This Week:
Your nonprofit
community newspaper
Volume 15, Number 53 | February 8-15, 2024
C O M G N M I UN T C E I TI N E N
S
CO
4-5 ~ S. Bridge 8-9 ~ Calendar 11-13 ~ Español 15-16 ~ Gov't 17-21 ~ Arts
FOR 15 YEARS
The Sopris Sun printed its first issue on Feb. 12, 2009 and — as stated above — has been connecting communities ever since. The Sun rose like a phoenix from the ashes of The Valley Journal, which served as the midvalley’s newspaper since the ‘70s, but was folded in 2008 by its parent company at the time, Swift Communications. What was unique about the rise of The Sun, at the time, was that it was developed as a nonprofit. The nonprofit model has since caught on in the news industry, as traditional newspapers continue to fold across the country and news deserts spread. So long as the community sees a need for our newspaper, we hope they’ll continue to support it. It’s the responsibility of the paper, in turn, to earn trust and maintain it. In recent years, The Sopris Sun has striven to reach more readers, particularly monolingual Spanish speakers with limited access to local news. The first insert of el Sol del Valle was printed in March 2021.
Art by Sofie Koski
Three years later, it has evolved into a historic collaboration with eight local media outlets contributing content and other support. Our thanks to Aspen Daily News, Aspen Journalism, Aspen Public Radio, KDNK, Post Independent, La Tricolor and The Aspen Times. The Sun’s youth journalism program, meanwhile, has instilled an appreciation for print news among our Gen Z students and their peers. Having reporters based in the high schools also gives students a sense of access to share the stories that matter to them with the broader community. From its inception and through today, community is at the center of what makes our Sun shine. From those writing the articles, to each subject, it’s a give-and-take endeavor — a cyclical relationship. Reporters count on the community for stories, and the community counts on the paper to tell them. Thank you for being a part of it for the past 15 years. Here’s to 15 more and beyond!