Colorado Trust for Local News Launches Fleet of Community-Focused Newsletters

The Colorado Trust for Local News has completed a strategic digital expansion that brings community journalism directly to the inboxes of readers across the Front Range.

Over the first six weeks of 2026, the COTLN newsroom launched six

newsletters that are custom-built for email. The goal is to provide readers with topic- and community-centric news in a convenient digital format. These free newsletters also allow COTLN to build one-to-one relationships with new readers, reducing reliance on social and search platforms for reaching audiences with the newsroom’s latest reporting. 

These new products build on the previous success of COTLN sports editor John Renfrow's Sportsland newsletter, which covers high school athletics across Metro Denver. 

A second topic-based newsletter, Class Notes, launched in January. Written by senior reporter Suzie Glassman, Class Notes contains scoops, enterprise reporting and behind-the-scenes insights into local schools and education policy. Glassman focuses on schools across Jefferson, Weld and Adams counties.

In February, the portfolio grew with the addition of five community-focused newsletters written by COTLN’s team of experienced community journalists: Corinne Westman in Golden, Monte Whaley in Westminster, Belen Ward in Fort Lupton, Christopher Koeberl in Clear Creek County and Jane Reuter in the territory covered by COTLN’s Canyon Courier.

"We're building a newsletter-first model," said Scott Taylor, editor of the Colorado Trust for Local News. "This expansion represents more than just adding new publications – it is a major step forward in building on COTLN’s digital audience.”

Newsletters land in a personal space, between family photos and work emails, which allows a more conversational and intimate approach than traditional website publishing.

The newsletters allow COTLN journalists to use their voice while showing their deep knowledge of their beats and communities. Each newsletter is crafted as a complete reading experience with its own editorial focus. Rather than teasing stories and driving clicks back to websites, these publications deliver a full narrative in the inbox. While links are offered for deeper dives or additional context, the newsletters aim to give readers the full picture without leaving their inbox.

The approach puts the audience first. Reporters consider how individual stories connect with readers, building narrative arcs that help explain the bigger picture of what's happening in their communities. For COTLN's journalists, the newsletter model offers something crucial in local news: The ability to build direct, sustained relationships with readers who've chosen to hear from them regularly.

"Our reporters can focus on telling complete stories instead of worrying about driving traffic," Taylor said. "We're building trust by showing up consistently with journalism that matters to these communities."

Subscribe to COTLN’s newsletters at https://www.thegoldentranscript.com/newsletters/