Rocky Mountain Public Media bursts the Colorado media bubble with Above the Noise partnership

Above The Noise's efforts to build skills for journalists and enhance news reporting has already begun through in-person community engagement events, such as film screenings and discussions, as well as capacity-building workshops supporting 40 small newsrooms across the state. (Chase McCleary, Rocky Mountain PBS)

DENVER — From inflation rates to election season, it is not hard to feel the pressure of the times, and our newsrooms are no exception. Across Colorado, small newsrooms struggle with insufficient funding and staffing. The challenges make it difficult to cover more news and engage authentically with the communities these journalists serve.

To meet these challenges and contribute to building a healthy media environment in Colorado, Rocky Mountain Public Media has launched Above the Noise, a partnership with the Colorado Media Project, Colorado Press Association, and Colorado State University’s Center for Public Deliberation to support smaller newsrooms. Colorado Newsline is a partner newsroom.

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ATN’s efforts to build skills for journalists and enhance news reporting has already begun through in-person community engagement events, such as film screenings and discussions, as well as capacity-building workshops supporting 40 small newsrooms across the state.

Spanning across Colorado from Greeley to Pueblo and covering print, digital, radio, and television, the partnerships aim to empower newsrooms to cope with the rise of artificial intelligence, deep fakes and widespread misinformation.

In Salida, RMPBS collaborated with the Ark Valley Voice, a digital news organization based in the Arkansas River Valley and San Luis Valley areas for the screening of “Undivide Us,” a documentary that aims to fos⁠t⁠er heal⁠t⁠hy na⁠t⁠⁠i⁠onal d⁠i⁠scourse leading up to ⁠t⁠he 2024 elec⁠t⁠⁠i⁠on.

More than 60 people attended and participated in a discussion about the film and brought together individuals from various walks of life and opposing perspectives.

Ark Valley Voice editor and publisher Jan Wondra said these types of conversations on civility leading up to elections are “absolutely critical” and, “we need to find a way to talk and build the bridges which is going to keep us in the middle. In the middle is where everything gets done.”

Structurally, ATN facilitators, along with Rocky Mountain PBS journalists, start by conducting listening sessions with partnering newsrooms to understand their unique audience development needs and goals. This collaborative approach ensures that the solutions we design are tailored and impactful.

Once we gather insights, our team crafts an event or training opportunity and sends it back to the newsroom for feedback. This iterative process offers insight into the specific communities where we have been invited and ensures that the final plan is effective and is embraced by the newsroom.

In collaboration with participating newsrooms, the Above the Noise team implements the changes while continuously gathering feedback from both audiences and journalists. Having a dynamic approach allows for real-time adjustments and improvements that ensures the initiatives are aligned with community needs.

In addition to community engagement opportunities, ATN offers capacity-building, or upskilling workshops on digital outreach and community listening to equip newsrooms with the tools they need to thrive in today’s evolving media landscape.

To learn more about the Above the Noise initiative and the participating newsrooms, please visit rmpbs.org/above-the-noise .

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