Five newspapers roll up in Colorado's San Luis Valley + more local media news
The news behind the news in Colorado
👋 Welcome. I’m Corey Hutchins, a journalist and educator, and you’re reading “Inside the News in Colorado,” a weekly inbox newsletter. Learn more about it here. This newsletter is (*checks notes*) 10 years old this month.
This week’s newsletter is in roundup form. Now, onto the latest…
🗞️ 🪓 Five weekly newspapers in Colorado’s sprawling San Luis Valley are no longer separately publishing. Instead, Valley Publishing Inc. has combined them into one weekly subscriber-based paper, said the company’s editor and publisher, Brian Williams, in an email to this newsletter. That single newspaper is now called SLV Journal.
📉 The community newspapers affected in the largely rural area of Colorado that’s about the size of Massachusetts include the Monte Vista Journal, the Del Norte Prospector, the South Fork Tines, the Mineral County Miner, and the Center Post-Dispatch. This major print newspaper roll-up, which took place over the summer, also includes the SLV Lifestyles publication. Williams said increased printing and mailing costs coupled with dropping revenue drove the move. As for local reactions so far, “understanding” is the best description, Williams said. “When people ask about the changes and hear the explanation the comment I hear most is ‘that makes sense,’” he said. “They wish the paper(s) were [the] way they were but they understand the reasons for it.”
🖥️ Notable: For now, Valley Publishing has kept the separate newspaper websites up, which have been posting content. “At the moment, we don’t have plans to roll everything into one website,” Williams said.
⏮️ Flashback: In 2023, eight newspapers that included five of those impacted in this rollup changed hands when the maverick millennial Wyoming newspaper publisher J. Louis Mullen bought them from an Illinois company that had previously owned them.
🌿 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.
Have a story you’re working on? Email Ricardo directly: ricardo@mygrasslands.com. Together, we’re crafting better narratives — one story at a time. 🌿
💨 Wayne Laugesen, who served as editorial page editor of the Gazette newspaper in Colorado Springs since 2012, is out. “Wayne recently launched his own podcast, ‘Wayne’s Word’, and will be devoting his time and energy to the development of that new project,” said the paper’s publisher, Chris Reen, in a statement. “We’ll miss him and have no doubt he'll continune (sic) to make a big impact on the state.” The development is big news for conservative opinion in one of the state’s most dominant legacy publications, which is owned by the conservative Denver billionaire Phil Anschutz. Under Laugesen, the newspaper in 2020 endorsed Donald Trump for president. Some conservatives are likely to bemoan the loss of a sympathetic Trumpy/Boebert-type voice in establishment media. Over the years, some reporters for the Gazette have expressed concern that the paper’s editorial pages undermined the credibility of its news section.
🎂 Colorado Public Radio’s Ryan Warner has marked an impressive 20 years as the host of the statewide Colorado Matters show, what he called “the best job on earth.” This week, he sat for a 30-minute interview with journalism ethicist Bob Steele, a former CPR board member. Talk quickly turned to turbulence in the public media industry and Warner warned that a Republican vote in Congress to rescind money from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting will hurt rural Colorado communities and their smaller radio stations.
🗣️ The Society of Professional Journalists’ Colorado Pro Chapter, of which I’m a board member, is hosting a free-to-attend panel discussion at the Denver Press Club on the evening of Sept. 30 about the role of citizen journalism, ethics, fairness, privacy, and fact-based reporting. Check here for the panelists, and keep checking it as SPJ adds more panelists and information prior to the event.
🎙️💥 Jon Allsop, the author of Columbia Journalism Review’s “Media Today” newsletter, wrote this week that he was surprised at the scant mentions of Denver talk-radio host Alan Berg following the Utah campus killing of Charlie Kirk. In 1984, white supremacist extremists assassinated Berg who was an “outspoken” and controversial media figure. Allsop noted that The Forward’s Rob Eshman “dug into” it with a story headlined “Charlie Kirk and Alan Berg: 2 murders, 41 years apart, show the painful perils of polarization.” Allsop also wrote that the historian John Ganz mentioned Berg “in an essay that, pound for pound, was the most thoughtful reflection I’ve yet read on Kirk’s killing — and was published not by a legacy outlet, but on Ganz’s Substack.” Here in Colorado, former Rocky Mountain News columnist David Flomberg wrote a piece the nonprofit progressive Colorado Times Recorder digital site connecting the two killings.
