Practical help for newsrooms

Guides & resources

Search a curated collection of guidance, tools and expert resources for reporting, running a newsroom and serving your community.

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Guide

Understand Colorado open records and meetings

Legal, access & press freedom

CFOIC’s searchable Sunshine Laws guide covers Colorado records requests, open meetings, executive sessions and court access, with topic navigation and links to statutes and cases.

Read the guide →

Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition

Details

Description: CFOIC’s searchable Sunshine Laws guide covers Colorado records requests, open meetings, executive sessions and court access, with topic navigation and links to statutes and cases.
Who can use it: Journalists; Colorado residents. Public resource.
Cost: Public online guide.
Task: Read the guide
Provider: Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition
Format: Guide

Provider source for Understand Colorado open records and meetings

Worksheet

Plan a safer reporting assignment

Editorial & reporting

CPJ’s five-page risk assessment template helps reporters and editors plan an assignment, assess physical and digital risks, and document check-ins and contingencies.

Explore the resource →

Committee to Protect Journalists

Details

Description: CPJ’s five-page risk assessment template helps reporters and editors plan an assignment, assess physical and digital risks, and document check-ins and contingencies.
Who can use it: Reporters; Freelancers; Assignment editors. Public resource.
Cost: Public online guide.
Task: Explore the resource
Provider: Committee to Protect Journalists
Format: Worksheet

Provider source for Plan a safer reporting assignment

Guide

Improve reader membership retention

Revenue & sustainability

The Membership Guide’s retention chapter explains churn and retention and explores billing, customer service and participation practices that support a reader membership program.

Read the guide →

Membership Puzzle Project / The Membership Guide

Details

Description: The Membership Guide’s retention chapter explains churn and retention and explores billing, customer service and participation practices that support a reader membership program.
Who can use it: Audience teams; Membership managers; Newsroom leaders. Public resource.
Cost: Public online guide.
Task: Read the guide
Provider: Membership Puzzle Project / The Membership Guide
Format: Guide

Provider source for Improve reader membership retention

Explore resources

Find guidance and tools from CPA and trusted providers across the local-news field.

34 resources · Showing 1–12

Historical training index

Browse archived CPA training

Learning & professional development

Browse CPA and partner training, including dated sessions, recording links, slides, notes and provider pages. Recording availability and access vary by session; some organizer resources require sign-in.

Find a past training session →

Colorado Press Association

Details

Description: Browse CPA and partner training, including dated sessions, recording links, slides, notes and provider pages. Recording availability and access vary by session; some organizer resources require sign-in.
Who can use it: Public historical index; access to individual materials depends on the listed provider.
Cost: Public index and linked public materials. Recording availability and reuse rights are not promised.
Task: Find a past training session
Provider: Colorado Press Association
Format: Historical training index

Provider source for Browse archived CPA training

Podcast and transcript

Build newsletters readers value

Revenue & sustainability

Dan Oshinsky’s June 2023 conversation explores readers’ needs, newsletter formats and ways local publishers can earn revenue from newsletters.

Choose a newsletter strategy →

Local News Matters / Dan Oshinsky

Details

Description: Dan Oshinsky’s June 2023 conversation explores readers’ needs, newsletter formats and ways local publishers can earn revenue from newsletters.
Who can use it: Public episode page; no CPA membership required to read it.
Cost: Public page and automated transcript; no displayed charge observed. Linked services have separate terms.
Task: Choose a newsletter strategy
Provider: Local News Matters / Dan Oshinsky
Format: Podcast and transcript

Provider source for Build newsletters readers value

Curated guide

Build your AI reporting knowledge

Editorial & reporting

RJI’s annotated resource guide brings together AI reporting checklists, ethics guidance, examples and policy resources for journalists.

Explore the resource →

Reynolds Journalism Institute; Andy Lee Roth and avram anderson

Details

Description: RJI’s annotated resource guide brings together AI reporting checklists, ethics guidance, examples and policy resources for journalists.
Who can use it: Reporters; Editors; Journalism learners. Public resource.
Cost: Public online guide.
Task: Explore the resource
Provider: Reynolds Journalism Institute; Andy Lee Roth and avram anderson
Format: Curated guide

Provider source for Build your AI reporting knowledge

Service referral

Connect your newsroom with advertising opportunities

Revenue & sustainability

Connect with Colorado Press Network about advertising, sponsorship and partnership opportunities for your news organization through Colorado Audiences.

Discuss revenue opportunities →

Colorado Audiences / Colorado Press Network

Details

Description: Connect with Colorado Press Network about advertising, sponsorship and partnership opportunities for your news organization through Colorado Audiences.
Who can use it: News organizations interested in advertising partnerships.
Cost: Participation terms are arranged with the Colorado Press Network team.
Task: Discuss revenue opportunities
Provider: Colorado Audiences / Colorado Press Network
Format: Service referral

Provider source for Connect your newsroom with advertising opportunities

Podcast and transcript

Design community listening experiments

Editorial & reporting

Jennifer Brandel’s February 2023 conversation explores newsroom listening, small experiments and how teams adopt new ideas.

