Why support local news?
Because it’s an essential public good.
Perhaps never before have local newsrooms been so clearly center stage as an essential public service -- providing potentially life-saving information and accountability journalism on the evolving COVID public health and economic crises, and holding a mirror to our communities in a national reckoning for racial justice.
That’s why since 2018, Colorado Media Project has supported the #newsCOneeds matching challenge as an statewide, public awareness-building opportunity for Colorado newsrooms to spotlight the positive impacts they are making in their communities, and to build trust in and support for their local public-service journalism.
The campaign launches on Giving Tuesday (a.k.a. #GivingNewsDay). In preparation for the launch, participating Colorado newsrooms will work with COLab and News Revenue Hub to co-create messaging, graphics, and collateral for the public awareness campaign. Nonprofit and locally-owned Colorado newsrooms can also apply for the matching grant opportunity. CMP will offer $5,000 matching grants to those selected newsrooms, in coordination with the national NewsMatch campaign.
Application for the public awareness campaign is open to all Colorado newsrooms.
Questions? Here’s audio from the recorded information session and access to the slide deck.
CMP’s #GivingNewsDay Challenge launched in 2018, when seven Colorado newsrooms participated in a first-ever joint appeal to readers – which raised nearly $50,000 for local news from about 300 people in a single day.
Through the Colorado Media Project’s 2019 matching challenge, 18 local outlets came together to brainstorm ways to leverage #GivingNewsDay and the year-end giving season, in order to increase individual donations at each outlet – while also amplifying the vital role that community support plays in sustaining high-quality local news in Colorado. We checked in with several of members of the 2019 cohort about their experiences in the matching challenge. This case study shares the lessons they learned.
This year, a $25,000 grant from Delta Dental of Colorado Foundation and operational support from Bohemian Foundation, Democracy Fund, and Gates Family Foundation are seeding the 2020 CMP matching fund. CMP’s fiscal sponsor, Rose Community Foundation, is providing oversight and administration for the funds.
For general questions about the 2020 #newsCOneeds awareness campaign or the matching gift challenge, contact Philip Clapham at pclapham@coloradomediaproject.com. Foundations and major donors who wish to contribute to the matching fund can contact Melissa Davis, CMP Acting Director, at mdavis@gatesfamilyfoundation.org.
Your continued support of Colorado newsrooms helps connect communities, holds power to account, and strengthens our civic fabric. This is #newsCOneeds. Thank you!
