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Barbara Lombardo of Saratoga Springs, NY, is a journalism adjunct at University at Albany and retired executive editor of The Saratogian, The Record and the Community News. Follow her on Twitter @Barb_Lombardo.

Friday, September 13, 2013

A dry heat in Denver? Try a wet one.

The most amazing thing about the Denver Post newsroom, in which I am sitting as I write this, is not that its sixth-floor windows overlook a lovely downtown bordered by the Rocky Mountains (hidden by clouds since my arrival), nor that its newsroom seems to have more square footage than the Saratoga Springs City Center, nor that the Post has its own auditorium.

The most amazing thing is that the newsroom desks are neat.  Spooky clean in some cases.

I arrived a bit early for programs being presented today by Digital First Media, the company that manages dozens of news products -- the Denver Post being the largest and The Saratogian among the smaller properties -- so that I could check out the newsroom.

The guard in the sprawling lobby rang up to the newsroom and used his card to set the elevator for the sixth floor, where Linda Shapley, director of news operations, gave me the 50-cent tour of the joint, including a peek into their video studio. Like newspapers everywhere, the Post has suffered serious staff cuts, but still does outstanding work, both digitally and in print. They have a Pulitzer and Emmys to show for it.

Upon closer inspection of the workspaces, I saw a pear on one desk and a banana on another. Then I found a table with every newsroom's ubiquitous unhealthy array of carbs and soda, sustenance for in-house staffers staying on top of flooding that has been wreaking havoc in the region since last night. 

The friendly newsroom folks offered to include me in their takeout Mexican lunch order, but now I am heading downstairs to the Digital First Media gathering for sustenance, seminars and an award program. I'll let you know if I see any mountains.





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