Thirteen Colorado newsrooms have been accepted into a three-month program aimed at fostering healthy civic engagement by helping community-based journalists inform and empower their neighbors during crucial election periods.
Through the Colorado Engaged Elections 2023 Fellowship, newsrooms will have the opportunity to collaborate, learn from industry experts including including Hearken co-founder Jennifer Brandel, and share best practices for engaged journalism — ultimately raising the bar for election reporting and civic participation. Each participating newsroom will also receive a $1,000 stipend to support their engagement strategy.
Newsroom participation is made possible with support from Gates Family Foundation and the Colorado Media Project, and presented in partnership with the Colorado News Collaborative.
Congratulations to the following Colorado newsrooms (or groups) selected for the 2023 fellowship!
Ark Valley Voice - a digital-first publication serving residents in Chaffee County and the Arkansas Valley in Central Colorado
Aspen Public Radio - an NPR affiliate serving Aspen and Roaring Fork Valley residents
Colorado Newsline - a digital-first publication with statewide reach
The Colorado Sun - a digital-first publication with statewide reach
The Durango Herald — a family-owned news group serving Southwest Colorado
Glenwood Springs Post Independent - a print/digital outlet serving Roaring Fork Valley residents
Greeley Tribune - a print/digital outlet serving Northern Colorado residents
KGNU Community Radio — serving Boulder and Denver residents
KOTO Community Radio — the sound of Telluride since 1975
KUNC Radio — community radio/NPR affiliate in Northern Colorado
Pueblo Star Journal — a new print/digital newsroom serving Pueblo communities
Sentinel Colorado — a print/digital outlet serving Aurora residents
The Sopris Sun/El Sol de Valle — a nonprofit weekly newspaper in English and (via a multi-newsroom collaboration) in Spanish for Roaring Fork Valley residents
These newsrooms were selected by Hearken from a competitive pool, for their demonstrated dedication to providing accurate, insightful, and impactful coverage of electoral processes and helping citizens make informed decisions about their communities' future.
Hearken's Engaged Elections training has been tested and refined by newsrooms across the U.S. to help journalists move away from polarizing or horse-race coverage of elections and strengthen their strategies for focusing on issues that matter most to local residents. Of the newsrooms who participated in Hearken’s 2020 training cycle:
84% said participating built trust between their newsroom and their community members
89% said participating helped them be more able to listen and respond to their communities
78% said participating increased the size of their audience
100% said they will use the engagement strategies they learned in the next election cycle
Congratulations to all of the 2023 Colorado Engaged Elections fellows - and to the communities they serve!