The state of local news in Colorado, mapped
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
All but one of Colorado's 64 counties have at least one local news outlet, according to a recent report from Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism.
Why it matters: Even with newsroom closures and consolidations nationwide, Colorado is largely without "news deserts" as of now.
- Studies show the closure of newspapers leads to political polarization, lower voter turnout, fewer political candidates and economic costs.
The big picture: An uptick in newspaper closures this year has left more than half of the nation's 3,143 counties — home to 55 million people — with one or no local news sources, the report found.
Zoom in: In Colorado, just one county — Dolores, on the Western Slope — is classified as a news desert in Medill's analysis.
- Nine other counties, mostly in the state's southeastern corner, are flagged as at risk of losing their last local news sources.
The intrigue: Cheyenne County, about two hours east of Colorado Springs, isn't on that watch list, despite the closure of its only newspaper — the Range Ledger — two years ago.
By the numbers: Colorado has lost 12 newspapers this year compared to last, per Medill's report. That's an 11% decline.
- In 2024 alone, at least four newspapers on Colorado's rural Eastern Plains shut down or ended their print editions, writes Corey Hutchins, co-director of the Journalism Institute at Colorado College.
The silver lining: A significant increase in philanthropic funding for local news over the last year has given rise to more digital local news sites across the country.
- Locally, the Colorado Sun has sought to fill the gap by putting a focus on covering the entire state. In October, it received a three-year grant from the American Journalism Project to grow operations and expand its news coverage.
The fine print: The analysis counts community newspapers, standalone digital sites, ethnic outlets and public broadcasting, but not local TV or radio.
- Regional or statewide publications were counted in the county where they're located.
Threat level: Most counties that lose a newspaper are unlikely to see a replacement, even though there are more new digital local news sites than ever.
- The result is a growing void in access to reliable, community-based reporting.