The state of local news in Colorado, mapped
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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.

