My family’s journalism roots trace back two centuries to the National Intelligencer in Washington, D.C. and, more recently, to a multi-generational family enterprise encompassing local papers across five Midwestern and Western states. While I take great pride in my family’s legacy, our business has provided a front-row seat to the unprecedented challenges the digital age has ushered in for traditional newspapers.
In this light, The Sopris Sun looks like a small miracle.
The Sun stands as a thriving source of dependable, professional local news and information, embodying a sustainable nonprofit model that champions community interests over profit margins — a blueprint for the future of newspapers.
This is why I am honored to serve on The Sun’s board of directors and am asking you to join me in regularly contributing as a SUNscriber. Our support guarantees that The Sun remains a steadfast pillar of grassroots journalism, fostering transparency, accountability and social cohesion.
The media landscape is now littered with staggering statistics. According to Pew Research, newspaper circulation in the U.S. has plummeted from its early 1990s peak of 63 million subscribers to 21 million today. Over the past two decades, advertising revenue has nosedived by more than 70% resulting in the loss of over half of newsroom jobs. More than a quarter of U.S. newspapers have folded, with two more shutting down each week. A fifth of our population resides in “news deserts,” areas deprived of local news sources, leading to decreased voter participation and an environment ripe for corruption.
Within my family, the crisis in print journalism manifests as sleepless nights for my uncles and cousins as revenue evaporates and they agonize over decisions about cutting staff and publication days, closing presses and seeking miracles to prevent the rural communities they love and have been rooted in for generations from joining the growing creep of news deserts.
Against this backdrop, The Sopris Sun is a beacon of hope. When the corporate owners of its predecessor, the Valley Journal, shuttered its doors 15 years ago, The Sun emerged thanks to a collective effort by volunteer community leaders. They recognized the unique power of local news to generate shared stories and facts, essential elements of community understanding and democratic society. The Sun was at the forefront of a movement toward nonprofit local newspapers, a trend that started gaining momentum in the 2010s as traditional newspapers grappled with mounting financial pressures.
Nonprofit models empower newspapers like The Sopris Sun to solicit donations and pursue grants, all while operating with a mission-driven ethos, rather than solely for profit. This transition represents a lifeline for local journalism in communities where traditional for-profit models struggle to survive.
We are all custodians of our community, and it requires our collective effort and investment to ensure that nonprofit newspapers like The Sopris Sun can persist in prioritizing the needs and interests of their communities.
To SUNscribe with a recurring monthly donation to The Sopris Sun, visit www.soprissun.com/donate