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Taking Another Look at Ohio’s Low-Cost Process for Resolving Open Records Disputes

Nov 8, 2024

In 2018, this blog reported on a then-two-year-old process in Ohio that gives requesters of public records a

Inside the News: A Colorado Newspaper Publisher ‘Got Obliterated’ on Election Night

Smashed. Hammered. Completely wrecked. That was the state in which the publisher of a small rural newspaper found

Inside the news: How Colorado’s Ethnic Media Outlets Are Working Together

Nov 1, 2024

From Spanish-language publications, Asian magazines, and what one Nigerian-American publisher likens to a “community

Election Day Is Right Around the Corner. Here’s What Thousands of Coloradans Told Us Matters to Them Most.

Oct 30, 2024

Throughout the high-stakes, high-anxiety 2024 election, Coloradans who’ve taken our Voter Voices survey have been

It’s Almost 2025. Why Are We Still Writing Checks To Pay for Public Records?

Oct 25, 2024

A quarter of the way into the 21st century, should Coloradans still have to write paper checks to pay for public

CFOIC Brief: Eliminating Penalties for ‘Cured’ Violations ‘Eviscerates’ Enforcement of Open Meetings Law

Public bodies must not be permitted to “cure” infringements of the Colorado Open Meetings Law without being held

Inside the News: Colorado Sun Gets $1.4M Grant, Will Create ‘Regional Hubs’ Around the State

One week after news that $900,000 in Press Forward grant money will flow to nine Colorado newsrooms across

After Years of Closures, Four New Specialized Schools Open for Colorado’s ‘Most Vulnerable’ Students

Oct 24, 2024

Three new specialized Colorado schools began working with school districts this fall to serve students with some of the

How Your Vote Could Affect Democracy and Good Government

Oct 18, 2024

Every election is a direct reminder of the power — and complexity — of democracy. This year’s is also an outlet

How Your Vote Could Affect Housing Policy

Living in Colorado, for many, means spending a lot of time worrying about how to make the rent or the mortgage, or

How Your Vote Could Affect Climate Change Policy

Oct 17, 2024

The devastating and deadly impacts of Hurricanes Helene and Milton in the final weeks of the 2024 election have once

Inside the News: Nearly $1M Flows to Colorado Newsrooms From National Press Forward Group

Oct 16, 2024

Nine local news outlets across Colorado will each haul in $100,000 from the national Press Forward fundraising campaign

Where To Find Abortion on Your Ballot

Oct 15, 2024

Abortion is a hot topic in the November election at multiple levels — but particularly on the Colorado ballot, which

Care About the Cost of Living? Here’s Where You’ll Find It on Your Ballot.

Oct 12, 2024

One of the top issues on the minds of Colorado voters this election is the cost of living, with about 15% in

Inside the News: New ‘Colorado Capitol News Alliance’ Launches With KUNC, RMPBS, and Sun

Oct 11, 2024

A cluster of Colorado news organizations this week launched a new collaborative local reporting effort backed by nearly

How Your Vote Could Affect Immigration Policy

Immigration — who’s coming to the country, how they arrive here and what it means for the nation’s identity —

Denver Gazette and DPS Argue in Court of Appeals Over Disclosure of School Administrators’ Disciplinary Records

Oct 9, 2024

The Colorado Court of Appeals heard arguments Tuesday about whether a state law that makes educator evaluation records

Inside the News: Denver7 Pulls 3 TV Journalists Away From 9NEWS in Roughly a Year

Oct 4, 2024

You’ve heard the saying: three’s a trend. Over roughly the past year, Denver7 has drawn three journalists away from

Colorado’s Election Is Approaching Fast. Here’s How We’re Covering It — and It’s Not Too Late To Weigh In

Sep 29, 2024

The November election is approaching quickly — so quickly that Colorado’s ballots will begin arriving in mailboxes

Inside the News: Local Man Saves a Colorado Newspaper on the Eastern Plains. What About the Rest?