Improve community listening →

Local News Matters / Jennifer Brandel

Details

Description: Jennifer Brandel’s February 2023 conversation explores newsroom listening, small experiments and how teams adopt new ideas.
Who can use it: Public episode page for reporters, editors and community-engagement teams.
Cost: Public page and automated transcript; no displayed charge observed. Hearken services have separate terms.
Task: Improve community listening
Provider: Local News Matters / Jennifer Brandel
Format: Podcast and transcript

Provider source for Design community listening experiments

Reporting guide

Develop an extreme-heat investigation

Editorial & reporting

Find investigative angles on heat, from worker protections and infrastructure to unequal community impacts. GIJN pairs reporting questions with examples and source leads. Use the guide to develop a local reporting plan.

Develop an extreme-heat investigation →

Global Investigative Journalism Network

Details

Description: Find investigative angles on heat, from worker protections and infrastructure to unequal community impacts. GIJN pairs reporting questions with examples and source leads. Use the guide to develop a local reporting plan.
Who can use it: Public guide for journalists; examples are international and require local verification.
Cost: Publicly readable web guide; no fee or registration shown.
Task: Develop an extreme-heat investigation
Provider: Global Investigative Journalism Network
Format: Reporting guide

Provider source for Develop an extreme-heat investigation

learning

Earn Your Press Pass

Learning & professional development

Self-guided editorial and newspaper sales training offered through CPA. Seats are limited; CPA staff add participants on request.

Explore training and request a seat →

Kansas Publishing Ventures / CPA association access

Details

Description: Self-guided editorial and newspaper sales training offered through CPA. Seats are limited; CPA staff add participants on request.
Who can use it: CPA member benefit; request a seat through CPA.
Cost: Ask CPA about current access terms.
Task: Explore training and request a seat
Provider: Kansas Publishing Ventures / CPA association access
Format: learning

Provider source for Earn Your Press Pass

Mentorship referral

Explore reporting mentorship and training

Learning & professional development

Explore COLab’s one-to-one reporting mentorship and training for Colorado journalists and newsrooms.

Get reporting guidance →

Colorado News Collaborative (COLab)

Details

Description: Explore COLab’s one-to-one reporting mentorship and training for Colorado journalists and newsrooms.
Who can use it: Colorado journalists and news organizations; arrange support with COLab.
Cost: Arrange service terms directly with COLab.
Task: Get reporting guidance
Provider: Colorado News Collaborative (COLab)
Format: Mentorship referral

Provider source for Explore reporting mentorship and training

Find Colorado public data for a story

Editorial & reporting

CFOIC’s Public Data Online index organizes Colorado reporting sources by beat, including campaign finance, education, local government and state data portals.

Explore the resource →

Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition

Details

Description: CFOIC’s Public Data Online index organizes Colorado reporting sources by beat, including campaign finance, education, local government and state data portals.
Who can use it: Reporters; Data journalists; Researchers. Public resource.
Cost: Public index; linked data services set their own fees.
Task: Explore the resource
Provider: Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition
Format: Directory

Provider source for Find Colorado public data for a story

Source directory

Find diverse sources for your reporting

Editorial & reporting

Browse Amplify Colorado’s source guide to find people and perspectives for Colorado reporting.

Find a source →

Colorado News Collaborative (COLab)

Details

Description: Browse Amplify Colorado’s source guide to find people and perspectives for Colorado reporting.
Who can use it: Public source guide for journalists.
Cost: Public online guide.
Task: Find a source
Provider: Colorado News Collaborative (COLab)
Format: Source directory

Provider source for Find diverse sources for your reporting

Online course

Find sources for local environmental reporting

Learning & professional development

Build a sourcing plan for local environmental stories, with guidance on reliable information, data and the political and economic forces behind a story. Free online course; registration required.

Find sources for local environmental reporting →

Thomson Foundation

Details

Description: Build a sourcing plan for local environmental stories, with guidance on reliable information, data and the political and economic forces behind a story. Free online course; registration required.
Who can use it: Journalists covering local environmental stories; global platform, no Colorado-specific entitlement claimed.
Cost: Free course per provider course directory; free account required.
Task: Find sources for local environmental reporting
Provider: Thomson Foundation
Format: Online course

Provider source for Find sources for local environmental reporting

Contact and referral

Get help with an operations question

Leadership & operations

Tell CPA what you are working on. Connect with staff for practical guidance, an appropriate resource or the right next contact.

Newsroom guidance

Ask CPA →

Colorado Press Association

Details

Description: Tell CPA what you are working on. Connect with staff for practical guidance, an appropriate resource or the right next contact.
Who can use it: News organizations and people seeking CPA resource guidance.
Cost: Any specialist service is arranged separately with its provider.
Task: Ask CPA
Provider: Colorado Press Association
Format: Contact and referral

Provider source for Get help with an operations question

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