The Denver Post

 

Publication analysis


About the publication

Title: The Denver Post or Denver Post 

ISSN: 1930-2193 (Print).1

Website: https://www.denverpost.com/

Purpose, objective, or mission: “To be Colorado’s most trusted source for information that educates, entertains and inspires our readers for the betterment of our community.”2

Target audience: Past or present residents of the Denver metropolitan area, residents of Colorado outside of the Denver metropolitan area, and those interested in news regarding Colorado’s capital city. 

Publisher: MediaNews Group, Inc.3

Peer reviewed? Articles written by Denver Post staff may be reviewed by a source for the purpose of accuracy. For example, “. . . an engineer might be sought to review a technically descriptive passage in an environmental story that details how sewer piping allows toxic chemicals to flow into public waters.”4 It is unlikely that pieces submitted for publication by outside authors will be peer reviewed, however. 

Type: Civilian. 

Medium: Print and online. 

Content: Categories for articles include news (local, statewide, national, and global), sports, business, entertainment, lifestyle, opinion, and politics as well as a classifieds section.5

Frequency of publication: Daily print publication and an online version that is updated daily.6

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: https://www.denverpost.com/contact-us/

Types of contributions accepted: Letters to the editor, guest commentaries, and news tips. 

Submission and review process: Letters to the editor can be submitted using the form on The Denver Post’s website (https://www.denverpost.com/submit-letter/) or by emailing the letter to openforum [at] denverpost.com. Letters can be up to 250 words and must have the following: full name, home address, and day and evening phone numbers. The Denver Post may edit submitted pieces for length, grammar and accuracy. “If we choose your letter for publication, we will call you to verify authorship.”7

Guest commentaries must be 650 words or less and sent to columns [at] denverpost.com, along with a photo of the author and a short bio. “We favor columns on public policy, social issues, and current news, and give preference to local and regional writers and issues.”8

News tips can be sent to newsroom [at] denverpost.com or by using the form (https://www.denverpost.com/news-tips/)

Editorial tone: There are no guidelines listed. An examination of the current articles shows clear and concise news stories. Editorial pieces reflect a more informal tone. 

Style guide used: A specific style guide is not mentioned. 

Conclusion: Evaluation of the publication’s potential for LIS authors

The Denver Post provides a good opportunity for authors to bring information about libraries and/or library issues to readers within the Denver metropolitan area and across Colorado. Articles pertaining to libraries can be tagged and will populate on the Libraries page, which includes articles such as “Colorado libraries offer free passes, backpacks to Colorado state parks” and “Guest commentary: Newly released e-books could become scarce at Denver libraries with publisher embargoes.” Authors interested in reviewing books will find that the Books page will work well for their pieces.

Audience analysis


About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: No information could be gathered regarding the circulation numbers for the print publication. However, The Denver Post website reaches close to 6 million visitors per month.9

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: Denver is the capital city of Colorado, with an estimated population of 727,211. The population is primarily White (53.7%)  and Latinx (30.3%).10. 26.5% of individuals speak a language other than English.11 

Reader characteristics: In Denver, the median household income is $63, 793 and 47.9% of individuals hold at least a Bachelor’s degree.12 

Colorado’s capital city is typically more progressive than the rest of the state. However, as the newspaper is read by individuals across the state, and not just those in Denver, authors should endeavor to maintain neutrality in their pieces. The same can be said for the education level of the readers–it will fluctuate greatly. Therefore, authors should keep the tone informal in order to appeal to the majority of readers. 

Readers’ knowledge of LIS subject matter: It is unlikely that the majority of the readers of The Denver Post are familiar with the LIS field, therefore LIS jargon should be avoided. 

Conclusion: Analysis of reader characteristics and their potential impact on authors

When writing and submitting pieces for publication, authors should, at least, be familiar with the concerns and interests of residents in Colorado, but more preferably with residents in the Denver metropolitan area. The Denver Post provides authors with the potential to reach a large audience with diverse viewpoints, lifestyles, and cultures who will enjoy pieces that are relevant to their communities. 

 

Last updated: October 13, 2020

 


References

Show 12 footnotes

  1. “Denver Post”, Urlichsweb Global Serials Directory, accessed October 4, 2020, http://ulrichsweb.serialssolutions.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/title/1601836489095/552254
  2. “Best Practices // Policies and Standards, DenverPost.com, accessed October 5, 2020, https://www.denverpost.com/policies-and-standards/
  3. “The Denver Post,” DenverPost.com, accessed October 4, 2020, https://www.denverpost.com/
  4. “The Denver Post Ethics Policy,” DenverPost.com, accessed October 5, 2020, https://www.denverpost.com/ethics-policy/#freelance
  5. The Denver Post.
  6. “Subscribe,” DenverPost.com, accessed October 4, 2020, https://checkout.denverpost.com/
  7. “Submit a letter to the editor,” DenverPost.com, accessed October 4, 2020, https://www.denverpost.com/submit-letter/
  8. “How to submit a guest commentary,” DenverPost.com, accessed October 5, 2020, https://www.denverpost.com/2013/07/09/submission-guidelines-and-contact-information/
  9. “Our Brands”, DenverPostMedia.com, accessed October 5, 2020, https://www.denverpostmedia.com/services/our-brands/
  10. “QuickFacts Denver city, Colorado,” Census.gov, accessed October 6, 2020, https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/denvercitycolorado/PST045219
  11. QuickFacts Denver city, Colorado.”
  12. QuickFacts Denver city, Colorado.”
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