Colorado AG Phil Weiser is open to 'creative ideas' to sustain local journalism
The news behind the news in Colorado
Colorado’s Democratic attorney general, Phil Weiser, who is running for governor, said he is open to creative public policy ideas that might help sustain local journalism.
The candidate’s comments came Thursday on the opening night of the Colorado Press Association’s annual convention held at the Delta Hotel in Thornton.
Tim Regan-Porter, who runs the association, interviewed Weiser at the event.
Regan-Porter said he was doing so not as a journalist but in his role as CEO of the press advocacy nonprofit. He said his goal wasn’t to try and pin the officeholder-candidate down on policy specifics or legal cases, but rather to create a space for dialogue about issues facing the local news industry.
Still, public policy did come up.
Unlike the state’s current Democratic governor, Jared Polis, who is term-limited, Weiser did not antagonize a large portion of the state’s press corps when asked about a state requirement that governments publish public and legal notices in local print newspapers.
Instead, the former University of Colorado law school dean name-checked Paul Starr and his book “The Creation of the Media: Political Origins of Modern Communications,” and noted the ways that public policy, like the Postal Service Act of 1792, has aided news media.
Public notice requirements are similar in that they enable the dissemination of news, he said, adding, “I share your caution in being quick to do anything to change it.”
While open to ideas, he said he is aware of the role public notices play and is concerned about the “fragility” of the newspaper business model. “So, we don’t want to be moving too quickly here,” he said.
Currently, Colorado Media Project, which underwrites this newsletter, is supporting an independent effort called the Local News Policy Coalition to explore options for more public policy to support local journalism.
Asked generally if Weiser believes there are viable constitutionally appropriate approaches that Colorado might consider to help sustain local journalism, he said he would be “interested in looking at” whatever might wind up being proposed.
“I’m open to lots of creative ideas and different collaborations,” he said. (He did note that the budget is in dire straits, which creates plenty of challenges.)
Multiple times throughout the discussion, the attorney general urged journalists in Colorado to let him know about any incidents involving threats or harassment. His advice was to consult law enforcement as early as possible if it happens — and to let his office know if local police don’t appear to take it seriously.
Beyond threats and harassment, Weiser said he worries journalists will increasingly censor themselves as long as Republican Donald Trump is in the White House.
“We’ve never had a president of the United States as overtly hostile to the media as we have right now,” he said. “That creates a climate that we have a lot of fear and intimidation out there.”
Weiser referenced the phenomenon of anticipatory obedience and said what he is “most” afraid about is people sacrificing their First Amendment rights out of fear.
“So, I’m afraid that journalists will be afraid,” Weiser said. “And I’m afraid that journalists who are afraid will engage in self-censorship.”
On the transparency front, Weiser quoted former Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis, who famously said sunlight is among the best disinfectants.
He also raised what he called a difference between “laws and norms,” particularly in an era with more people providing news and information of varying standards in the digital age.
“The challenge we have now is that it’s so easy to get information out there unfiltered, unmediated, without editors, without the responsible norms that you all grew up with and live with,” he said. “And so I think this is a really hard public policy problem.” Add the rapid rise of artificial intelligence into the mix, he said, and it gets even more challenging.
In Weiser’s fantasy version of the future, he said he hopes trusted brands with editors who fact-check information will become more valuable because people will crave trusted sources.
Asked what he thought about placing fees on large tech companies to fund local journalism, Weiser noted that he sued Google three times for what he called “being a monopolist and acting that way,” and said, “you can call me a critic of Big Tech.”
As for the idea of a potential independent nonprofit grant-making body for local news in Colorado, Weiser said he is open to more conversations about what the state could do. He suggested broadening something like that to include civic literacy and civic education.
In general, the attorney general who is running for governor said he doesn’t want government playing any role that puts a thumb on the scale and limits free reporting.
“When your money is coming from an area, there’s a risk that that system could be abused,” he said. “So, that would be the biggest concern I would look at.”
As attorney general, one way Weiser said he might have helped some of the newspapers in the state was when he worked to stop a merger between the Kroger and Albertsons grocery store chains.
