2023 Annual Report

2023 Annual Report:

For 15 years, e Sopris Sun has existed as a hyperlocal nonpro t news source serving the Roaring Fork Valley. Like Mt. Sopris herself, we watch over the communities that comprise our paradisiacal home.

e Sopris Sun was founded in February 2009, just six weeks after a news conglomerate folded Carbondale’s weekly paper on Christmas Eve. We were among the rst nonpro t newspapers in the country, and a rural voice no less.

From school athletics to endangered species, our focus is broad yet narrow — anything and everything that touches these valleys. anks to our community-access nonpro t model, our readers form an important part of meeting e Sopris Sun’s mission: to inform, inspire and build community by fostering diverse and independent journalism.

rough letters to the editor, story pitches, guest columns, ction submissions, one-o photos and more, this interactive newspaper is brought to life by its growing readership. With community as our compass, we lovingly compile a fresh issue every week, replete with all original stories written speci cally for our diverse audience. We respond actively to feedback and strive to present a well-rounded re ection of all the facets that de ne this unique place.

In 2023, e Sopris Sun sustained recent innovations including a youth journalism program for local high school students and original Spanish-language news bolstering the El Sol del Valle regional collaboration. We also launched a new website to improve the presentation of this content in both languages.

According to an inventory of topics covered in 2023, “arts and culture” rose to the top with nearly 200 mentions (four per week on average) — and that’s not counting our weekly events calendar. Next was “environment and sustainability,” themes we know are cherished by the people who live here.

“Events,” “nonpro ts” and “outdoors & recreation” followed, with “state/federal” and “local government” trailing close behind. “K-12 education,” “business” and “county government” also fell within the top 10 categories.

Last year, e Sopris Sun was rewarded for its comprehensive community coverage with a competitive grant from the state’s Department of Local A airs for $100,000 dedicated to improving nonpro t infrastructure. Much of that gift will help us in 2024 toward strengthening El Sol del Valle with a rebranded identity and dedicated mission: to provide a reliable, increasing source of Spanish-language information that supports and grows the health, impact and well-being of the rapidly growing and diverse Latino/a/x community from Parachute to Aspen.

Building o the success of a partnership with the Aspen Daily News, El Sol del Valle will be printed as a standalone by e Sopris Sun while both English-language newspapers sunset the inclusion of a Spanish-language insert within their pages. is shift is re ective of extensive listening sessions and the inauguration of a Spanish-language community advisory board. We face exciting new challenges with El Sol del Valle production, printing and distribution falling wholly under our purview. It will add substantially to our budget but also magnify our impact, especially in the Colorado River Valley where more of El Sol del Valle’s editorial coverage will be focused.

e Sopris Sun considers access to quality journalism essential to public health and a functioning democracy. At a time when for-pro t news media struggles to remain viable nationally, we are proud to pioneer a new model for local journalism — for and by the community it serves — and we can’t do it alone.

We hope you will support us by making a one-time or recurring donation, sponsoring the newspaper as a business or volunteering your time and talents.