Best Practices // Policies and Standards

Mission Statement

The Denver Post is committed to the highest ethical standards. Fairness and accuracy are among our core values. But nothing stands above the need to maintain our integrity. The public’s trust — our most important asset — depends on it.

The Denver Post’s ethics policy covers fairness and accuracy in reporting; use of unidentified sources; quotations and attribution; bylines, datelines and credit lines; meals, tickets and travel; and gifts and sample products.

The ethics policy also addresses credibility and conflicts of interest. Staff members should avoid online and real-world activities that could conflict with their jobs. The policy covers financial holdings; freelancing; use of company property while freelancing; radio and television; honorariums; connections; and relationships.

To read our full editorial ethics policy please click here.

The Denver Post expects the information in its pages to be accurately attributed. Anonymous sources are a last resort, but some stories cannot be told without allowing sources to go unnamed. When editors are convinced sources will not be forthcoming without anonymity, we will agree to withhold the person’s name.

In deciding whether to grant anonymity, we weigh the newsworthiness of the story against our standard of named sources. Most often, sources seek anonymity because they fear some type of retribution. That fear prevents them from speaking frankly and illuminating an issue we are covering. Failing to use the anonymous source means a story can lack important context or may even be inaccurate because the source does not feel free to be candid.

We know that our readers are often skeptical of anonymous sources, wondering whether they are credible or what may motivate them.

We worry about that, too, which is why we have a process in place to vet sources before they appear in an article.

When a source requests anonymity, the reporter first seeks to change the person’s mind. Reporters will then try to find other sources willing to be named. If that approach fails, an editor becomes involved. Typically, the editor of the newspaper decides whether to grant anonymity. If the editor is unavailable, a senior editor may make the decision.

Both the reporter and the deciding editor must know the name of the source and the reason the source does not want to be named. The source must have direct knowledge of the situation. In most cases, information from an anonymous source must be confirmed by another person with independent knowledge.

Stories should explain why the source requested and was granted anonymity.

The Denver Post relies on wire services – The Associated Press and the Washington Post – for national and international coverage. Both of those newsgathering institutions have their own policies for anonymous sources.

The Associated Press policy is here: https://www.ap.org/about/news-values-and-principles/telling-the-story/anonymous-sources

The Denver Post commits to do its best to publish accurate information across all of its content. We take many steps to ensure accuracy:

We investigate claims with skepticism; question assumptions; challenge conventional wisdom; confirm information with subject-matter experts; and seek to corroborate what sources tell us by talking with other informed people or consulting documents. We verify content, such as technical terms and statistics, against source documents or make clear who is providing the information. We may share relevant components of a story with a primary source or an outside expert to verify them.

We stand by the information as accurate, and if it’s not, we will change it as quickly as possible and be transparent with our readers about the magnitude of the error.

We welcome feedback from our readers and sources regarding the information that we publish. If you would like to reach our editors regarding coverage, you can find their contact information on our Contact Us page.

The Denver Post promptly corrects all significant errors that are brought to the attention of the editors.

Updating digital stories

Stories posted online will be fixed immediately after an error has been found. This includes fixes of minor errors such as misspellings. As a story develops, we do not note updates unless there is a particular reason to note the addition of new information or other change. Each story includes the timestamp of original publication and the timestamp when it was last updated. A story’s timestamp will signal to readers that they are reading a developing story.

Stories that contain a material error — an error that would significantly affect a reader’s understanding of a story — will have a correction appended as soon as the correction is approved by editors.

Corrections & clarifications

The Denver Post strives to have accurate information. Errors will be corrected and noted in the online article as well as in the newspaper, if applicable.

To submit a correction to a story in print or online, contact the reporter, appropriate editor or let us know at dpo@denverpost.com or newsroom@denverpost.com. Let us know what needs to be corrected, where the error was found (which page/section of the newspaper and/or the link to the story) and any other additional relevant information.

Legal demands for corrections must be in writing and sent to Editor Lee Ann Colacioppo at 5990 Washington Street, Denver, Colorado, 80216.

“Unpublishing” stories

The Denver Post generally does not “unpublish” content or remove details such as names from our websites and archives. On a case-by-case basis, a committee of senior newsroom leadership will review individual requests to remove, redact or de-index published content, considering whether circumstances have changed since publication. Email dpo@denverpost.com with a link to the story and reason for the request.

