About the Project
Colorado is recognized as a leader in the rebirth of local news, with perhaps the most cooperative news ecosystem in the nation. COLab is pleased to present State of News: Colorado, analyzing the results of the Colorado News Survey and other research. COLab, Colorado Press Association (CPA), and Colorado Media Project (CMP) launched the Colorado News Survey in 2023 to capture an annual snapshot of newsrooms in our state. We intend to help local newsrooms compare experiences with each other and with news outlets nationwide. We track trends, anticipate challenges and spot opportunities to make Colorado’s news ecosystem ever stronger.
The Reports
State of News: Colorado 2025
In 2025, Colorado’s local news ecosystem is defined by resilience, ingenuity — and strain. The latest Colorado News Survey, reflecting 2024 data collected in 2025, reached 156 news outlets, an 18% increase over the prior year. These outlets span every region and medium: from small-town weeklies and public radio to ethnic media serving multilingual communities. The data show an industry...
State of News: Colorado 2023
The 2023 State of News: Colorado is based on the most comprehensive survey of state news outlets to date. In October and November 2023, the Colorado News Survey was distributed to 307 newsrooms; 93 answered, for a response rate of 30%. The survey, with more than 50 questions and 5,000 data points, asked about business structures, challenges, distribution, diversity and...