Sep 27, 2024

One of five newspapers on Colorado’s rural Eastern Plains that recently announced it will close has come back to

Supreme Court Weighs Arguments That Could Affect Confidentiality of Colorado’s Peace Officer Database

Sep 24, 2024

Comparing the Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) board to the dental board and similar state licensing

Inside the News: Gazette To Launch Statewide ‘Colorado Network’ for Freelancers

Sep 20, 2024

After launching the Denver Gazette digital publication four years ago, Clarity Media is seeking to expand its footprint

El equipo de Noticias Univision Colorado quiere conocer qué temas inquietan a nuestra comunidad para las próximas elecciones del 2024.

El equipo de Noticias Univision Colorado quiere conocer qué temas inquietan a nuestra comunidad para las próximas

Residents’ Lawsuit Seeks To Hold Elbert County Commissioners Personally Liable for Privately Approving Administrator and Attorney Contracts

Sep 19, 2024

The Elbert County commissioners should be held personally liable for unlawfully approving new contracts for the county

Inside the News: What Colorado Newsrooms are Paying Journalists in 2024

Sep 13, 2024

Three years ago, this newsletter reported how Coloradans were, for the first time, learning what our

Updated Social Media Guidance for Colorado Legislators Urges ‘Risk-Management’ Approach After SCOTUS Ruling

Sep 12, 2024

An updated memo from the Office of Legislative Legal Services suggests that members of the Colorado General Assembly

Here’s What Our Readers Told Us They Want From Politicians

Sep 11, 2024

In recent months, we asked readers to take surveys telling us what they think candidates for political offices should

How Our Newsroom Will Use Voter Voices Results

Colorado Community Media’s newsroom has already used the results of the Voter Voices surveys we have received so far.

Court of Appeals Stays Release of Blurred Body-Cam Video Showing Lakewood Police Shooting 17-Year-Old Robbery Suspect

Sep 9, 2024

The Colorado Court of Appeals has stayed a judge’s order to disclose blurred body-worn camera footage of Lakewood

Inside the news: ‘Rocky Mountain Reader’ launches in Colorado to cover the literary landscape

Sep 6, 2024

A new online outlet called the Rocky Mountain Reader launched this week, promising to “highlight the vast

Colorado Channel Authority Board members push for video webcasting of legislative committee meetings

Sep 5, 2024

Members of the appointed board that oversees the broadcasting of Colorado House and Senate floor proceedings say it’s

Colorado Supreme Court Will Examine ‘Public Interest’ Parameters of Anti-SLAPP Law

Sep 3, 2024

The state’s highest court announced Tuesday it will examine the “public interest” parameters of a 2019 statute

Inside the News: ‘That’s the Problem With Newsrooms out Here,’ Rural Colorado Publisher Says

Aug 30, 2024

When Rocky Mountain PBS reporter Chase McCleary recently interviewed the publisher of the Kiowa County Independent

McIntyre and Wiggins Merit CFOIC’s Jean Otto Award for Their ‘Dogged and Dog-Inspired’ Reporting

Aug 26, 2024

The Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition presented its Jean Otto Friend of Freedom Award to Erin McIntyre and Mike

Inside the News: A Push for Robust Public Funding of Local News in Colorado

Aug 24, 2024

On Thursday, inside a hotel conference ballroom in Northglenn, a packed room of journalists, funders, media advocates,

Inside the News: Colorado Journalists Get Ghosted by Dem Lawmakers With New Secrecy Law

Aug 16, 2024

Earlier this year, Democratic lawmakers at the state Capitol rankled some journalists and their advocates when they

Elbert County Residents Say Commissioners Violated Open Meetings Law by Privately Approving Administrator and Attorney Contracts

Aug 15, 2024

Elbert County commissioners violated the Colorado Open Meetings Law by approving new contracts for the county

Judge: Boulder Can’t Demand Thousands of Dollars To Release Body-Cam Footage of Fatal Police Shooting

Aug 13, 2024

The Boulder Police Department is not allowed to charge thousands of dollars in fees for body-worn camera footage

Court of Appeals Orders Hearing in Case of ‘Penniless’ Activist Who Refused To Pay State Agency $600 for Ketamine Records

Aug 9, 2024

Colorado’s second-highest court Thursday ordered a judge to hold a hearing in the case of a “homeless and

Inside the News: Gazette Editor – Denver Post’s Owner ‘Could Give a Crap’ About the Community

A troubling announcement late last month that the Brush News-Tribune would be one of multiple Eastern Plains newspapers

