The Brennan Files

The person who sent these emails once worked with Charlie Brennan at the Rocky Mountain News. To respect the contributor’s request to remain anonymous, any revealing information has been removed. The Try Works site that once contained The Brennan Files has been taken down from the internet.

April 16, 2006

Hi there _____. Many moons ago I worked at the RMN with Charlie Brennan. Last week a friend emailed me a link to Try Works and while surfing about I saw the Brennan Files. Whoa!

So I shared the link with a two other former RMN reporters, and now we beg your indulgence in answering a few indiscreet questions:

what’ve you heard about how he learned of his unmasking…his reaction…wife’s reaction (ouch)…how did it impact his newsroom standing etc.? Did he ever confront Mystery Lady?

Any juice appreciated.

Thanks,

___________

April 17, 2006

The RMN is similar to other newsrooms I’ve worked in – pretty typical highs and lows. __________________ Do know that most of the journalists I respect are gone in the wake of the JOA [Joint Operating Agreement]. I – and the journalists I respect – consider John Temple an amazingly bland mediocrity.

As for Brennan, I never worked on a story with him….ran in different circles…..didn’t pay him much attention….had a slightly negative impression because his desk backed up on the printer cubicle, and he pinned up all these sleazy girls-in-bikinis postcards. Just seemed unprofessional and distasteful. He was polite….seemed to work hard….seemed to care about his work/stories….but just didn’t interest me, professionally or personally.

It was strange reading his emails. I was actually embarrassed for him…kept wincing, then shaking my head in disgust – found myself thinking of how I’d feel if I read that on line and I was his WIFE. Ugh.

The only Brennan juice I can offer is that his dream goddess was – as indicated by many pictures on the printer cubicle wall – get ready….drumroll…..Winona Ryder! That stuck in my head. Had to see the bikini postcards and Winona worship stuff every time I went to the printer to get my printout…someone finally complained that it was sexist/offensive, and he had to take it all down.

April 17, 2006

Feel free to post my tidbit anonymously. Brennan was just another coworker to me except for the postcards and winona shrine. Struck me as macho-offensive and childish; I mean, he had to be approaching 40 at the time, which is middle-aged for gawd’s sake. _____ [I've] worked with white males almost exclusively….and his demeanor/persona/behavior wasn’t that unusual, sadly.

And knowing how competitive and snarky a big metro newsroom can be….well, if the Try Works stuff is widely known in the newsroom and among the local journalism groups, you can be sure that Brennan has been/is being made to suffer most painfully.