Under Trump, Colorado's public media are on alert
The news behind the news in Colorado
Public broadcasters in Colorado are on alert.
Last week, Brendan Carr, Trump’s choice to lead the Federal Communications Commission, ordered an investigation into NPR and PBS.
Any ramifications could trickle down to the state level.
Carr last week told members of Congress that he was concerned the large public broadcasters might be running “prohibited commercial advertisements.”
Then he dropped the hammer.
“Congress is actively considering whether to stop requiring taxpayers to subsidize NPR and PBS programming,” he wrote. “I do not see a reason why Congress should continue sending taxpayer dollars to NPR and PBS given the changes in the media marketplace since the passage of the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967.”
Member stations of NPR get 10% of their funding on average from the U.S.-chartered Corporation for Public Broadcasting, NPR reported; PBS gets part of its support from the CPB as well.
Colorado is home to several NPR member stations, including Colorado Public Radio.
Rocky Mountain Public Media is a member station of both PBS and NPR. The station pays membership fees in exchange for certain content and services.
Over email last week, the heads of both statewide Colorado news organizations said they plan to communicate with their audiences about what is at stake under the new White House administration.
And they each noted the role they play in communication during emergencies.
“We will definitely be communicating with our audience and supporters and letting them know what is at stake and how to participate,” said Stewart Vanderwilt, the CEO of Colorado Public Radio, the statewide NPR member station. “Colorado has a good story to share on the importance of public radio in local communities.”
Because of Colorado Public Radio and independent local stations, every congressional district in the state has access to local information that can only be delivered from where people are, he added.
“These stations are a critical part of emergency alerting infrastructure and a source of real time life and property saving information delivery,” Vanderwilt said. “We will actively communicate with our delegation the importance of a continued federal investment in each of their districts.”
On the television screen, Rocky Mountain Public Media is “taking the opportunity to articulate our big vision for the future of public media in Colorado and to share — through the lens of our audiences — the positive impact we make on their lives today and over the nearly 70 years we've been serving the state,” said RMPM CEO Amanda Mountain.
She urged those who want to keep up with what she called the “changing threats to public media — and in some ways the broader free press” to sign up for emails from the group Protect My Public Media that “will share ways to get directly involved in the fight.”
“Public media represents the largest locally owned and operated media source for all Coloradans, providing life-saving information through our role in the emergency alert system and, for RMPM, protecting the ‘public square’ where the free-exchange of ideas and information connects communities in ways that strengthen our collective civic fabric,” Mountain said.
Last Tuesday, the NPR member station in Carbondale sent out a newsletter with a headline reading “A quite serious message from KDNK.” From the email:
Public Media outlets, including community radio stations such as KDNK, have recently been named as direct targets for funding cuts and threats of total dissolution by the federal government, under false pretenses that all public radio is “biased” or “liberal propaganda.” It's important that we take a stand for public media and make our voice heard.
The station urged its supporters to email their members of Congress and sign a petition to protect public funding.
Here’s more from KDNK:
Public radio stations are nonprofit organizations funded through a mix of government support (via the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, or CPB), listener donations, underwriting and private grants. This structure is designed to minimize corporate influence and political pressure. While it's true that the government provides some funding, public radio stations are designed to remain independent in their editorial decisions.
While there are certainly instances where individuals or groups may feel that public radio’s coverage leans one way or another on specific issues, the overall structure, mission, and editorial practices of public radio stations such as KDNK exist to inform, educate, and engage listeners with a wide range of perspectives, using rigorous journalistic standards. Public radio covers political issues in depth, providing extensive coverage of both Democratic and Republican candidates during election cycles and reporting critically on both parties. This helps listeners get a fuller picture of political events without leaning too far in one direction.
Justin Sasso, president and CEO of the Colorado Broadcasters Association, says his organization is monitoring the developments between the FCC and NPR and PBS.
“Obviously, this is a discussion between a regulatory authority and the public broadcasting networks, so it is too early to know what the outcome might be at the state level,” he said. “The CBA will respond swiftly to provide its members resources that are timely with any developments.”