🪓 PHNX Sports, which is part of the Denver-based ALLCITY Network, fired a popular Phoenix Suns beat reporter over social media comments he made about Charlie Kirk’s death, Jeremy Cluff wrote for the Arizona Republic. Colorado Newsline reporter Chase Woodruff rounded up the reporter’s full comments and concluded “The most he actually says here is to imply that he ‘refus(es) to mourn’ Kirk and ‘decline(s) to respect’ him (while also distancing himself from those who are ‘celebrating’ his death).”
🗣️ Some residents are calling for the ouster of a member of the Cañon City Council after the public official posted a link on her personal Facebook page to an opinion piece in the liberal magazine The Nation entitled “Charlie Kirk’s Legacy Deserves No Mourning,” Sue McMillin reported for the Colorado Sun. Another councilwoman opposed drafting a censure resolution about it, telling the Sun, “I’m 80 years old. When I was a girl in high school in Ohio I learned civics. Freedom of speech is the First Amendment, guns second. She didn’t say anything about him. She merely shared an article.”
🇺🇸 “Criminalizing Charlie Kirk commenters would be the end of America,” wrote Sentinel Colorado Editor Dave Perry this week. The Trump administration and its allies, he said, “have launched a campaign not to protect speech, but to punish what they deem politically incorrect.”
🥾 ABC this week suspended comedian Jimmy Kimmel’s TV show “following the host’s comments about the assassination of Charlie Kirk, leaving the network’s parent company to decide whether supporting him is worth the risk to its business,” the Associated Press reported. For The Lever, Denver journalist David Sirota interviewed media-consolidation expert Craig Aaron and monopoly authority Matt Stoller about “how media corporations are transforming the news and information environment to curry favor with the Trump administration.”
📺 Another Colorado angle to this national story is that Nexstar, which operates roughly a dozen local ABC affiliates as well as Fox31 in Denver, Fox21 in Colorado Springs, and CBS in Grand Junction, issued a press release saying it “strongly objects” to Kimmel’s remarks and adding that its stations would “replace the show with other programming,” Brian Stelter reported for CNN. It is very much worth noting that Nexstar is seeking to buy Tegna, the parent company of Denver’s 9NEWS, and is seeking the Trump administration’s approval to do so.
📰 The Johnstown Historical Society is working to digitize copies of the Johnstown Breeze local newspaper. The newspaper has bound copies going back to 1907, but to make use of them, people must come in and physically page through the issues, some of which are starting to get brittle, editor Matt Lubich said in an email. “Having the entire archive online, and searchable, will ensure that people are able to read those issues and use them for research, etc. into the future,” he said. “It’s true that journalism is ‘the first rough draft of history.’ Preserving the weekly paper provides the foundation for making sure that history doesn’t disappear.” He added that the northern Colorado newspaper is grateful to the Johnstown Historical Society for taking on the project. “It’s not likely something we could afford to do by ourselves,” he said. “We also appreciate anyone who can donate to help. This archive is/will be truly a community treasure.” Anyone can help the effort by contributing here.
⚖️ The Colorado Supreme Court this week “affirmed a judicially created doctrine that lets public bodies ‘cure’ violations of the Colorado Open Meetings Law at subsequent meetings that do not merely rubber-stamp earlier decisions,” Jeff Roberts of the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition reported. “But it also ruled that a plaintiff is entitled to recover costs and reasonable attorney fees if a COML violation is proven in court.”
🕯️→🤖 The College of Communication, Media, Design and Information at the University of Colorado in Boulder is partnering with the nonprofit Poynter Institute on a series of events. “At the center of the series is a traveling exhibit tracing the history of American journalism—from colonial print to A.I.-generated news—called Moments of Truth: An Exploration of Journalism’s Past, Present and Future,” Joe Arney wrote for CU. “Additional programs include a panel discussion with distinguished journalists, hands-on media literacy workshops and a trivia night at the Denver Press Club.”
➡️ As a board member of the Society of Professional Journalists Colorado Pro chapter, I’d like to invite you to join the nation’s foremost organization for journalists. SPJ is a fierce national advocate for First Amendment rights, journalistic ethics, and other values important to a free and vital press. The Colorado Pro chapter offers professional training programs and events, including the four-state Top of the Rockies competition, the region’s broadest platform for honoring journalism excellence. Each year, the chapter provides thousands of dollars in scholarships to the young journalists of tomorrow. At a time when journalists are under fire from all sides, joining SPJ is your chance to make a stand for journalism. Learn more about the chapter here, and find out how to join here. ⬅️
📡 Cormac McCrimmon of Rocky Mountain PBS reported on how KGNU community radio in Boulder, “known for its eclectic music and grassroots reporting,” is responding to Republican federal cuts to its budget. “KGNU is scrambling to devise a new budget ahead of the fiscal year that begins in October,” McCrimmon wrote. If the station is unable to come up with enough revenue to plug budget holes, it may have to cut staff positions or syndicated programming, like international reporting from the BBC.”
