Hello Denver North Star readers! 

I’m Linda Shapley, publisher of Colorado Community Media, and a longtime denizen of local journalism.

Since we acquired The Denver North Star and G.E.S. Gazette last month, it’s been a whirlwind of activity – acquiring domain names, transferring emails and handling the business-side of news production. I’m hoping that with the behind-the-scenes whirlwind, you saw no disruption in your service.

I wanted to take this opportunity to talk to you a little bit about me and my expectations for the partnership I have with you, the readers.

I made my first “newspaper” when I was 8 years old. As I grew up in rural northeastern Colorado, some of my pictures ended up in my community newspaper, the Kersey Voice. I knew I wanted to be in some form of journalism when I continued on to Colorado State University. Once I graduated, I did internships in Martinsburg, West Virginia; Fort Worth, Texas; and Kansas City, Missouri, but my goal was always to return to my home state.

It’s been a long road since then, with stints at the Greeley Tribune, The Denver Post and Colorado Politics, but I love that my career has led me back to hyperlocal news and helping usher in new opportunities for journalists to keep you all connected to what’s going on in your community. 

We believe every community needs its news. We believe every community has stories that deserve to be told. And we believe local news has the ability to inform, connect, inspire, educate and make our communities stronger. 

When the National Trust for Local News acquired our nearly two dozen metro-area publications  in 2021, it was with those beliefs in mind. Since then, we’ve modernized our website, introduced new initiatives, such as newsletters, and added events aimed at serving our communities. We recently announced a press facility to stabilize our printing costs and serve community newspapers across the entire Front Range.

Being new owners of the North Star won’t change the way we operate. We know you value local news and the vital community service that we provide, and we were honored when the paper’s former publishers David and Emma put their trust in us. We’re delighted the editor, freelance writers and volunteer columnists who have kept the North Star shining bright will continue on. 

With your support, we’re eager to continue the excellent work. We will still count on people like you, our loyal readers, members and advertisers, to ensure we can continue serving our communities with accurate, timely information –– now and into the future. 

In the coming weeks, you may see some changes to the website, and once our presses are up and running, there will likely be some changes in the look of the print edition. Regardless, we’ll do our best to ensure that we’re still delivering the same quality news you have come to expect. I’ll ask you to keep me and others here accountable. Send your praise, your tips and your suggestions for what we can do better. I’m listening.

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