The Colorado Sun’s Robert Davis checked in with some other Colorado public broadcast stations and focused on the FCC’s investigation into underwriting practices. He reported CPR gets about 22% of its revenue from underwriting. Aspen Public Radio Executive Director Breeze Richardson told Davis she is confident that the station’s underwriting complied with federal regulations.
Davis also got an ominous quote from Steve Zansberg, the prominent Colorado First Amendment attorney who often represents broadcasters.
“This isn’t being done in isolation,” Zansberg said. “It’s part of a concerted, broad assault on the free press and I don’t suspect this will be the first and last. I think there’s much more of this to come.”
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⚖️ A social media account purportedly belonging to a Republican Colorado lawmaker with a history of antagonism toward media outlets that have covered her has urged the government to deprive the liberty of two prominent Denver TV journalists. The station 9NEWS, where the journalists work, reported on the incident with an un-bylined story. On social media, the account purportedly belonging to the lawmaker responded to the story, saying in part, “Listen the Dems made the rules about mis and dis information. Maybe ask the AG’s office what the rules are?” Some context: Last year, Democratic lawmakers passed and the Democratic governor signed a new law that requires the Democratic attorney general to coordinate with the Department of Education “in an effort to prevent the proliferation of factually inaccurate data by sharing resources to encourage respectful discourse.” If that’s the law referred to in the posts, it doesn’t say anything about arresting people for spreading misinformation. And it’s a watered-down version of the initial proposal that concerned some on First Amendment grounds. (Credible journalists don’t knowingly spread misinformation or disinformation and if they make mistakes they correct them, which is part of what sets journalism apart from other forms of communication.)
📺 Eerily, during one of 9NEWS anchor Kyle Clark’s closing viewer feedback segments of his nightly newscast “Next” last week, a studio light went out, leaving him shrouded in darkness. The news anchor told a camera operator to keep the tape rolling as he continued on with the show. “I really don’t think it’s the biggest of our problems right now,” he said, and then read a viewer’s hope that Elon Musk “takes over” the 9NEWS show and “gets rid” of Clark. “I certainly have noticed a thirst from some people in the government to retaliate against journalists these days,” Clark said. “It might happen. We’ll see.”
🎙 The progressive nonprofit digital news and commentary Colorado Times Recorder site has launched a podcast called Fever Swamp Review.
⬆️ San Luis Valley Publishing, which owns a cluster of small newspapers in southern Colorado, has a new publisher. Brian Williams will be familiar to those who work for the papers. He is moving up from a managing editor position. “I am grateful for this opportunity,” Williams said in a statement. “We have a big challenge ahead of us. The team we have is nimble and focused and ready to grow the business. … Growing our audience both online and in print will remain a key priority for us.” The papers included the Valley Courier in Alamosa, the Monte Vista Journal, The Del Norte Prospector, The Conejos County Citizen, Center Post-Dispatch, The Mineral County Miner, The South Fork Tines, and SLV Lifestyles. All but the Valley Courier are weekly newspapers. They print their own products at their press in Alamosa.
🍄 This full-page advertisement in the Colorado Springs Independent biweekly print newspaper is truly something to behold.
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🎧 Innovation. Business models. Community listening. Authenticity. Diversity and inclusion. Digital evolution. Tech stacks. Ad products. Audience growth. Healthy newsroom cultures. Journalism with impact.
Listen to leading doers and thinkers in local news — from small rural and ethnic publications to large ecosystem builders and funders — address these topics and more on the Local News Matters podcast hosted by Tim Regan-Porter, CEO of the Colorado Press Association. Know someone you think should be on the show? Fill out this form.🎙
🍽 Matthew Schniper, the independent Colorado Springs culinary journalist behind the Side Dish Substack newsletter, appeared for an interview with the popular national tech and media writer Simon Owens. On the show, Schniper spoke about how he “came up with a novel way to monetize his content.”
🗞 Colorado Press Women is hosting a Zoom panel discussion about the future of small-town newspapers on Saturday, Feb. 22, at 10 a.m. “Led by Linda Shapley, director of editorial and audience engagement for Colorado Community Media, and featuring Erin McIntyre, co-owner, co-publisher and co-pretty-much-everything at the Ouray County Plaindealer, the panel will address the rewards and challenges facing community journalism today.” Look to the Colorado Press Women website for more details soon.
