COLORADO LOCAL NEWS MARKET STUDY
Local news reaches Colorado. And moves it forward.
Colorado newspapers connect millions of people with information that matters.
LOCAL NEWS REACHES ACROSS COLORADO
More than 3.7 million adults.
One powerful news audience.
81%
of Colorado adults read local newspapers in print or online each month.
That is more than 3.7 million adults, based on the study’s projection to census estimates.
Print and digital newspapers reached 81% of Colorado adults each month in the 2022 Colorado Local News Market Study. Its findings show how newspapers connect people with their communities and help businesses reach customers. Digital-only news organizations and public radio and television extend Colorado’s local news landscape beyond the newspaper audience measured here.
Newspaper audiences connect across formats and platforms
61%
of Colorado adults read print newspapers each month.
73%
of Colorado adults read digital newspaper content each month.
53%
of Colorado adults read both print and digital newspapers each month.
Colorado adults use newspaper websites, social media, email newsletters and apps to get digital newspaper content, often through more than one channel.
58%
of Colorado adults access local digital newspaper content on a smartphone.
People also use desktop or laptop computers (41%), tablets (20%) and other internet devices (8%). Adults may use more than one device.
INFORMATION FOR EVERYDAY LIFE
Local journalism connects communities.
From schools and elections to government and local events, newspapers and their websites led or tied among the listed sources for these five community topics.
*Includes each medium’s websites. Newspapers and television tied at 32% for environmental and energy issues. All tracks use a 0–100% scale.
THE PUBLIC’S RIGHT TO KNOW
When public information matters, Coloradans trust newspapers.
Most trusted for public notices
80%
of Colorado adults rated newspapers and newspaper websites very or somewhat trustworthy for public notices, more than any other source listed.
Support for required publication
62%
of Colorado adults said state and local governments should be required to publish public notices in newspapers.
Most relied-on source
41%
of Colorado adults relied on newspapers and their websites for local meetings and public notices, more than any other listed source, including government websites (32%).
Public information belongs in public view.
93% of Colorado adults considered access to public records important.
Sources and public-notice data
| Measure | Share of Colorado adults |
|---|---|
| Trust newspapers/ | 80% |
| Support required newspaper publication of public notices | 62% |
| Rely on newspapers/ | 41% |
| Access to public records important | 93% |
| Household reads notices usually/ | 65% |
| Usually | 15% |
| Sometimes | 25% |
| Seldom | 25% |
AN AUDIENCE INVOLVED IN ITS COMMUNITY
Local news reaches engaged Coloradans
Newspaper readers vote in local elections, contact community leaders and take an interest in their community’s future. The study found broad newspaper reach among adults who had contacted an elected official or community leader.
95%
of Colorado adults who contacted an elected official or community leader in the previous two years read local newspapers in print or online.
Among newspaper readers, participation in community life ran higher than among Colorado adults overall:
90%
reported voting in local, school board or city elections.
All Colorado adults: 86%
45%
reported contacting an elected official or community leader in the previous two years.
All Colorado adults: 38%
79%
felt responsible for helping shape their community’s future.
All Colorado adults: 73%
THE COMMERCIAL VALUE OF LOCAL NEWS
Local news connects businesses with customers.
Newspaper advertising connects businesses with people deciding which products, brands, stores and local services to choose.
55%
of Colorado adults said newspaper advertising helped them decide what to buy or where to shop, more than any other channel listed.
Nearly 7 in 10 Colorado adults took action after seeing a newspaper ad.
In the study, 69% of Colorado adults reported at least one action after seeing an ad in a print or digital newspaper. These are the most common actions they reported. Many people reported more than one, so the figures overlap.
32%
visited a store, dealer or other location.
29%
searched online for more information.
28%
visited the advertiser’s website.
26%
purchased the product or service.
74% of Colorado adults considered newspaper advertising important, including somewhat important.
Your customers read local news.
Newspapers reached these shares of adults planning to shop for the following products or services in the next 12 months when surveyed in late 2021:
91%
of adults planning home improvement purchases
90%
of adults shopping for home furnishings
93%
of adults planning to use home services
94%
of adults planning to shop for or change auto insurance
Explore newspaper reach across 31 customer categories
| Prospective customer group | Newspaper reach |
|---|---|
| Appliances | 90% |
| Automobiles, trucks and SUVs | 88% |
| Auto repairs or services | 82% |
| Boats and RVs | 94% |
| Drug stores | 89% |
| Educational opportunities | 97% |
| Electronic equipment | 89% |
| Groceries | 84% |
| Gyms and health clubs | 91% |
| Home furnishings | 90% |
| Home improvement products and services | 91% |
| Home office equipment | 92% |
| Home services | 93% |
| Jewelry and watches | 89% |
| Liquor, wine and beer | 86% |
| Mobile phones and service | 90% |
| Outdoor power equipment | 94% |
| Real estate | 90% |
| Restaurants and bars | 86% |
| Shipping and package service stores | 88% |
| Sporting goods | 87% |
| TV service | 90% |
| Auto insurance | 94% |
| Dental insurance | 95% |
| Home insurance | 93% |
| Life insurance | 94% |
| Medical insurance | 93% |
| Income tax provider | 97% |
| Legal services | 97% |
| Banking, financial and investment services | 95% |
| Mortgage and refinance services | 93% |
The power of local news extends beyond newspapers.
Colorado’s local news ecosystem includes newspapers, digital-only publications, public media and other news organizations serving communities across the state. Together, they provide essential information, connect people with their communities and offer advertisers meaningful ways to reach Colorado audiences.
Find a Colorado newsroom →
About the study
The Colorado Press Association commissioned Coda Ventures to study the reach and influence of Colorado newspapers in print and digital formats. Published in 2022, the study reflects a survey of 601 Colorado adults conducted Nov. 30–Dec. 14, 2021.
Survey methodology
The online survey included Colorado adults ages 18 and older, screened by ZIP code. It used age and gender quotas, with results weighted and projected using ESRI census estimates. The report states a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.
Readership covers print and digital newspapers, including newspaper websites. Print and digital audiences overlap. Community findings reflect respondents’ reported participation and attitudes. Consumer-category reach describes adults planning purchases or service changes in the 12 months following the survey.
Reach Colorado audiences
Connect your business with Colorado news audiences through participating local outlets and multiple platforms.