King Soopers and Safeway might have both advertised against each other in print, he said, and if the deal went through there would only be one advertiser and less ad-war competition.
The state’s top law enforcement official asked the assembled press corps to let him know if anyone had any other concerns about consolidation and how it might affect their advertising sales.
Weiser’s main rival in the Democratic primary for governor is current U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, who five years ago sponsored a federal bill called the Future of Local News Commission Act.
“There are no silver bullets to any of these problems, but I know that we can’t just wait around for the situation to resolve itself,” Bennet told a group of Colorado journalists and publishers on a 2020 Zoom call. “If we do that, we’re going to wake up one day in an America without local news, and we can’t let that happen. So that’s why we wrote the bill.”
During Thursday’s roughly 45-minute discussion at the CPA convention, Weiser cast himself as a friend of the press.
“As someone who has been a longtime student of democratic governance and our constitution — and now someone who is actually in elected office — I have deep appreciation and respect for the needs of maintaining a local press, and I have concerns knowing that the business models are harder,” he said. “We depend on all of you reporting and informing the public, and I recognize that that is, right now, not easy to do.”
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The end of 9NEWS in Denver? People are actually talking about it
Members of staff at the NBC affiliate in Denver are concerned at news that their corporate owner, Tegna, is in advanced talks about a potential takeover by rival broadcaster Nexstar.
Some are scared for their jobs and are equally worried that it might spell the end of 9NEWS, one person in the newsroom said this week.
From Reuters:
A potential deal between the two companies would mark a significant step in the ongoing consolidation of the U.S. television industry, as broadcasters adapt to shifting consumer habits driven by cord-cutting and the rapid expansion of streaming, amid expectations of looser regulations under U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration.
Close watchers of the local broadcasting industry expect waves of deregulation under Trump that likely would not have been permitted otherwise. In Denver, it would not be a stretch to imagine the city losing one of its TV stations in the fallout.
“We’re starting to see deals like this where the FCC is granting waivers of multiple ownership rules in anticipation of a roll back of those rules,” said Francisco R. Montero, co-managing partner at Fletcher, Heald & Hildreth, who advises the Colorado Broadcasting Association. “Also, the federal court recently threw out the FCC’s top-four rule for TV, which has also accelerated this ownership deregulation among top four network affiliates in TV markets. I believe we will see the same in radio as the FCC proposes radio ownership rule relaxation.”
In Colorado Springs, the Scripps-owned KOAA News5 (NBC) recently announced a plan to gobble up the Gray-owned KKTV (CBS) to form a duopoly.
For the local broadcasting scene, it’s Hungry Hungry Hippos out there. But if the first domino to fall in Denver winds up being 9NEWS of all stations, it would be a major disruption and a potentially unthinkable loss of investigative and accountability journalism. And it wouldn’t even be because of financial troubles.
The station that would take over 9NEWS if this deal goes through? KDVR FOX31.
As for what might actually play out on the ground, it’s difficult to say.
Justin Sasso, president and CEO of the Colorado Broadcasters Association, said he wouldn’t be comfortable prognosticating the outcome of this potential deal.
So let me do so instead based on conversations this week with those close to the industry. The bottom line will likely be about money, finding efficiencies, and balancing what’s working with what can go.
Here are a couple of potential options:
9NEWS could become like a KWGN — a secondary channel. A few anchors as the face, and then all KDVR content, reporters, and producers.
Pink slips for 9NEWS, and KDVR staffers stay.
These are speculative and there could be more potential outcomes, including something unprecedented. Or the whole thing could just fall apart.
From my perspective, that sounds like the best option right now.
NPR joins the Mountain West News Bureau
National Public Radio announced this week that it is joining the Mountain West News Bureau “to create a regional newsroom that brings together public media organizations across seven Western states.”
From the announcement:
“NPR is committed to working more closely with these Mountain West stations to serve the public's need for trusted reporting from this vast section of the country," said Edith Chapin, NPR Senior Vice President, Editor in Chief and acting Chief Content Officer. "We're eager to examine the use of public lands, the demands on water and energy resources and other vital issues for people in this area.”