🗣 Ja’Ronn Alex, the Western Slope TV reporter who said a man driving a taxi and calling himself a Marine followed him, harassed him, questioned him about his citizenship, and then tried to suffocate him, is talking again. This time it’s to The Tiger, the newspaper that serves his alma mater, Clemson University, in South Carolina. “When asked about how KKCO has been helping Alex through the aftermath of the attack, Alex told The Tiger that he couldn’t ‘100% say’ that KKCO has been helpful,” The Tiger’s news editor, Kat Pugh, wrote. “This was a racial incident,” Alex told The Tiger. “I had never met this guy before. I don’t know who this guy is, but that was more than enough for him to justify him just stopping me from breathing.” He has told this newsletter: “From what I gather from the past two court hearings, it seems to be that I was a victim of one of his mental episodes.”
⚙️ Joe Rubino has left the Denver Post as a reporter and has become a senior media relations strategist for the City of Aurora. On LinkedIn, a couple of people welcomed Rubino to the “dark side,” while one Denver Gazette journalist remarked that Aurora “needs good PR right about now.”
➡️ As a new 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. We’re making plans for a regional conference next spring. And 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. ⬅️
❓ “What went wrong at the National Trust for Local News?” asked the Poynter Institute’s Rick Edmonds last week about the nonprofit that owns two dozen newspapers in the Denver suburbs known as Colorado Community Media. “With a cofounder out as CEO, a big question looms: Is the novel idea of fighting news deserts by buying and remotely running local outlets flawed?”
🧐 If journalists get too close to Democrats and liberals it’s a bad thing, but if they cozy up to Republicans and conservatives it’s … apparently the correct thing? That was one head-scratching takeaway from a story last week by reporter Heidi Beedle for the progressive nonprofit Colorado Times Recorder digital site. The lede is something to behold. The whole story is, actually.
🌿 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. 🌿
🧊 “Without evidence, border patrol officials said unnamed Colorado media tipped off immigration activists about the raids, endangering federal agents,” reported the Sentinel weekly newspaper that covers Aurora. “Nothing substantiates the charge.”
🦠 Following last week’s coverage about AI-generated email newsletters serving Pueblo and Fort Collins that were created by a guy with tech tools in New York City, a reader wrote in to say there’s also one in Durango. After some poking around, I found others in Grand Junction, Loveland, and Longmont, too. The Nieman Lab reporter who broke the story told me he has also identified them in Greeley, Lafayette, Castle Rock, Windsor, and Colorado Springs.
✍️ “As the owner and publisher of North Forty News, trust is at the core of my work. It’s the foundation of this fully online newspaper, built one story at a time,” wrote Blaine Howerton last week.
🖨 “A nonprofit has created a more affordable printing system to ensure that communities continue to have access to local journalism,” Maggy Wolanske reported for Denver7. “Kevin Smalley, the production director of The Trust Press, works alongside his crews to ensure the publications are perfect. Having 35 years of experience in printing, he reflected on the need for local newspapers to stay around.”
🔎 Colorado Press Association CEO Tim Regan-Porter spoke to Rossana Longo Better at Colorado Community Media about “challenges posed by the misinformation and the growing number of news platforms that operate without clear journalistic standards.”
🆕 Kristen Fiore is the new culture editor at Westword, the alternative weekly newspaper in Denver. “I am beyond excited to dive into Denver’s creative scene and to work at this publication I have admired for so long,” Fiore said. Fiore was previously the west metro editor at Colorado Community Media. The journalist called it “bittersweet to leave … my five west metro papers, which will always be a part of me. The team at CCM is so dedicated to their communities and delivering local news, in many cases hyper local news that readers wouldn’t be able to find anywhere else.”
🎙 I appeared on the conservative podcast The Peak and the liberal podcast Get More Smarter in recent weeks to talk about Colorado media. Which one wore it best?
I’m Corey Hutchins, manager of the Colorado College Journalism Institute 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. Colorado Media Project, where I’m an advisor, 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.
Thanks for the shout-out this week! What a joy to go on Simon Owens's Media Podcast and talk about how to fund a Substack model. I've had other Substackers reach out since with questions.