New Colorado journalism documentary 'Truth Be Told' trailer drops
The news behind the news in Colorado
👋 Welcome, I’m glad you’re here. I’m Corey Hutchins, a journalist and educator, and you’re reading “Inside the News in Colorado,” a weekly inbox newsletter. Learn more here.
The trailer for a new documentary called “Truth Be Told,” about how Coloradans practice local journalism, is out this week.
The film is part of the “Free Press, Free Country” project rolling out across Colorado to help educate people about the importance of the First Amendment and a free and independent press.
The documentary is slated to air on 9NEWS in early November.
Filmmaker Brian Malone of Malone Media Group and Fast Forward Films traveled the state to spend time in local print, digital, radio and TV newsrooms.
“I spent several days inside the 9NEWS newsroom following Marshall Zelinger around and kind of seeing how the sausage is made behind the scenes at ‘Next,’” he said over the phone last week.
Bazi Kanani and the team who produce Colorado Public Radio’s new daily podcast “Colorado Today” are also featured, as well as Tami Graham of KSUT Tribal Radio in the Four Corners region.
“What we have special training to do is to be careful, is to pay attention, is to know what to look out for so that we can get it right and get it clear,” Kanani says in the trailer. “Trust is the glue in our broader systems, and we need those systems to function. Journalism is one of those important systems that we need in a democracy.”
Malone also interviewed longtime visual storyteller Byron Reed of 9NEWS, the station’s news director, Linda Kicak, as well as Dana Coffield and Jason Blevins, who edit and report for the Colorado Sun respectively.
“We’re under assault from social media — and AI,” Coffield says in the trailer.
Offering a look into the workings of a small-town print newspaper will be Erin McIntyre and Mike Wiggins.
Malone spent a week with the relatively young West Slope newspaper-owning couple who have published the mighty Ouray County Plaindealer each week since they left the Sentinel in Grand Junction six years ago.
“People don’t understand what the difference is between facts and opinion. Some of them don’t care. And they don’t care if people are allowed to use ‘alternative facts,’” McIntyre says in a clip from the recently released trailer.
The film takes a fly-on-the-wall approach.
“Just wanting to show the impact of local journalism and the importance of local journalism and how journalists actually connect with their communities, how they are human beings and not part of some elite class,” Malone said. “And really showcase the work that they do and the impact of the work that they do on the communities that they serve.”
Once the documentary premieres on TV, Malone said he plans to partner with the Colorado News Collaborative on a screening tour in communities across the state. Q-and-As featuring local journalists will follow the showings.
This newsletter reported last week about another aspect of the recently launched “Free Press, Free Country” initiative.
Writers for the project are Colorado filmmakers Brian and Cindy Malone, former 9NEWS news director Tim Ryan, and writer Stuart Silloway. An advisory board, on which I participated, includes Colorado journalists, journalism educators, and journalism advocates.
“If we lose journalism,” Zelinger says in part of the new trailer, “then we’re probably losing democracy.”
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The state of local news in Colorado is 'fried and frozen,' survey reveals
Colorado news outlets are “overextended, with too few staff covering too many roles” and unable to grow or adapt “because they lack the resources to make necessary changes.”
That’s the takeaway from a survey of 156 news outlets across the state. The nonprofit Denver-based Colorado News Collaborative, a.k.a. COLab, conducted the research.
“Our greatest challenges are cash flow, paying people a living wage and not having enough staff to meet the demand for coverage,” one unnamed newsroom respondent wrote.
Such conditions revealed by this year’s survey make for what COLab calls a “Fried and Frozen Dilemma,” which “stifles innovation, limits revenue potential and slows the adoption of strategies that could stabilize operations.”
Here are COLab’s key findings from the results:
Revenue instability is growing: 43% of respondents reported decreased revenue over the prior year, up from 33% in the 2023 data.
Staffing is critically low: Median editorial staffing – journalists producing the news – has dropped to 1.35 FTE (full time equivalent); half the news outlets have one or fewer people to do everything else a news business requires.
Free access dominates: Nine of ten outlets are partly or fully free to access, with 63% fully free and another 28% mostly or partly free — a consistent three-year trend.
Audience reach is expanding: Median annual online unique reach grew to 117,000, alongside gains in newsletter subscribers and even print circulation.
“The picture is clear: Colorado’s news outlets are working harder than ever to serve their communities, but systemic barriers threaten their future,” COLab reported. “Addressing the Fried and Frozen Dilemma will require targeted investment, shared resources and collaborative solutions.”
Newsrooms that responded were primarily print-based (78), followed by digital outlets (36), and radio (26). Only four TV stations responded. Fifty-six percent of respondents were for-profit news organizations; 39% were nonprofit.
Here’s another grim excerpt from the COLab report:
The typical Colorado newsroom has seen a 23% drop in editorial FTEs (Full Time Equivalent employees, who might be on staff or contracted). For many outlets, these numbers represent a handful of people doing the work of entire departments.
Limited business or revenue staff means editors, reporters and even publishers are often also responsible for ad sales, fundraising, community engagement and technical operations. Most of the time, multiple of these responsibilities fall to just one person. The result is a sector where burnout is pervasive, and strategic projects are delayed or abandoned.
