Mirror Company. At that time, MediaNews operated over 60 daily newspapers and more than 160 non-daily publications across 13 states. The paper later entered a joint operating agreement with E.W. Scripps, parent company of the now defunct Rocky Mountain News. This partnership created the Denver Newspaper Agency in January 2001.
Since 2010, The Denver Post has been owned by hedge fund Alden Global Capital, which purchased its bankrupt parent company, MediaNews Group. In April 2018, a group called Together for Colorado Springs raised money to buy the Post from Alden Global Capital. They stated: "Denver deserves a newspaper owner who supports its newsroom." The operation under Digital First Media came under extensive criticism from workers both inside and outside the organization. Margaret Sullivan of The Washington Post described Alden Global Capital as one of the most ruthless corporate strip-miners seemingly intent on destroying local journalism.
MediaNews and E.W. Scripps entered into a joint operating agreement creating the Denver Newspaper Agency in January 2001. Under this arrangement, the newsrooms published separate morning editions Monday through Friday. The Post retained a broadsheet format while the News used tabloid format. Both papers produced a joint broadsheet on Saturday, made by the News staff, and another on Sunday, produced by the Post staff. Editorial pages appeared in both weekend publications.
The JOA ended on the 27th of February 2009, when the Rocky Mountain News published its final issue. The following day, the Post released its first Saturday issue since 2001. Before 2009, the joint-operating agreement boasted a 600-strong staff of journalists. This number represented the combined workforce before the bankruptcy of the Rocky Mountain News that same year. The partnership had allowed two rival newspapers to share business operations while maintaining distinct editorial voices until the end.
In 2013, just before legalization in Colorado, The Denver Post initiated an online media brand to cover cannabis-related issues. First led by Editor in Chief Ricardo Baca, the online publication surged in popularity. It beat industry veteran High Times in September 2016. By 2016, the website received roughly six million monthly unique visitors generating more than 13 million page views according to comScore.
Declining advertising revenue led to newsroom reductions in 2006 and 2007 through layoffs, early-retirement packages, voluntary-separation buyouts and attrition. The most recent round of announced buyouts occurred in June 2016. Thirty layoffs were announced for The Post in March 2018 according to the Denver Business Journal. Under Digital Media First, the number of journalists was reduced by almost two-thirds by April 2018 to around 70 people. This represents a drastic fall from over 250 journalists employed before 2010 when Alden Global Capital purchased the paper.
In February 2014, The Denver Post began publishing a section entitled Energy and Environment funded by Coloradans for Responsible Energy Development. Stories in this section were written by outsiders rather than DP reporters. A banner across the top read: "This Section is Sponsored by CRED." Critics expressed concern that the section risked confusing readers about the distinction between advertising and reporting.
In January 2020, Jon Caldara, a Libertarian activist and weekly columnist, was fired after publishing two conservative articles on sex and gender. Caldara criticized the Colorado legislature for avoiding a legally required referendum by repackaging it as a fee. He also complained that schools were not doing enough to make parents aware of their children's sex-ed curriculum content. While Caldara believed his insistence on only two sexes was the last straw, he emphasized the reason for firing was over differences in style. He was officially dismissed for failing to use respectful language and lacking a collaborative professional manner.
The Denver Post has won nine Pulitzer Prizes throughout its history. In 1964, Paul Conrad received the prize for Editorial Cartooning. Pat Oliphant won the same category in 1967. Anthony Suau earned Feature Photography honors in 1984. The paper received Public Service recognition in 1986 for a series on missing children. Breaking News Reporting went to the Post in 2000 for coverage of the Columbine High School massacre.
Craig F. Walker won Feature Photography twice, first in 2010 and again in 2012. Mike Keefe took home Editorial Cartooning awards in 2011. The most recent Breaking News Reporting prize came in 2013 for coverage of the 2012 Aurora Colorado shooting. These accolades reflect decades of reporting excellence despite financial pressures and ownership changes that have challenged the newsroom's ability to maintain quality coverage of the fast-growing Denver region.
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Common questions
When was The Denver Post founded and what was its original name?
The Evening Post emerged in August 1892 from a $50,000 fund raised by supporters of Grover Cleveland. On the 3rd of November 1895, the publication changed its name to Denver Evening Post before dropping the word Evening entirely on the 1st of January 1901 to become The Denver Post.
Who purchased The Denver Post in October 1895 and how did they change it?
Harry Heye Tammen and Frederick Gilmer Bonfils purchased the Evening Post for just $12,500 on the 28th of October 1895. They introduced sensationalism, editorialism, and flamboyant circus journalism which caused circulation to grow rapidly until it surpassed all three other daily papers combined.
What happened to The Denver Post after Alden Global Capital acquired MediaNews Group in 2010?
Alden Global Capital purchased the bankrupt parent company MediaNews Group in 2010 and later reduced the number of journalists by almost two-thirds by April 2018 to around 70 people. This drastic fall occurred from over 250 journalists employed before 2010 when the hedge fund bought the paper.
When did The Denver Post win its most recent Pulitzer Prize and what was it for?
The most recent Breaking News Reporting prize came in 2013 for coverage of the 2012 Aurora Colorado shooting. The paper has won nine Pulitzer Prizes throughout its history including awards for Editorial Cartooning, Feature Photography, Public Service, and Breaking News Reporting.
Why did Jon Caldara get fired from The Denver Post in January 2020?
Jon Caldara was officially dismissed on the 27th of February 2009 for failing to use respectful language and lacking a collaborative professional manner. He had published two conservative articles on sex and gender which criticized the Colorado legislature and schools regarding sex-ed curriculum content.