Crestone Eagle Community Media

Local, Independent and Still Soaring

A message from Anya Kaats, Director

Since 2005, nearly 3,500 local newspapers have disappeared, almost 40% of the country’s total. In the past year alone, more than two local newspapers shut down each week. Today, 50 million Americans have little or no access to local news, and the hardest-hit places tend to be low-income, rural counties like ours.

Many of the papers that did survive have been bought up by larger companies. In 2005, 459 companies owned the country’s daily newspapers, but today, that number has dwindled to 162. Many of the biggest owners are national chains, investment firms and media conglomerates. Instead of answering to their communities, many of these newsrooms answer to investors.

The Crestone Eagle is a rare exception: a local, independent, nonprofit newspaper. No shareholders. No hedge fund. No one to answer to but you, our community.

The money we earn stays here, sustaining local jobs and paying the residents who report on what matters most to you.

The bad news is that no one is coming to rescue us. Our survival requires the day-to-day work of a community that decides local, independent news is worth keeping. We are sustained only by way of the readers who subscribe, businesses that advertise and neighbors who donate.

Since our near-closure two years ago, we’ve hired five new staff members, restructured to cut costs and improve efficiency, and launched a new website. Breaking news now goes straight to your inbox, and digital subscribers are receiving audio, video and archival bonus content. Additionally, we’ve redesigned our newspaper and hired new writers and contributors to bolster the value of our monthly print edition.

We are well on our way to becoming a newsroom that can sustain itself for another 40 years. But we can’t get there alone...

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How You Can Help

From Nov. 1 to Dec. 31, the Eagle joins #newsCOneeds, a statewide campaign led by Colorado Media Project on ColoradoGives.org.

Our goal is to raise $30,000.

 

To everyone who has subscribed, advertised, donated or picked up a copy of the paper, thank you. You’re the reason the Eagle is still flying.

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The Crestone Eagle is an independent, monthly newspaper published by Crestone Eagle Community Media, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Since 1989, the Eagle has been crucial to the community in and around Crestone, Colorado. Recent investigative stories include erroneous taxation by Amazon and AirBnb that saved local residents hundreds of thousands of dollars, reporting on threats to local aquifers by those who want to redirect our water outside the San Luis Valley, and disruptive low-altitude military flights over migratory bird sanctuaries. We report on alternative building techniques, culture and events, and keep an eye on local politics and anything else of interest to our readers.

Like so many small independent newspapers, our advertising and subscription dollars can no longer sustain our operations, which is why we became a non-profit community newspaper in 2022.  While we live in an area of great natural resources--US National Forest and Wilderness areas, The Baca Wildlife Refuge and The Great Sand Dunes National Park, we operate out of one of the lowest income counties of Colorado. 

Serving a community of just a few thousand people presents economic challenges even more severe than those faced by new organizations in major cities. In addition to producing trustworthy local news, we are committed to helping enhance economic development and community engagement. We rely on community support to carry out these efforts. 

With an entirely new board as of November, 2024, and a restructured business model, the Eagle is committed more than ever to the principles of transparency and community engagement, and has restructured the organization to enhance long-term sustainability.

Thank you for supporting The Crestone Eagle.