“With a minimal team handling editing, design, marketing and administration, the operational workload is overwhelming,” another unnamed respondent wrote.
When asked about their top priorities for this year, 43% of respondents said “community listening or engagement efforts,” 41% said “hosting internships,” 39% said “fundraising campaigns,” 37% said “growing staff,” and 36% said “content strategy changes.”
Last year’s State of News report from COLab, which featured significantly fewer respondents, found Colorado’s press corps at a “crossroads.” It appears many newsrooms are still there, waiting for a signal.
The conclusion of the journalism advocacy nonprofit’s report offers some ideas to help:
Breaking the “Fried and Frozen” cycle will require coordinated investment and collaboration. Funders, policymakers, universities, and community members can play critical roles by:
Building shared resources — from technology to training — that reduce duplication and costs.
Supporting multi-year funding commitments that enable strategic planning, not just survival.
Partnering with outlets to strengthen audience trust and engagement.
Advocating for policies that protect press freedom and bolster local news sustainability.
Find the full results and analysis here.
Law Week Colorado is on ‘hiatus’ after canceled federal contracts
The legal news outlet Law Week Colorado, which hasn’t posted an item on its website since June, hopes to start publishing again soon.
The site has been on pause since a major disruption for its parent company, the Denver-based Circuit Media, company founder Rebecca Askew said this week.
A major source of Circuit Media’s revenue is federal contracts. And earlier this year, those contracts, she said, like many around the country, were canceled.
Law Week lost a writer amid a reorganization in response to Circuit Media’s revenue loss. The development reflects a disruption in other sectors, like nonprofits and higher-ed institutions, under the second administration of Republican President Donald Trump.
During the first few months of Trump’s presidency, with Elon Musk at his side, media outlets in Colorado reported on how a funding freeze and “DOGE cuts” were affecting the state.
For Circuit Media, the ramifications came quickly and completely.
“Our plan is to start republishing again,” Askew said. “There’s been a hiatus, but our goal is to get back on top of it.”
She added that the publication has a “deep commitment to the legal community” and wants to continue to serve it. “Law Week,” she said, “we hope, will continue to be a leader in the industry, and that will be our goal.”
➡️ 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. ⬅️
Historians to discuss the influence of Denver’s media ‘titans’
Media “titans” in Denver. Who are (were) they?
A panel of historians and journalists will discuss the topic at the Denver Press Club next week. From the announcement:
On September 3, 2025, join the Denver Press Club for an expert discussion on the impact of Denver journalism and its publishers on the city and state and how and where the building of their offices continues to cement and shape the perception of what power, freedom of speech, journalism, and truth are.
Jason Hanson, chief creative officer for History Colorado; John Deffenbaugh, chief executive officer for Historic Denver; Patricia Calhoun, editor in chief of Westword and historic preservationist; and Phil Goodstein, author of over 30 books on Denver’s history will fill out a table of panelists each providing their unique perspective on how the west was written, built, and remembered. Alan Kania, Denver Press Club historian and author, will moderate.
The event, titled “Denver Journalism, History, Motivation and Place: An exploration into the influence of Denver’s media ‘titans’ and their edifices on its people, Colorado, and the country,” will be Sept. 3 at 6:30 p.m.
It’s part of the nation’s oldest press club’s yearlong celebration of its centennial and is free and open to the public. RSVP for it here.
The conservative case against Fox31’s takeover of 9NEWS in Denver
Last week, this newsletter wrote about a bevy of top state Democratic officials criticizing a planned takeover of Denver’s 9NEWS TV station by its rival Fox31.
This week, one of Colorado’s most prominent conservative voices weighed in as well.
Jon Caldara, who runs the libertarian-leaning nonprofit Independence Institute think tank, wrote a column for Colorado Politics in which he criticized the deal by parent companies Nexstar and Tegna.
“Colorado conservatives have dreamt of the day they could kick 9News anchor, and the Imelda Marcos of sport coats, Kyle Clark to the curb. Their day may be coming,” he wrote. “And I must admit, there’s a certain satisfaction imagining Kyle selling his wardrobe at a garage sale. But conservatives will find a national conglomerate owning half the local TV news outlets is worse.”
From the column:
We should remember what happened to radio.
Colorado’s channel 9 and their affiliate Channel 20 are being sold, along with some other 62 news stations around the country, to an even larger media giant that already owns Colorado’s channels 2 and 31.
So, four major over-the-airwaves TV news stations here will combine their operations into one to be run by an out-of-state company. And this will help hold politicians accountable? We’ve seen this type of conglomeration here before, in radio, and it’s served no one well, including, ironically, the companies that did it.
Media consolidation stemming from politicians deregulating the industry, Caldara wrote, meant local layoffs and fewer voices on the air.
“When the new owners of channel 9 start shedding costs at all four of their Front Range news stations,” he concluded, “it likely won’t result in more coverage of conservative stories, just less coverage of all stories.”
