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KUNC's The Colorado Dream: Ending the Hate State has arrived! Join us each Monday through Nov. 4 for a new episode.

Colorado Edition: Collaborative aims to strengthen local journalism; rural songwriters discuss their craft

Erin O'Toole
/
KUNC
Local journalism informs the community about public safety, elections, and the workings of state and local government.

In many parts of the country, sources of local journalism are in decline. A recent report from the Center for Information, Technology and Public Life notes that more than a fourth of the country's newspapers have disappeared, and residents in thousands of communities now live in a news desert. This matters, because local news outlets play an essential role in keeping the community informed about elections, public safety, and what their local representatives are up to. Local journalism also help to inform common values that create a sense of shared purpose within a community.

With that in mind, a collaborative made up of area newsrooms, public libraries, working journalists and media scholars launched in the fall. The aim of the Northern Colorado Deliberative Journalism Project is to strengthen local journalism by reimagining the current information ecosystem and elevating our ability to tackle shared problems in a more thoughtful, constructive way. Martín Carcasson is the founder and director of CSU’s Center for Public Deliberation, or CPD, which is part of the project’s core team. He joined us to share more about the project, and how the public can be involved.

Note: The core team’s meeting will be open to the public once a quarter, beginning Monday, April 4 at 2:00 p.m. You can sign up to participate here.

Rural northeast Colorado has fewer employed artists than any other region in the state, according to a 2020 report. While musicians, dancers and fashion designers may sell a lot less out there, they are still creating. KUNC’s Adam Rayes recently went to Yuma County to hear two musicians from different generations discuss their craft.

Colorado Edition is hosted and produced by Erin O'Toole (@ErinOtoole1). Web was edited by Jenn de la Fuente. The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. It's available as a podcast on iTunesSpotifyGoogle PlayStitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!

Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.

As the host of KUNC’s new program and podcast In the NoCo, I work closely with our producers and reporters to bring context and diverse perspectives to the important issues of the day. Northern Colorado is such a diverse and growing region, brimming with history, culture, music, education, civic engagement, and amazing outdoor recreation. I love finding the stories and voices that reflect what makes NoCo such an extraordinary place to live.
KUNC's Colorado Edition is a daily look at the stories, news, people and issues important to you. It's a window to the communities along the Colorado Rocky Mountains.