Amy Gillentine, Publisher and Executive Editor
When the Colorado Springs Business Journal was launched in 1989, by two Realtors trying to make money in a recession, they probably didn’t envision where the paper would end up today.
More than 30 years later, the Business Journal is alive and kicking, in an era when other publications are closing or becoming part of national conglomerates that gut newsrooms. We have a strong and loyal following — and we know our readers will join us as we embark on the next phase of our shared journalistic journey: nonprofit status (see p. 4).
The Business Journal and its sister newspapers that are part of Colorado Publishing House will become Sixty35 Media, a local public charity, sometime in October. The exact date isn’t known yet — it rests in the hands of accountants and attorneys who have different ideas of deadlines than a bunch of journalists.
What’s going to change as we make this switch? Not much, at least at first. We’ll be able to seek grants and ask for donations, to raise an army of volunteers to share with us what happens at places like the planning commission or the urban renewal board meetings. We’ll be seeking more community support to keep business news active in Colorado Springs.
But we’re not just sitting here with our hands out.
We’re working on a new website that we’ll unveil in November, with the goal of getting more business news to more owners —without a paywall. We’ll share the site with our sister papers, the Colorado Springs Independent, the Southeast Express and the Pikes Peak Bulletin. We’ll have a military and veterans section as well, with a reporter dedicated to local coverage of important issues facing our servicemembers and veterans.
We’re following a path several other Colorado news outlets have traveled before us: The Colorado Sun, and the 24 newspapers of Colorado Community Media. We’re learning from their lessons and we’re creating a few brand-new things for our readers along the way.
If you want to read the paper, you still can subscribe. But if you want to create community and be a part of our journey, we’ll also unveil some exciting membership options with the new website. We look forward to hearing from you about what you’d like memberships to look like.
And stay tuned — we’ll have a surprise or two coming in 2023.
We’ve all been through a ton of changes the past few years; none of them have been easy for businesses. And businesses are still dealing with supply chain issues, with inflation and with staffing. We’re no different. Newsprint and mailing costs have skyrocketed since 2019, leaving smaller papers scrambling to meet budgets.
We believe this step will create a sustainable path forward, as owner John Weiss retires and goes on to what he’s calling his Third Act. We appreciate his support through the years; we’re thankful he took a chance on a small business publication a decade ago.
But now, it’s our turn — yours and mine — to forge a new future for the Business Journal and for local newspapers in Colorado Springs. We’re planning some bold moves; we are asking for your support as we continue to bring you news that business owners need to survive in our uncertain world.
Our mission hasn’t changed: To tell the truth, to build community and to engage citizens.
Join us and help us create a thriving business community by providing news and information that is necessary to make good business decisions. Here’s to the next 32 years!