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Empowering Colorado
A Nonprofit Journalism Project
In Colorado, Energy impacts our quality of life...
...our economy, environment and politics...
...our research, technology and education.
Its Story Needs To Be Told
Our Vision
To empower citizens to make informed decisions and achieve a healthy, trusting community, using fearless journalism and cutting-edge technology to replace confusion with clarity.
Our Mission
Empowering Colorado, a nonprofit journalism organization which provides independent, unbiased news coverage of all facets of energy development and its local impact. We examine, investigate, educate and dispel myths to ensure Coloradans can make informed energy decisions.
Our Story
Empowering Colorado is a nonprofit news organization created to develop quality, unbiased news and information about all facets of Colorado's energy industry and its local impact.
We are experienced journalists who realized, in the wake of the emotional debate over hydraulic fracturing, Coloradans were not receiving quality information about energy development. As advertising revenues declined, traditional media could not devote adequate resources to covering energy development. At the same time, an influx of advocacy information, often funded by corporate and special interests, did not give Coloradans balanced information necessary to make informed decisions about energy and its impact on their lives.
Energy can be hard to cover. It requires an understanding of science, business, technology,politics and global affairs. When skilled, experienced journalists get to work deciphering these complex topics, Coloradans have access to easy-to-understand information about how Colorado's natural resources power our communities.
What We Cover
Empowering Colorado covers all facets of energy development. This includes:
- Oil & Gas
- Wind
- Solar
- Utilities
- Hydroelectric
- Nuclear
Empowering Colorado also cover a variety of energy-related issues such as:
- Energy Public Policy
- Water Use
- Environment
Chances are, if it relates to energy development in Colorado and is in the public interest, we will cover it -- without favor and in accordance with the highest standards of journalism ethics.
Multi-Platform Content
Empowering Colorado is not a blog or a newspaper. It's much more than that. In today's world of digital journalism, Empowering Colorado is able to produce quality daily, in-depth and investigative content across multiple platforms. These include:
- Website
- Video
- Podcasts
- Television
- Magazines
- Debates
- Conferences/Workshops
- Data Journalism
- Newsletters
As a progressive news organization, Empowering Colorado will tailor its content to the news and information it is trying to cover and provide users with multiple options to learn about energy development in Colorado.
Our Audience
Empowering Colorado covers energy development in Colorado for a general audience. We will make this content available on our own platforms and on platforms made available to us by our media partners. We will also provide value to a vast array of energy stakeholders who seek information and a presence before the public and Colorado's energy community.
This includes:
- Policy Makers
- Community Leaders
- Influencers
- Energy Companies
- Ancillary Businesses
- Academics
- Researchers
- Journalists
Our Commitment
Empowering Colorado will bring all its resources to bear to fulfill its journalistic mission. We'll speak truth to power. We'll investigate. We'll demand transparency. We'll feature what's good and highlight what's bad. Ultimately, we'll serve the citizens of Colorado and the energy industry as a respected journalistic institution and community partner.
Want to Learn More About Empowering Colorado?
What's Happening In Journalism?
Journalism is in transition. While traditional newsrooms have cut staff and resources in response to declining advertising revenue, many progressive newsrooms are preparing for a local news renaissance. These newsrooms have joined with forward-thinking journalism organizations and the Knight Foundation to gather data, experiment and develop case studies. Together, they're helping local journalists develop quality for-profit and non-profit business models, identify revenue streams and engage a local audience. Empowering Colorado is proud to receive support from the following organizations:
Local Independent Online News Publishers (LION) identifies and implements business strategies for sustaining readership and community impact of its members organizations.
www.lionpublishers.com
The Online News Association is the world's largest association of digital journalists. Its mission is to inspire innovation and excellence among journalists to better serve the public.
www.journalists.org
Do You Know How Energy Development Impacts Your Family?
Journalism Has The Answer
Our Board and Supporters
Empowering Colorado maintains a board and group of supporters made up of current and former journalists and corporate communication professionals with experience across the energy spectrum.
Doug Hock
Former Director of Media Relations/Oil & Gas Industry
“We need credible, trusted voices that fairly represent various aspects of energy policy and business to the public. In a time of multiple partisan voices and traditional news outlets struggling to survive, citizens are in desperate need of fact-based information. I support Empowering Colorado’s mission.” — Read More
Mark Stutz
Media Representative/Utility Industry
“While I have a responsibility to act in the best interests of my company and industry, we find that we spend as much time combating the “facts” of paid-for stories as we do working with journalists to develop fair and unbiased coverage of issues. It is in this reality that we find the concept of Empowering Colorado to be so important, and perhaps a hope for the future of journalism and society.” — Read More
George Douglas
Former Manager of Public Affairs/National Renewable Energy Laboratory
“Journalism as we knew it, with two competing metro daily newspapers in Denver, each with its own energy reporter, is not coming back. But the role it played in informing the public and political discourse is as necessary as ever. And, so, here comes Empowering Colorado to make use of newer communication platforms and tools to inform and contribute to the conversation on energy in a place where the all elements of the debate – environmental and economic – are represented.” — Read More
Shehryar Akhtar
CEO Cloutel/Technology
"We think working with Empowering Colorado coincides with our mission to transform the business landscape by making 21st century technology solutions more agile and accessible than ever before. We look forward to doing our part to help Empowering Colorado produce quality journalism in our state."
Michael Kodas
Journalist/Former Deputy Director - Center for Environmental Journalism at the University of Colorado
"Covering energy is covering the environment."
Dr. John Trefny
President Emeritus Colorado School of Mines
"As a lifelong educator, I firmly believe that an informed public is essential to the success of any democracy. I applaud, and fully support, the goals of Empowering Colorado to provide "fair and unbiased" news regarding energy issues and their impact. This is especially important as other journalistic sources increasingly fall short in their coverage of this critical issue."
George Sparks
President & CEO/Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Too often in today's environment, public policy is driven by partisan politics and aggressive advocacy -- rather than pure facts science can lend to the debate. We believe Empowering Colorado can be an important conduit through which citizens, business leaders, technologists, scientists and public policy makers can all engage in a
healthy, science-driven discussion about energy development.
John Pepperdine
Partner/MPW Strategies
"Empowering Colorado goes beyond just providing information. Using progressive communication strategies and cutting-edge technology, it provides a depth and understanding of the broad range of energy issues across a wide-variety of platforms. MPW Strategies is proud to support this new and powerful journalism initiative."