State Supreme Court To Review Child Abuse Statistics Case Won on Appeal by Colorado Sun and 9NEWS

Aug 5, 2024

The Colorado Supreme Court will review an appellate court opinion that the Colorado Children’s Code doesn’t

How the Ouray County Plaindealer Successfully Fought ‘Excessive’ Redactions in Police Internal Affairs Records

Aug 2, 2024

Despite a 2019 state statute requiring the public disclosure of police internal affairs files in Colorado, the town of

Inside the News: Two MORE Colorado newspapers stop printing on the Eastern Plains

Jul 31, 2024

A news coverage colony collapse might be hitting the Eastern Plains. Following news last week that three

Inside the News: ‘Heartbreaking’ – 3 Eastern Colorado Papers Closing, ‘Things Have Run Their Course’

Jul 24, 2024

Three newspapers with two different owners on Colorado’s Eastern Plains — the Plainsman Herald, the Burlington

Colorado Supreme Court Will Review Judicially Created Doctrine That Lets Public Bodies ‘Cure’ Open Meetings Law Violations

Jul 22, 2024

The Colorado Supreme Court will examine whether a judicially created doctrine allowing public bodies to “cure”

Colorado Court of Appeals Hears Case of ‘Penniless’ Activist Who Refused To Pay State Agency $600 for Ketamine Records

Jul 18, 2024

The Colorado Court of Appeals heard oral arguments Wednesday about whether a Denver activist has legal standing to sue

Inside the News: Denver Post & Gazette’s Front-Page Trump Shooting Headlines Differed Starkly

Jul 16, 2024

This is a special early edition of Inside the News in Colorado in light of recent events… This Sunday’s front

Inside the News: Three Major Colorado Newsrooms Say They Are ‘Pro-Democracy’

Jul 12, 2024

The general manager of a large Colorado TV news station, the editor of a leading statewide radio broadcaster, and an

Inside the News: Colorado Media Odds & Ends – Holiday Weekend Roundup Edition

Jul 4, 2024

🏝 This week’s newsletter was produced in out-of-the-country mode with spotty internet — and it’s a

Colorado Governments Quickly Adopt New Maximum Cora Research-and-Retrieval Fee Rate of $41.37

Jul 3, 2024

It didn’t take long for several government entities in Colorado to adopt the new, much-higher, maximum CORA fee rate

Inside the news: Behind the Scenes of Kyle Clark’s 9NEWS Show ‘Next’

Jun 27, 2024

Following an expert performance moderating a televised debate among six congressional candidates earlier this month,

Commentary: Candidates Are Almost Completely Neglecting a Top Issue for Colorado Voters

Jun 21, 2024

There is a huge gap in Colorado between campaign rhetoric on political issues and what voters in the state say they

Inside the News: Rural Colorado Newspaper SUES Another Over ‘Newspaper of Record’ Status

Jun 20, 2024

The publisher of a weekly newspaper in a rural Colorado county has sued another newspaper in hopes of getting legal

Truth, Restoration & Education Reports: Learn The Truth About American Indian History And Treaty Rights In Colorado

Jun 14, 2024

The TREC report provides a comprehensive examination of the extensive damage endured by Native peoples due to forced

Amanece un nuevo Sol 

Jun 13, 2024

El Sopris Sun se enorgullece en anunciar que a partir del 28 de junio, el Sol del Valle adoptará una nueva imagen, un

Inside the News: Colorado Local News Is at a ‘Crossroads,’ Finds New Report

Funding for Colorado newsrooms isn’t secure, burnout and shortages are affecting staff, and keeping up with

Hospitals Can No Longer Quietly Sue Patients Under Another Business Name Following 9NEWS Investigates Report

Hospitals in Colorado will no longer be able to sue patients under the names of their debt collectors after Gov. Jared

Judge Sides With Koaa-TV in Dispute Over Records of Colorado Mental Health Hospital Employees

Jun 12, 2024

KOAA-TV is entitled to unredacted records concerning employees at the Colorado Mental Health Hospital in Pueblo, a

CORA’s Maximum Research-and-Retrieval Fee Rate Will Rise 23 Percent on July 1 — to $41.37/Hour

CORA’s maximum research-and-retrieval rate will jump to $41.37/hour on July 1, letting state and local government