💳 Axios Denver is trying to reach a goal of 1,000 paying members for its digestible daily inbox newsletter about Denver. “Already, over 600 of your neighbors are members,” the advertising-supported outlet stated this week. “With your help, our membership community can grow to 1,000 by the end of this year.”
🎥 The trailer for a new documentary called “Truth Be Told,” about how Coloradans practice local journalism, is now out. It’s part of a multi-media campaign called Free Press, Free Country that’s rolling out across Colorado and is aimed at educating viewers about the importance of a free and independent press.
📈 The Denver Gazette digital news outlet, which serves as a sister paper to the Colorado Springs Gazette and Colorado Politics, turned 5 this week. “Our publications now have more than 150 journalists and columnists contributing to Colorado's media ecosystem,” wrote executive editor Vince Bzdek about Clarity Media, which is owned by the conservative billionaire Phil Anschutz. “And in the last year, the Denver Gazette has expanded its horizons with The Colorado Network, a collective of more than 30 freelancers all around the state to bring our readers even more perspectives, some of which haven’t been getting the attention they deserve as they were drowned out by voices along the Front Range.”
🗣️ Colorado First Amendment attorney Steve Zansberg was inducted into the Colorado Press Association Hall of Fame last month. Watch a video of his acceptance speech here.
📺 After nearly 10 years at KRDO in Colorado Springs, Bart Bedsole is leaving the TV station. “I wish everyone at KRDO the best, and I hope to share my next mission with you all very soon,” he said on social media.
👏 Karen Petersen called the National Federation of Press Women conference, which was held this year in Colorado, a “resounding success.”
🎒 The annual National Student Media Convention is set to take place in Denver next month. “This annual event, organized by College Broadcasters, Inc. (CBI), offers student journalists, broadcasters, and media advisors an unparalleled opportunity to engage with industry professionals, enhance their skills, and network with peers from across the nation,” an announcement states. As for why the organization chose Denver, it states: “Nestled against the backdrop of the Rocky Mountains, Denver is a vibrant city teeming with cultural landmarks, a thriving arts scene, and a rich media landscape. The city’s dynamic media environment is home to major organizations such as Comcast Advertising, NBCUniversal, and MediaNews Group, providing attendees with a unique opportunity to connect with industry leaders. Denver’s blend of urban sophistication and natural beauty makes it an exciting destination for exploration and professional growth.”
😬 “Call in an English teacher to the Gazette newsroom. Wrong usage in today's headline,” wrote Colorado Springs journalist Pam Zubeck on social media in response to a headline in the daily newspaper that read “Lee fire effects state ranchers.” Newspapers are “imperfect, but so what?” commented columnist John Hazlehurst who has written for the Indy and the Pikes Peak Bulletin. “Such errors remind us that the Gazette is created by humans, not large language/AI models.”
🎬 Rick Goldsmith’s documentary “Stripped for Parts: American Journalism on the Brink,” much of which takes place in Colorado, will be offered by American Public Television and the presenting station Rocky Mountain PBS. It will be broadcast nationwide on PBS-affiliated stations at various dates/times beginning also on October 1. “The broadcast and nationwide streaming couldn’t be more timely, with local journalism on the ropes, PBS and NPR just stripped of funding, and journalism itself, nationwide, constantly under attack,” Goldsmith said. He said the film will be streamed free, on demand, on PBS.org and the PBS app, beginning October 1 and lasting till December 31.
⚠️ “Emergency alerts may not reach those who need them most in Colorado,” wrote professors Carson MacPherson-Krutsky, Mary Angelica Painter, and Micki Olson for The Conversation.
🍻 The Denver Press Club will hold a journalists meetup Sept. 24 at 6 p.m. “Co-sponsored by … Colorado Public Radio this month, this gathering is a great way to network and commiserate at the nation's oldest press club, what better place?” the club wrote.
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. Most recently, I’ve been contributing to Harvard’s Nieman Journalism Lab and The Conversation. The nonprofit 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.
Great reporting on a sad story.