Of the Mountain West News Bureau’s six partners, one of them, KUNC, is in Colorado. The collaboration’s managing editor, Michael de Yoanna, is also based in Colorado.
“By working together in this way, these public media organizations can do more local reporting and add context and perspective that helps people understand the complexities of this region,” he said in a statement. “The bureau will be a hub for collaboration and help expand meaningful, in-depth and investigative reporting across our region.”
First Amendment lawyer warns Colorado town of ‘egregiously unconstitutional’ decision
A First Amendment attorney has sent a letter to the trustees of the Eastern Plains town of Bennett, arguing a decision they made involving local newspapers is “egregiously unconstitutional.”
At issue is the town pulling its advertising because its leaders didn’t like an article. Rachael Johnson, the Colorado-based lawyer with the national Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, is the attorney behind the recent letter.
“As a result of the Bennett Board’s blatantly unconstitutional actions on May 13, the I-70 Scout has lost hundreds of dollars in revenue and stands to lose thousands more,” the letter reads.
Jeff Roberts of the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition has been tracking the story. From his latest:
“The Board’s actions go far beyond failure to abide by its contractual obligations,” Johnson wrote on Aug. 7. “Rather, in deciding to terminate its advertisement relationship solely based on the content of The I-70 Scout’s reporting — specifically, an article from May 7, 2025, that truthfully reported on a police investigation into a sexual assault that took place in a … school locker room — the Board violated The I-70 Scout’s First Amendment rights.”
Johnson asked the Bennett trustees to reconsider their decision “in the hope that we can resolve this matter without litigation.”
Read the whole story here.
Rocky Mountain PBS convenes a discussion on ‘media bias’ and the role of public media
Following a Republican vote in Congress to withdraw funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the private, nonprofit corporation that was created in 1968 announced it will shut down.
Now, local public media stations across the country are scrambling to fill budget holes. Here in Colorado, at least one is also moving to advance on the cultural aspect of the move to defund public media.
Rocky Mountain PBS announced it will hold a virtual convening on Aug. 26 titled “Understanding the Debate: Media Bias, Public Trust, and the Role of Public Broadcasting.”
From the announcement:
In an age of deep polarization and growing media skepticism, public broadcasting faces both renewed scrutiny and urgent relevance. This interactive session will explore the spectrum of arguments for and against publicly funded media—addressing concerns around bias, accountability, and audience trust.
Facilitated by communication scholar, Martín Carcasson, this 90-minute convening blends lecture, dialogue, and audience engagement to illuminate the role public media can play in strengthening democracy and civic life. Participants will be invited to ask questions, share insights, and reflect on their own relationship to public media.
Also speaking will be Joanna Kail, the CEO of Wyoming PBS, Amanda Mountain, the president and CEO of Rocky Mountain Public Media, and Amber Coté, RMPM’s senior director of statewide civic engagement.
Register for it here.
🌿 This week’s newsletter is proudly supported by PR firm Grasslands: A Journalism-Minded Agency™, founded by Ricardo Baca (ex-Denver Post, ex-Rocky Mountain News, and current Colorado Public Radio board of directors). We understand journalists because we were journalists — and we’re here to help. Need expert sources or compelling stories? Our diverse client roster includes beloved Colorado institutions (Naropa University and Illegal Pete’s), innovative wellness brands (Boulder County Farmers Markets, Naturally Colorado, Eden Health Club), bold natural products businesses (Wild Zora, Flatiron Food Factory, Flower Union Brands), and other purpose-driven organizations. As creators of the Colorado Journalist Meet-Up and longtime champions of quality journalism, Grasslands recognizes the essential role reporters play in our communities. Our team is ready to connect you with sources, data, and unique perspectives that elevate your reporting.
