| Topics: Civic Communication Boulder Daily Camera In 1990, the Daily Camera convened 32 leaders from five area communities to discuss common problems and identify the most pressing issues. More than 2,000 readers submitted their opinions on the region's problems via a mail-in poll published during deliberations. Teams of community leaders took up the five top issues, with reporters assigned to assist with research. A report focused on possible solutions ran weekly in early 1991. In late 1993, a reporting project called "Rethinking Boulder" looked at several "Project 2000" issues again as the county prepared to develop a long-term strategic plan. During and after publication, the paper convened three town-meeting forums in which participants discussed growth issues. Executive Editor Barrie Hartwman contacted area leaders once more in mid 1994 about coming together to address common problems, but has received little response; he is now planning to launch another reporting project to assess Boulder's own future. A case study by Project on Public Life and the Press
New York University, Department of Journalism, 10 Washington Pl., New York, NY 10003, (212) 998-3793 © Project on Public Life and the Press,1994. The Project is funded by a grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Boulder Daily Camera (newspaper)
P.O. Box 591
Boulder, Colorado 80306
(800) 783-1202, x300 (phone, toll-free, Hartman)
(303) 449-9358 (fax) Ownership:
Knight-Ridder
Newsroom employees: 60 Circulation:
34,000 (daily)
44,000 (Sunday)
primary circulation area (pop.):
Boulder Valley of Boulder County (160,000) Initiative
Project 2000
Rethinking Boulder Dates:
1990-1991 (2000)
9/93-10/93 (Rethinking) Executive in charge:
Barrie Hartman, executive editor When and how did this initiative get started?
In 1990, City Editor Sharon Gilland, Publisher John Datsun and Executive Editor Barrie Hartman decided Boulder County communities should get together to plan for the future; cooperation across political boundaries had been poor in the past. What were the goals of the initiative?
In 1990, to provide a forum for area leaders to get ahead of and work together on common problems. In 1993, to bring members of the public into discussion of those issues, which had gone unresolved. What did the initiative entail?
In 1990, leaders were invited on the basis of community influence and included a county commissioner, a mayor, a planning director, a council member, etc. Sessions were led by a Denver facilitator. Three sessions were devoted to problem identification, then winnowing the list. The panel subsequently broke into five groups, each assigned to one of five issues: local education; reducing air pollution; improving the public schools and the state university; nurturing families and children providing better access to health care; and strengthening the local economy. The groups reconvened to generate solutions, with final reports serving as the basis for the published stories. In 1993, "Rethinking Boulder" was developed as a traditional reporting project. After publication, Hartman wrote and made personal contact with a number of local leaders in the area, asking about what they considered major problems. How many people worked on it?
25 people worked on "Project 2000" over six months. What Did it look like in the newspaper?
"Project 2000" was published weekly over five weeks. Response to the Initiative In the newsroom:
Too time consuming. Reporters not assigned to groups felt left out. In the community:
More than 2,000 readers mailed in response to the "Project 2000" questionnaire. Among political leaders:
Leaders involved enjoyed the "Project 2000" work. Many did not know one another, though they often were working on similar problems. From minimal reaction to outright resistance in 1994 to "Rethinking Boulder." Did any outside group pick up the newspaper's initiative and carry it further?
No. In fact, the failure to resolve many of the issues identified in 1990 prompted the 1993 series. Overall lessons: successes and failures
"We got leaders to talk to each other and maybe prepare people, help them realize that we have problems to deal with," Hartman said of the 1990 effort. "But no one was willing to deal with them." However, given that no one inside or outside the newsroom expressed concerns about the paper taking an active role as a convener, Hartman wants to press further on the issues in the future. Case study written by Lisa Austin, Assistant Director of the Project on Public Life and the Press, September 1993. Lisa is also a member of the CPN Journalism editorial team. Update Managing Editor Barrie Hartman had grown somewhat restive by mid 1994, when community leaders resisted efforts to jointly approach common problems. "It's like beating my head against the wall," he said. However, rather than give up, he has decided to focus efforts on problems specific to Boulder, and to launch a new project that would be, essentially, a community assessment along the lines of those undertaken in St. Paul and Spokane. "Instead of trying to find ways to get officials in outlying communities closer, maybe we should start by understanding the problems with Boulder," he said. "That might be a way to get to the things that are keeping them from working together." In the newsroom, Managing Editor Gary Burns believes the paper should play the role of facilitator, but not initiator, of community projects. He is comfortable with being a catalyst but says any larger role stretches a small paper too far. For a newsroom of about 50 - including all departments - projects need to be carefully selected and should not involve extended involvement with the public, Burns contends. However, Burns says the paper is keeping particularly close watch on Wichita's experiments which, he believes, most effectively helps point the way for journalism to be community-oriented without "crossing the boundary" into community engagement. They will reorder their political coverage along the lines of Wichita. The Camera newsroom is being reconfigured into team reporting, with plans to place less emphasis on institutional coverage and more on citizen interests. Current plans call for three city-side teams: community safety; government and the out-of-doors; people and learning; plus one for business/money coverage.
- RCN, 5/94, LA 6/94 More Information Project on Public Life and the Press
New York University
Department of Journalism
10 Washington Pl.
New York, NY 10003
(212) 998-3793 Back to Communication Index | 