Voter Guide 2024: Democratic State House Primary Races Q&A

Jun 10, 2024

Registered voters in Colorado should have received their ballots in the mail for the June 25 primary, which includes

Voter Guide 2024: Republican State House Primary Races Q&A

Registered voters in Colorado should have received their ballots in the mail for the June 25 primary, which includes

Coloradans From Every Political Party, Age Group and Region Want Politicians To Do Something About the Cost of Living

There’s a catchall phrase that’s been tossed around as parody for decades, but feels increasingly earnest: In this

Voter Guide 2024: State Senate Primary Races Q&A

Registered voters in Colorado should have received their ballots in the mail for the June 25 primary, which includes

A New Sol Rises

Jun 7, 2024

The Sopris Sun is proud to announce that beginning June 28, el Sol del Valle will embrace a new look, a new

Inside the News: Longmont Leader News Site Closes – ‘A Day I Hoped Would Never Come’

Jun 6, 2024

Colorado seems like a bust for the Canadian-owned local news publisher that tried to replicate its success in the

Court Briefs Lay Out Arguments in Boulder Lawsuit Over Fees for Police Body-Cam Footage

Jun 5, 2024

Are Colorado law enforcement agencies allowed to charge the public thousands of dollars for body-worn camera footage of

We Are Asking Coloradans What They Want Candidates To Focus on This Election. Thousands Have Answered.

Thousands of Coloradans responding to a survey by their local newsrooms say candidates competing for their votes this

Coloradans Want Their Candidates Focused on Good Government and Democracy. But That Can Mean a Lot of Things.

A lot of Coloradans are worried about our democracy. And they want candidates to pay attention to it too. That is the

West End Readers Make Voices Heard in Election Survey

It’s an election year, and the San Miguel Basin Forum has been asking locals this spring what they want to hear from

Where Republican Candidates in Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District Stand on Big Issues

Jun 4, 2024

The GOP-leaning district spans Colorado’s Western Slope and stretches into Pueblo and southeastern Colorado. U.S.

State of News: Colorado

Tracking trends, anticipating challenges and spotting opportunities to make Colorado’s news ecosystem ever

State of News: Colorado 2023

Jun 3, 2024

The 2023 State of News: Colorado is based on the most comprehensive survey of state news outlets to date. In October

Voters Across Colorado, and Chaffee County Say “Democracy” Top Issue for 2024 Election

May 30, 2024

Earlier this year, Ark Valley Voice (AVV) made a commitment to our readers for what we called “engaged

Its Radio Transmissions Encrypted Since 2016, Aurora Police Considered — Then Rejected — a Delayed Public Feed on Broadcastify

The death at age 89 of longtime police reporter Marilyn Robinson brought to mind an enduring image for those of us who

Inside the News: Fewer Colorado Journalists Covering the Arts Is ‘Bad for Everyone’

A dozen years ago, critic and commentator John Moore left the Denver Post. Typically, a journalist accepting a buyout

Ability To Afford Housing a Top Concern for Young Colorado Voters

May 29, 2024

Young voters in Colorado are worried about their ability to afford rent across the state, but they haven’t heard

Judge: Lakewood Police Must Disclose Blurred Body-Cam Footage of Officers Shooting and Killing 17-Year-Old

May 24, 2024

A judge Friday ordered the Lakewood Police Department to release blurred body-worn camera footage of officers shooting

Court of Appeals: All Coloradans Have Legal Standing To Sue Over Open Meetings Law Violations — No Matter Where They Live

May 23, 2024

A Pagosa Springs attorney who has filed nearly 100 open-government lawsuits in the past several years has standing to

Inside the News: New ‘Locally Owned’ Digital News Site Estes Valley Voice To Launch in Colorado

A picturesque town at the edge of Rocky Mountain National Park will be the latest setting for a new digital news outlet

Inside the News: Colorado Springs Indy RETURNS as a Bi-Weekly Newspaper

May 17, 2024

Three months after two wealthy local developers announced they would relaunch the iconic Indy alternative weekly

Colorado Passed a Law To Crack Down on Dishonest Officers by Pulling Their Certifications. Has It Worked?