Bylines, datelines and credit lines should accurately convey to readers the source of reporting. All stories should have a byline and contact information for the writer so readers know who to contact if there is an error or issue.
In multiple bylines, the first name generally should be that of the reporter who wrote the article, or if different, of the largest contributor. Any reporter who contributed substantively to a story should be included in the byline. Contributor lines should be reserved for those who provided small slices of reporting, such as a single quote or two, for a story.

We should treat material from colleagues at partner newspapers just as the work of our individual newspaper’s staff. When a reporter writes an article based in part on wire service reports and in part on the reporter’s own work, the article should carry the reporter’s byline and a credit to the wire service in a tagline. If the reporter independently reports the facts of the story, the byline can stand alone. If the reporter simply inserts some local material, the byline should be the originating source with a reporter’s credit at the end.

When adding a wire-service quote to a story, particularly if it is exclusive information or an anonymous quote, indicate the source: “Bush is going to run for re-election,” a senior administration official told the Washington Post.

Non-staff bylines

On some pages you will see bylines from news agencies rather than our staff. We trust news agencies to help us cover the world as fully as possible and to adhere to the highest journalistic standards.

The Associated Press. AP is an independent, not-for-profit news cooperative, serving member newspapers and broadcasters in the U.S., and other customers around the world. The Denver Post is one of them. AP journalists in more than 100 countries tell the world’s stories, from breaking news to investigative reporting to visual storytelling. Since 1846, AP has been covering the world’s biggest news events, committed to the highest standards of objective, accurate journalism. Learn more about policies and standards in AP’s Statement of News Values and Principles.

No bylines

We have a “no byline” policy on editorials written by our Editorial Board. The editorial board and opinion section staff are independent of the news-gathering side of our organization. Through our staff-written editorials, we take positions on important issues affecting our readership. The editorials are unsigned because, while written by one or more members of our staff, they represent the point of view of our news organization’s management. In order to take informed positions, we meet frequently with government, community and business leaders on important issues affecting our cities, region and state. During elections, we meet with candidates for office and the proponents and opponents of ballot initiatives and then make recommendations to voters. Read more about who is on our Editorial Board here.

The Denver Post is committed to creating a newsroom that reflects our community, in the makeup of our staff and in our website and newspaper.

We aspire to be a workplace where people of all backgrounds are supported in their careers and feel welcome in our newsroom. We want a newsroom committed to writing for and about people from all communities and committed to giving stories grounded in underrepresented communities the resources and prominence they deserve.

We hope to build on our newsroom’s commitment to these values and resolve to seek out diverse viewpoints in both our news stories and opinion pages.

Newsroom Commitments

Here are a few steps the newsroom will take to create lasting and sustainable structures, practices and policies that support a commitment to diversity.

•  Building a culture of inclusivity by training journalists to diversify their source lists, listen to the communities that are underrepresented in our coverage and pitch  stories that combat racial stereotypes. Editors will hold the newsroom accountable in achieving these goals.
• Creating opportunities for Denver Post reporters to host and attend events where they seek diverse opinions and feedback on coverage. The sole purpose of these events will be to reach and establish trust with underrepresented communities to reshape our reporting to better reflect Colorado’s communities. Our work here will begin in 2021.
• Strengthening our relationships with organizations such as the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ), Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA), National Arab American Journalists Association (NAAJA), National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association (NLGJA) and the Trans Journalists Association (TJA), etc. and bettering our relationships with local universities to create a more organic pipeline for the hiring and recruitment of journalists of color.
• Actively ensuring our recruitment practices reach candidates in underrepresented communities so our candidate pools for jobs and internships include those groups.
• Developing and maintaining a formal newsroom mentorship program, led by newsroom staff, for new hires and interns to foster a more welcoming environment.
• Integrating language recommended by organizations such as NABJ, NAHJ, NAAJA, AAJA, NLGJA and TJA in our coverage, ensuring we are not inadvertently using harmful language when reporting on communities of color. This should open the door for discussion in our newsroom about language we currently use and how we can establish better terminology.
• Holding ourselves and our organization accountable by reviewing the diversity of our content and staff.

If you are wondering what job opportunities are available, please check out our job board.

82% White, 3% Asian, 3% Hispanic, 1% American Indian, 1% Middle Eastern

We value our readers. You are the ones we seek to serve every day with news and information that matters to you. Your feedback helps us understand what is most important to the people of Colorado. It is also often how we learn of errors of both commission and omission. You make us better and we want to hear from you.

There are several ways you can reach us.

