By Corey Hutchins/Colorado News Collaborative
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1 hour ago
Corey Hutchins
Media columnist Corey Hutchins delves into a current project to map traditional news organizations and nontraditional information sources across the state.
You might have heard how “news deserts” are spreading and professional reporter ranks are dwindling — around the country and here in Colorado.
The consequences aren’t pretty. When local news organizations diminish, research shows citizens can become less engaged in their communities, municipal finances can suffer, and corruption can flourish.
With fewer outlets and fewer reporters, increasing numbers of Coloradans have to find other sources to fill the gap. Learning how they actually do that — and how we can help you better navigate a fractured media landscape — is something we’re trying to figure out, though we’re still not finished.