Last year, more than 130 of Colorado's higher education, business, philanthropic, civic and community leaders gathered for the 2023 CMP Summit to develop a five-year vision for building and sustaining a healthy local news ecosystem for all Coloradans.
Since then, newsrooms have made great strides. But much is left to be done, and at risk.
At this invigorating half-day summit on August 22, CMP grantees, funders, partners, and community members will continue this journey — reviewing progress, sharing learning, and workshopping new ideas for continuing to build a more functional, resilient, and inclusive public square for all Coloradans, both online and IRL.
NEED THREE REASONS TO JOIN US?
Be Inspired by Flash Talks from Colorado’s Local News Leaders
In the face of strong headwinds and limited resources, collaboration and innovation among Colorado’s local newsrooms, journalism support organizations and community partners has never been stronger. Join us as more than a dozen of Colorado’s local news leaders give five-minute “flash talks” and lead roundtable discussions on these timely and provocative issues:
Above the Noise: Journalism's Role in Healthier Civic Conversations with Amber Coté (Rocky Mountain Public Media) and Martín Carcasson (CSU Center for Public Deliberation)
Voter Voices: Flipping Elections Coverage to Support a Citizen's Agenda with Tina Griego (Colorado News Collaborative) and Megan Verlee (Colorado Public Radio)
The Value of Trusted Local News Brands Amid Digital Chaos with Jesús Sánchez Meleán (El Comercio de Colorado) and Héctor Paniagua Morales (Enterate Latino)
Community News Transformation at Scale: What It Takes with Linda Shapley and Rossana Longo-Better (Colorado Community Media)
Local Beat Coverage at Scale: What It Takes with Amy Rosenblum and Melanie Asmar (Chalkbeat Colorado)
What Journalists Need to Know About Reaching Spanish Speakers with Bianca Godina and Raleigh Burleigh (Sol del Valle/The Sopris Sun)
Why Collaboration is Worth It (Even When We’re Stretched Thin) with Breeze Richardson (Aspen Public Radio), Tammy Terwelp (KUNC), and Larry Ryckman (The Colorado Sun)
What Should We Do, When Local Newsrooms Go Dark? with
Corey Hutchins (Colorado College) and Andrea Faye Hart (Tiny News Collective)
Coalition-Building and Public Policy Strategies for a Healthier Local News and Civic Information Ecosystem
Across the U.S. and abroad, free press advocates are calling on local, state and federal policymakers to protect, strengthen and support local news as a public good. Join us for a discussion of how together we can build demand, momentum, allies, and a broad-based coalition to drive public policy that supports informed communities. Featuring:
Kyle Huelsman, Colorado Media Project/Advocacy Rising (moderator)
Anna Bruggman, Rebuild Local News Coalition
Amanda Mountain, Rocky Mountain Public Media
Christina Shih, Press Forward
Brittany Winkfield, Colorado Press Association
Connect with National, Statewide, and Place-Based Funders
CMP’s philanthropic partners will be in listening mode throughout the Summit, learning alongside journalists, academics, students, civic and community leaders to advance solutions for a healthier, more resilient and inclusive public square in Colorado. Before we adjourn, five foundation leaders will share their takeaways, final thoughts, and upcoming opportunities. Featuring:
Johanna Ulloa Girón, The Colorado Trust (moderator) Girón
Sarah Kurz, Rose Community Foundation
Taryn Fort, The Colorado Health Foundation
Silvia Rivera, MacArthur Foundation
Denise Whinnen, Gill Foundation
NOTE: The 2024 CMP Summit is a special, FREE pre-conference session of the Colorado Press Association’s 146th Annual Convention. Use code CMP24SUMMIT to register for the Summit.
Funders are invited to join us for a special Press Forward Colorado Funder Table session from 8 to 11 a.m., immediately prior to the 2024 CMP Summit.
All CMP Summit attendees to stay with us into the evening of Aug. 22, as CPA hosts a kick-off reception (5-6 p.m.) and a special ticketed event with Dan Harris, podcaster, former ABC News anchor, and author of the #1 NYT bestseller 10% Happier, which explores how we can all tame the chaos, cultivate empathy, and practices self-care while remaining effective at work and in our communities (7-9 p.m.)
CMP grantees are encouraged to join the CPA Convention on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 23 and 24, to take advantage of the excellent programming put on by CPA and partners. 2024 CMP grantees are eligible for discounts and travel stipends to attend the CPA Convention; contact Sam Moody (sam@coloradomediaproject.com) for more information.
Summit Pre-Reading
From Vision to Roadmap: Scenarios and a Financial Model for Colorado’s Local News Ecosystem: In 2024, CMP commissioned Public Media Company to analyze more than a dozen data sets and lead a working group with Colorado’s media leaders. The goal? To develop a baseline financial snapshot of Colorado’s local news ecosystem and three scenarios for the future: business as usual, increasing headwinds, and aspirational. This report summarizes their findings, and provides provocative conclusions for the Colorado ecosystem and individual newsrooms as they look toward the future, together and independently.