Our staff contact information can be found on our contact page. In general, our email addresses are our first initial, last name @denverpost.com

Tips and corrections can be submitted to staff members or at newsroom@denverpost.com. There is also a tip form at https://www.denverpost.com/news-tips/ and a corrections form at https://www.denverpost.com/report-an-error/

If you’d like share your thoughts with the public, you can do so by writing a letter to the editor using this link https://www.denverpost.com/submit-letter/ or submitting a guest column on a local issue to columns@denverpost.com.

At the bottom of most articles, we provide a space for community reactions and discussion of the topics covered. We invite you to use our commenting platform to engage in insightful conversations about issues in our community.

Although we do not pre-screen comments, we reserve the right at all times to remove any information or materials that are unlawful, threatening, abusive, libelous, defamatory, obscene, vulgar, pornographic, profane, indecent or otherwise objectionable to us, and to disclose any information necessary to satisfy the law, regulation, or government request. We might permanently block any user who abuses these conditions. Our commenting ground rules can be found here.

Denver Post Executives

*Bill Reynolds, General Manager, Senior Vice President, Circulation and Operations — 303-954-5495. Bill Reynolds was named the General Manager of the Denver Post and Prairie Mountain Media in October 2019 in addition to his duties of SVP Circulation and Production. Reynolds has over 40 years of experience in the newspaper industry. He has held numerous positions since arriving in Denver in 1994 including Circulation VP and General Manager of YourHub.com; Circulation Director; and Home Delivery Manager. Prior to coming to Denver, he held management positions with the New York Daily News and Long Island’s Newsday. He serves on the Editorial Board of the Denver Post and is the chairman of the Denver Post Community Foundation.

*Lee Ann Colacioppo, Editor — 303-954-1754. Lee Ann Colacioppo joined The Denver Post in 1999, becoming editor in 2016. She is ultimately responsible for the news coverage that appears both online and in print. Her background includes work as a city desk reporter, business reporter, business editor, city editor, investigations editor and news director. She is a member of the editorial board and the Denver Post Community Foundation board. She previously worked at The Des Moines Register, Greenville, S.C. News and Kingsport Tenn. Times-News. She is a graduate of Drake University.

*Justin Mock, Senior Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer — 303-954-5007. Justin Mock has been in this position since 2017.  He has been with MediaNews Group since 2006.

Christine Moser, Vice President of Advertising Sales/Operations — 303-954-1133.  Christine Moser oversees ad sales and operations for The Denver Post. She has been in advertising at The Post for more than 10 years. Prior to joining The Post, Moser was the publisher of dailies and weeklies in Colorado and Minnesota.

*Bob Kinney, Vice President, Information Technology — 303-954-1941. Bob Kinney has spent 34 years in the industry in operations, IT and newsrooms.

News Executives/Department Heads

*Lee Ann Colacioppo, Editor — 303-954-1754. See details above.

*Megan Schrader, Editor of the editorial/opinion pages — 303-954-2567. Megan Schrader oversees the content of The Denver Post’s opinion pages, including editorials, guest columns and letters to the editor. She grew up in Grand Junction, graduated from the University of Missouri and was previously a reporter for The Gazette in Colorado Springs, The Oklahoman, The Gainesville Sun and The Kansas City Star (intern). She lives in Denver with her husband and two children.

Matt Sebastian, Managing Editor — 303-954-1241. Matt Sebastian is the No. 2 manager in the newsroom and also oversees coverage that includes but is not limited to education, health and the environment. Breaking news and criminal justice reporters ultimately report to him. He joined the newspaper’s staff in 2018 after a 20-year career as an editor and reporter at the Daily Camera in Boulder. He also has worked as a journalist at papers in Utah and the San Francisco Bay Area.

Jess Rollins, Senior editor/politics. Jess Rollins oversees the Post’s political coverage, including city government, state government and national issues. He is a graduate of Missouri State University and previously held editing roles at The Commercial Appeal in Memphis, Tennessee, and The News-Leader in Springfield, Missouri. He joined The Post in 2021..

Donovan Henderson, Senior editor/production and business editor — 303-954-1984. Donovan Henderson oversees all business coverage and production of The Post’s print product. He has been a reporter, photographer, page designer and copy editor during his 25-year journalism career, working in newsrooms in Sterling, Greeley and Fort Collins, with a stint in Corpus Christi, Texas, before joining The Post in May 2018.

Matt Schubert, Sports editor. Matt Schubert began overseeing The Post’s sports coverage in 2023 after previously serving as the deputy sports editor and a digital producer. He joined The Post in 2018. A native of Arizona, he is a graduate of Arizona State University and has covered prep, college, outdoor and youth sports for newspapers in Washington, Oregon, Nebraska and Indiana.