May 15, 2024

Nearly 70 Colorado law enforcement officers have lost their state-mandated certifications since 2020 after being

Inside the News: ‘Death Threats’ Says a Small-Town Newspaper Publisher in Colorado

May 10, 2024

A rural Colorado newspaper publisher says he has faced threats and harassment as his town has lurched into the paranoid

Wrap-Up: Tally of Open-Government Losses in 2024 Colorado Legislative Session Could’ve Been Higher

May 9, 2024

It could have been worse. While open-government losses far outnumbered wins in the 2024 session of the Colorado General

The Colorado Lotus Project: A Statewide Look at the Strengths and Barriers Facing Colorado’s Asian American and Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander Community

May 8, 2024

The Colorado Lotus Project is a groundbreaking effort to uplift the unique voices and experiences of Asian American and

Inside the News: KOAA ‘Under Pressure’ Not To Air ‘Jailhouse Video’ Does It Anyway — and Explains Why

May 3, 2024

KOAA News5 in Colorado Springs says authorities pressured it not to air video it legally obtained — but the TV

Proposed Ban on Fees for Body-Worn Camera Footage Dies With Law Enforcement Whistleblower Bill

A proposal to ban the charging of fees for unedited body-worn camera footage, released to the public under the 2020 Law

We Asked, ‘What Matters to You in This Election?’ Here’s a Bit of What We’ve Heard So Far

May 2, 2024

One month ago, CPR joined newsrooms across the state to launch an ambitious project: invite the people of Colorado to

Bill To Address Cora ‘Abuse’ Dies in State Senate Committee

May 1, 2024

State senators Wednesday killed a bill that would have given state and local government entities more time to respond

Senate Bill To Protect Librarians Would Make ‘Request for Reconsideration’ Forms Open Records Under Cora

Apr 30, 2024

Update: Gov. Jared Polis signed SB 24-216 into law on Friday, May 31. People who want library books removed from

Inside the News: Local Media Smackdown — Gazette vs KRDO in Colorado Springs

Apr 26, 2024

In a rare development, two local news organizations in Colorado Springs — the daily newspaper and a commercial TV

Bill Lets County Clerks Delay Cora Responses up to 20 Working Days Around Elections — Except for Journalists’ Requests

Apr 25, 2024

Update: Gov. Jared Polis signed SB 24-210 into law on Thursday, June 6. A House amendment adopted May 5 limits the

Provision in Colorado Law Enforcement Bill Restricts Fees for Body-Worn Camera Footage

Apr 24, 2024

Update: An amended version of HB 24-1460 died in the House on a 31-33 vote on Friday, May 3. See this blog article. A

Sponsor Expects Public Body Livestreaming Bill Will Die in House Appropriations Committee

Apr 23, 2024

A bill to require the livestreaming of meetings of state and local boards, councils and commissions “will not go

Colorado Lawmakers Remove ‘Vexatious’ Requester Provision From Bill That Lengthens Cora Deadlines

Apr 20, 2024

A bill in the Colorado legislature aimed at curbing the “abuse of CORA” no longer contains a provision for labeling

Inside the News: A Look Into Colorado’s Journalism Workforce Pipeline

Apr 19, 2024

In Colorado, the mountain snowpack is melting, green shoots are poking through mulch, and some college journalism

Ballot Title Set for Proposed Initiative To Repeal New Open Meetings Law Exemptions for Colorado Legislators

Apr 18, 2024

The title is set for a proposed Colorado initiative to repeal newly enacted legislation that narrows the definition of

Yellow Scene Lawsuit Challenges $2,857 Fee for Body-Cam Footage of Fatal Boulder Police Shooting

Apr 12, 2024

A lawsuit challenges the Boulder Police Department’s insistence that a news organization pay the city nearly $3,000

Inside the News: Donations Surge to Colorado Sun After GOP Ejected Its Reporter From Event

Thousands of dollars have poured into the Colorado Sun this week and dozens of people have signed up as new members of

Hospitals Suing Patients Over Unpaid Bills Would Have To Put Their Names on the Lawsuits Under New Colorado Bill

Colorado lawmakers are considering a bill that would prevent hospitals from publicly concealing their involvement in

Amended Colorado Autopsy Bill Requires Release of Deceased Minor’s Name in Summary Report

Apr 11, 2024

Update: The House concurred with Senate amendments to HB 24-1244 and repassed the bill on Friday, Apr. 19, sending it

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