About Us

NEWS YOU CAN’T FIND ANYWHERE ELSE

The Colorado Independent

The Colorado Independent (formerly Colorado Confidential) is an award-winning online news daily featuring intelligent, original and investigative reporting that you can’t find anywhere else. We combine the speed and voice of blogging with the reporting and accuracy of traditional journalism. Our goal is to expand and enliven public dialog in Colorado with overlooked stories, penetrating analysis, practical solutions, reader reactions, and original investigations.

Please note that we are not affiliated with any other Colorado news organizations that also carry the spirit of independence in their names — including the Colorado Springs Independent, the Littleton Independent and the Glenwood Springs Post-Independent.

The Center for Independent Media

The Colorado Independent belongs to a network of state-based online news sites founded by the Center for Independent Media.

The Colorado Independent receives funding from the Center for Independent Media (CIM), a not-for-profit organization. With independent outlets operating in five states and the District of Columbia, CIM fosters diversity in the local and national debate by training people on the use of communications technologies, such as the Internet, as an alternative publishing and distribution system to traditional broadcast and print media.

Since the Colorado program launched in July, 2006, its fellows have won nearly two dozen awards for journalistic excellence, including from the National Association of Capital Beat Reporters, the Colorado Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, and the Newspaper Guild/CWA.

The Center for Independent Media operates five other sites besides the Colorado Independent; Iowa Independent, Michigan Messenger, Minnesota Monitor, New Mexico Independent, and Washington Independent, our national news bureau based in Washington, D.C.

These programs seek to emphasize the importance of citizen-driven journalism as a critical founding principle of our nation, the positive role of democratically elected government in securing the common good and social welfare, and the continuing benefits of our founding culture of egalitarian government by the people, for the people.

Our Readership

Since 2006, 4.4 million people have viewed the CIM sites. Our Fellows’ stories were cited in newspapers 1,119 times, reaching millions of additional readers through their local media. Our Fellows went on TV and radio 954 times, reaching millions more through broadcast media with important messages on the key issues in their states, such as immigration, education, health care, national security, civil rights and liberties, and state budgetary priorities. Cumulatively, since our launch two years ago, the Fellows have generated 177 million impressions on TV, radio, and newspapers.

Our Mission: To serve the needs of readers and communities throughout Colorado according to this simple, meaningful idea. The only bias we have is for good journalism. We take the role of journalism as a public trust seriously. The goal is to make impact, to inspire action by moving readers on important issues with stories that provide missing context, spotlight buried facts and amplify unheard voices.