Patrick Traylor, Senior editor/photography and multimedia — 303-954-1014. Patrick Traylor is Senior Editor for Photography and Multimedia at The Denver Post, a position he has held since 2018. Patrick joined the Post in 2012, after earning his master’s degree in photojournalism from Ohio University’s School of Visual Communication in Athens, Ohio.

Jonathan Shikes, Senior editor entertainment and features. Jonathan Shikes is a Denver native with 25 years of experience at newspapers, magazines and websites. He joined The Denver Post in May 2022 after previously working at Westword. Jonathan is also the author of “Denver Beer: A History of Mile High Brewing.”

Beth Rankin, Director of audience. Beth Rankin is a Kent State University graduate with a background in photojournalism, crime reporting, digital strategy, food and travel writing, along with stints in broadcast news and public radio. She worked as a crime reporter, photographer, nightlife magazine editor, radio host/producer and food editor in Texas and Ohio before relocating to Denver to become the entertainment editor at The Denver Post.

* Denotes a member of The Denver Post editorial board. The editorial board operates separately from the news department.

The Denver Post is committed to transparency in our ownership structure. We cite potential conflicts of interest on the same page as the relevant work.

The Denver Post, which began publishing in 1892, is owned by Denver-based MediaNews Group. MediaNews Group is a privately-owned company. The majority owner is Alden Global Capital, a privately held investment firm based in New York City. As a private company, MediaNews Group makes business decisions that keep shareholders in mind, but editorial decisions are independent.

The company’s largest properties include The Orange County Register, The Denver Post, The Mercury News, The Press-Enterprise, Los Angeles Daily News, Boston Herald and St. Paul Pioneer Press. Other MediaNews Group publications are listed at http://www.medianewsgroup.com/our-brands/.

The Denver Post derives its funding from its advertisers, subscribers and commercial print business. On occasion, The Denver Post will seek grant money to support its reporting. Grantees do not have say over the editorial product and use and the source of such funding is disclosed on each story. The Post will not accept funding from any source that would stand to make a financial gain or has a stake in the reporting it is funding.

The Denver Post is a member of The Trust Project, an international coalition of reputable media organizations working together to promote truthful, verified news with fairness and accuracy. Through ongoing global collaboration with the public, news leaders, search and social platforms, the consortium is defining a standard for quality journalism that can be easily recognized anywhere.

The Denver Post is committed to using the standards and protocols of The Trust Project, such as transparent ownership and mission statements, ethics and reporting policies, clear labeling of story types and links to detailed author information on articles. These indicators are standardized across Trust-member websites and are machine-readable, meaning they can be recognized and certified by search engines and social media sites.

One of the Trust Project protocols involves clear labeling to help readers distinguish news — verified information based in the impartial reporting of facts — from opinion — articles based on personal interpretation of facts. The glossary below contains definitions for the various types of news and opinion content found on our websites.

News: Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.

Analysis: Based on factual reporting, although it incorporates the expertise of the author and may offer interpretations and conclusions.

Investigative: In-depth examination of a single subject requiring extensive research and resources.

Explainer: Provides context, definition and detail on a specific topic.

Obituary: Reports the death of an individual, providing an account of the person’s life including their achievements, any controversies in which they were involved, and reminiscences by people who knew them.

Opinion: Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the author’s interpretation of facts and data.

Opinion Columnist: Represents the opinion of the author who is either a paid columnist or an unpaid guest columnist.

Editorial: Represents the opinion of The Denver Post editorial board which is separate from the newsroom.

Letters: Represent the opinion of the letter writers.

Review: An assessment or critique of a service, product, or creative endeavor such as art, literature or a performance.

Underwritten: Produced with financial support from an organization or individual, yet not approved by the underwriter before or after publication. Articles are held to strict journalistic standards, but are funded by entities interested in being associated with or expanding attention to a particular topic.

Machine Written: Produced with artificial intelligence using data provided by high school sports coaches and staff members.

Advertiser Content: Supplied by an organization or individual that has paid the news provider for its placement. As a result, while it may be written in the style of the publication, it is not impartial journalism. This is the same as the sponsored content and custom content.

Sponsored: Produced on behalf of an organization or individual that has paid the news provider for production and/or approved publication.

Affiliate Content: Produced to earn commission from products/services being mentioned and/or promoted. Amazon, Skim Links, etc.

Branded Content: Produced by the paper’s own advertising department to attract advertising. May or may not include product placement. As a result, while it may be written in the style of the publication, it is not impartial journalism.