📢 Amplify your message: When you reach journalists, you reach their audiences
Each Friday, this “Inside the News in Colorado” newsletter reaches perhaps more influential Colorado journalists and media-adjacent readers in one place than any publication and has a record of raising awareness among the state’s press corps and newsmakers. Get in touch about a sponsorship box in this newsletter. Email me at coreyhutchins[at]gmail[dot]com.
More Colorado media odds & ends
⚖️ The Estes Valley Voice had “been in existence for just four months when it filed its first open-government lawsuit,” Jeff Roberts reported for the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition. “Now 14 months since it launched in June 2024, the digital news outlet has filed — remarkably — a total of three.”
📲 The Big Tech lobby won the Colorado legislature’s special session “after negotiations on the policy broke down” and Democratic lawmakers decided to extend the start date of an existing artificial intelligence regulation law, Sara Wilson reported for Colorado Newsline.
🏆 Former Denver Post Editor Greg Moore was inducted into the National Association of Black Journalists Hall of Fame earlier this month. “It’s a great personal honor for me and I’m humbled and grateful to be recognized in that way,” he said.
📻 Izzy Wagner reported for Sky-Hi News about how rescinded federal funding is negatively affecting the community radio station KFFR in Grand County. “Small rural areas that lose their local newspaper or radio station also lose the democratic process, because they’re not informed about what’s happening in their local community,” KFFR’s executive director, Ryan Wilson, said in the story.
🍽️ Veteran Boulder food writer John Lehndorff has joined the nonprofit digital Boulder Reporting Lab newsroom. He promises “a guide to cheap eats, restaurant news, culinary events and deeper food conversations.”
🆕 A new report by Anika Anand and Darryl Holliday, supported by the national Press Forward campaign, offers “a revised framework for understanding and supporting news.” Colorado Media Project, which underwrites this newsletter, got a shoutout. “If we want to build a stronger local news field, we must support and strengthen the diverse information stewards who are already doing the work — often with little recognition, but with deep impact,” the authors concluded. “The future of local news is not just professional; it is participatory.”
💨 Longtime Colorado Public Radio Morning Edition Host Mike Lamp “will sign off” Sept. 12, which is his 64th birthday, CPR Colorado Matters Host Ryan Warner said on social media. “Mike is unflappable, humble, and has a voice that soothes like baby powder,” Warner said. “Before he leaves, he’ll join Colorado Matters to discuss his TV and radio career.”
📡 Rocky Mountain PBS explored how Republicans in Congress cutting funding for public media is impacting KRZA, which serves the San Luis Valley.
🎙️ Colorado College journalism minors Olivia Bagan and Havalin Haskell said they found meaning in their summer internships at KRCC during an Aug. 21 event at Colorado Public Radio’s new headquarters in Denver where they presented their work. “I felt so empowered, so supported, so seen,” one of them said about the internship. “I think that’s something really rare.”
🚨 This story, headlined “After Republican spending cuts, public media stations — including in Colorado — wait on money for emergency alerts,” by Gabriela Aoun Angueira of the Associated Press and re-published by the Colorado Sun, has a kind of lede I never thought I’d see from the AP.
🎵 Staffers at the Denver Post wrote about their favorite Mile High City bands and music venues for the paper’s section The Know.
💪 Writing for Complete Colorado, the news and commentary arm of the libertarian-leaning Independence Institute nonprofit think tank, columnist Ari Armstrong explained why he believes a public media outlet has a “general progressive bias.”
🏆 “Loved to Death,” a Rocky Mountain Community Radio collaborative reporting series “that delves into the complex relationship between tourism and the environment in our region,” won first place in the Public Media Journalists Association annual awards in the small newsroom category for Collaborative News Series.
🤖 This appears in a chat box on the bottom right of the home page of a Four Corners newspaper: “Hi! I am The Durango Herald’s AI helper. How may I help you?” The bot, named Herold, says it “can assist you with questions about subscriptions, resolving circulation issues, providing information about articles, and helping you submit news tips, letters to the editor, and local news briefs.”
👊 Sydney McGarr, the news editor of the Catalyst independent student newspaper at Colorado College, offered advice this week in the national newsletter The Nutgraf about why new students should join campus publications.
🎸 Kara Mason wrote for Westword about an archival project to “document and preserve the history of alternative music in Pueblo.” Her story is called “The Lore of Pueblo Hardcore: New Archive Highlights a Rich Counterculture.”
💰 The nonprofit Pueblo Star Journal newspaper earned $10,300 from the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority to support its Mobile Journalism Bootcamp. “This program will train and equip the next generation of neighborhood reporters in Pueblo, strengthening local news,” the paper stated.
⚙️ Michael Arnold, who was KUNC’s chief audience and content officer, “will be Indiana University Bloomington’s next executive director of integrated public media,” Indiana Public Media reported. There, he “will lead all operations across Indiana Public Media.”
🦫 The Steamboat Institute held its annual Freedom Conference in Beaver Creek, Colorado last week. “The event featured prominent journalists and public figures, offering valuable insights into current issues, journalism, and leadership,” the Spectator reported.
🙏 Thanks, Kevin Eck, for the mention of this newsletter in Adweek.
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.