The Colorado Sun

The Colorado Sun
Name	The Colorado Sun
Type	Online newspaper
Foundation	2018
Headquarters	Denver, Colorado

The Colorado Sun is a Denver-based digital news outlet founded in 2018 by former staffers of The Denver Post and other Colorado journalists. It launched as a subscriber-funded nonprofit model after a high-profile newsroom upheaval involving hedge fund ownership and newsroom cuts at Alden Global Capital. The outlet focuses on statewide reporting from Denver and the Front Range to the Western Slope, covering politics, energy, environment, crime, and culture.

History

The outlet emerged following newsroom upheaval at The Denver Post and a wave of industry consolidation involving Alden Global Capital and Digital First Media. Founders included journalists who left The Denver Post newsroom and collaborated with nonprofit news innovators such as ProPublica and The Marshall Project veterans, while leveraging crowdfunding and membership campaigns similar to NPR pledge drives and The Texas Tribune launches. Early coverage intersected with statewide events including the aftermath of the 2013 Colorado floods, debates over Colorado Amendment 64, and reporting on the Camp Fire (2018) regional implications. Founders drew inspiration from outlets like MinnPost, Vox, and Reveal for digital-first storytelling and investigative collaborations.

Ownership and Funding

The Colorado Sun organized as an independent, reader-funded newsroom with a governance model influenced by nonprofit journalism frameworks used by The Atlantic's philanthropy partners and foundations such as the Rockefeller Foundation and the Knight Foundation. Initial capital came from a membership campaign supported by Colorado philanthropists and community investors, echoing funding strategies of Chalkbeat and Center for Investigative Reporting. The outlet has accepted grants and partnerships with national organizations including ProPublica and state-level foundations, while maintaining an independent board with ties to institutions like University of Colorado Boulder and Denver Museum of Nature & Science donors. It deliberately avoided acquisition by chains like Gannett or McClatchy to preserve editorial autonomy.

Editorial Operations and Staff

The newsroom assembled experienced reporters from legacy organizations including The Denver Post, The Gazette (Colorado Springs) and local broadcasters such as KMGH-TV and KRCC. Leadership has included editors with backgrounds at national outlets like The New York Times and The Washington Post, and collaborative projects with investigative entities such as ProPublica and The Marshall Project. The staff structure balances beat reporting on state politics at the Colorado General Assembly, energy beats covering the Colorado River Compact and oil-and-gas fields in the Piceance Basin, environmental reporting on Rocky Mountain National Park and the San Juan Mountains, plus features on arts institutions like the Denver Art Museum and sports coverage tied to teams such as the Denver Broncos and Colorado Rockies. The Colorado Sun has employed multimedia producers familiar with podcasting formats used by This American Life and data journalists trained with tools from Investigative Reporters and Editors.

Coverage and Notable Reporting

The outlet has published investigative and explanatory stories on topics including campaign finance in contests for the Colorado governor's office, wildfire policy linked to the Hayman Fire (2002), water rights disputes rooted in the Colorado River Compact, and public health reporting during the COVID-19 pandemic in Colorado. Notable collaborations involved national investigations with ProPublica and data visualizations echoing work by FiveThirtyEight. The site has broken stories leading to local government inquiries at city halls in Denver, Aurora, and Colorado Springs, and accountability pieces regarding policing practices connected to cases similar to high-profile incidents in Minneapolis and Ferguson, Missouri. Cultural coverage has profiled artists associated with the Clyfford Still Museum and chronicled urban development projects around Union Station.

Distribution and Audience Metrics

As a digital-native publication, distribution relies on direct subscriptions, email newsletters modeled after TheSkimm and Morning Brew workflows, and syndication partnerships with statewide outlets including public radio stations like KUNC (FM) and community papers such as The Santa Fe New Mexican for regional cross-promotion. Audience measurement uses analytics comparable to Chartbeat metrics and referrals from social platforms including Twitter, Facebook, and Reddit. Subscriber milestones and unique user counts have been publicly cited in industry discussions alongside metrics from peers like The Texas Tribune and MinnPost as indicators of sustainable local-news models. The outlet has experimented with events and live forums in partnership with Metropolitan State University of Denver and civic groups.

Reception and Impact

The Sun's journalism has been recognized in local and national contexts, receiving nominations and awards from organizations such as the Society of Professional Journalists and the Online News Association. Its investigative pieces prompted policy discussions at the Colorado General Assembly and administrative reviews in municipal governments including Denver City Council. Media critics have compared its model to nonprofit ventures like ProPublica and civic-minded outlets like Governing (magazine), while industry analysts cite it in studies by the Pew Research Center and the Columbia Journalism Review on viable models for local journalism. Community leaders and civic institutions have engaged with the outlet as a source for in-depth reporting on statewide issues from the San Luis Valley to the Roaring Fork Valley.

Category:Newspapers published in Colorado Category:Online newspapers of the United States