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More Colorado media odds & ends
👀 Walking around the Colorado Press Association’s convention hall, lobby, and ballroom this weekend was Brian Orr, publisher of the World Journal based in Walsenburg, who was wearing a shirt reading “Buy my newspaper.” The paper is debt-free, in the black, and is indeed, for sale, he said. It’s owned by the couple who started it in 2007 and are now looking to retire. (The paper has won a $100,000 COVID-era grant from Facebook and a more recent $100,000 grant from Press Forward.)
⬆️ Prairie Mountain Media named Ellis Arnold editor of Colorado Hometown Weekly. “Arnold replaces Christy Frantz, who is taking on new responsibilities with Prairie Mountain Media’s digital presence,” the paper reported.
🏆 Colorado Public Radio reporter Tony Gorman won a national Edward R. Murrow Award for sports reporting. KUSA won an award for best news series.
🗣 During a panel discussion at the Colorado Press Association convention Friday, Colorado Democratic Rep. Jennifer Bacon said a historical institution told her that it was having trouble researching accomplishments of Black Coloradans because of a lack of media coverage. “We don’t have the qualitative stories because they are not documented,” she said. She urged the journalists in attendance to think about that moving forward.
🗞 The Aspen Daily News is one of 20 news organizations across the country selected to participate in a national cohort of the Local Media Association’s Lab for Journalism Funding.
🏆 Colorado Public Radio won a Best Practices Award from the National Association of Black Journalists. The Colorado Association of Black Journalists is a finalist for Professional Chapter of the Year by the NABJ.
🗣 Speaking at the Colorado Press Association’s annual convention on Friday morning, Denver Post Editor Lee Ann Colacioppo offered a look into the paper’s news judgment. If a competitor beats them to a story they were hoping to report, they’ll say “dang it” and figure out how to follow up. “But, if they have a story that we have decided is not for our readers and doesn’t advance our mission of providing people with news they really, really need to understand their community, we just let it go.”
🎣 Sam Moody is departing the Colorado Media Project, which underwrites this newsletter, as its associate director. Stay tuned for what’s next for a real one whose contributions to the state’s local media scene have been invaluable, based on what several industry folks said during a goodbye event for him Friday evening.
🏅 NoCo Style, northern Colorado’s lifestyle magazine, named KUNC reporter Alex Hager as one of its 30 under 30.
☀️ Talking on a panel at the Press Association convention Friday, Colorado Sun publisher Larry Ryckman said the statewide digital outlet has grown to have one of the largest membership programs in the country among nonprofit news organizations. (Notable? The Sun now has more followers on BlueSky than on Twitter/X.)
🗣 Two women whom the Denver Post unmasked as contributors to the DoBetterDNVR social media account spoke to a Gazette opinion columnist and complained about the Post piece in what the columnist called “their first interview since the story.”
🆕 Delilah Brumer is a States Newsroom Capital Reporting Fellow now reporting for the digital nonprofit Colorado Newsline site.
🏆 The KUNC podcast “The Colorado Dream: Ending the Hate State” is a “recipient of a 2025 Excellence in Journalism award from NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists,” the station reported. “The five-episode series won the Broadcast Award for Excellence in Podcasts last month.”
I’m Corey Hutchins, manager of the Colorado College Journalism Institute, advisor to Colorado Media Project, and a board member of the state Society of Professional Journalists chapter. For nearly a decade I reported on the U.S. local media scene for Columbia Journalism Review, and I’ve been a journalist for longer at multiple news organizations, including Harvard’s Nieman Journalism Lab. Colorado Media Project is underwriting this newsletter, and my “Inside the News” column appears at COLab. (If you’d like to underwrite or sponsor this newsletter, hit me up.) Follow me on Bluesky, reply or subscribe to this weekly newsletter here, or e-mail me at CoreyHutchins [at] gmail [dot] com.
I'll do that. Stay tuned.
Local news be it written, video or auditory regardless of its delivery method is predominately liberally slanted. News consumers are simply fed up with the one-sided political slant from journalists. One sided delivery of political news could be considered propaganda, especially if it is government sponsored. I don't totally blame journaliats because the liberal political slant is what the Ivey League teaches.Democrats are good, republicans always bad. People are asking, "Really?"