Practical help for newsrooms

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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.

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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.

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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

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

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

Online course

Plan a podcast around your audience

Learning & professional development

Explore podcast formats, audience needs and story structure before production. This introductory online course helps shape an audio idea around the people you want to reach. Free; registration required.

Plan a podcast around your audience →

Thomson Foundation / University of Melbourne

Details

Description: Explore podcast formats, audience needs and story structure before production. This introductory online course helps shape an audio idea around the people you want to reach. Free; registration required.
Who can use it: Journalists and communicators planning audio storytelling; registration required.
Cost: Free course per provider directory; free account required.
Task: Plan a podcast around your audience
Provider: Thomson Foundation / University of Melbourne
Format: Online course

Provider source for Plan a podcast around your audience

Recorded session

Refresh your reporting craft

Learning & professional development

In this 2022 CPA session, COLab journalist Susan Greene discusses source development, interviewing, records requests, story structure, collaboration and avoiding burnout.

Watch the session →

Colorado Press Association and Colorado News Collaborative

Details

Description: In this 2022 CPA session, COLab journalist Susan Greene discusses source development, interviewing, records requests, story structure, collaboration and avoiding burnout.
Who can use it: Reporters, editors and journalism learners. Public video.
Cost: Public video.
Task: Watch the session
Provider: Colorado Press Association and Colorado News Collaborative
Format: Recorded session

Provider source for Refresh your reporting craft

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