COVID-19  April 16, 2020

Wood: Announcing the BizWest COVID-19 Local News Fund

BizWest’s history of covering the economy of the Boulder Valley dates back to 1982, with the founding of the Boulder County Business Report. That was followed in 1995, with the launch of the Northern Colorado Business Report, which brought local business journalism to Larimer and Weld counties.

Today, those publications live on as BizWest, providing in-depth analysis of the economies of Boulder, Broomfield, Larimer and Weld counties, along with Brighton and Westminster.

From the beginning, we’ve been supported by readers and subscribers who value coverage of the local business community, whether it be breaking business news or explorations of trends in different sectors or the economy overall.

SPONSORED CONTENT

Business Cares: March 2024

WomenGive, a program of United Way of Larimer County, was started in Larimer County in 2006 as an opportunity for women in our community to come together to help other women.

We’ve been supported by advertisers who want to reach our audience, whether it be print, online or through our email newsletters.

We’ve been supported by attendees of our many business-oriented events and conferences.

And we’ve been supported by individuals who provide us with valuable leads on business stories.

Today, our supporters have another way to support our news-gathering efforts: the BizWest COVID-19 Local News Fund, provided in partnership with the Local Media Association. The LMA launched this effort in recent weeks, with publications around the country partnering with the nonprofit to create local news funds that promote COVID-19 coverage.

This mechanism enables supporters of a given publication to make tax-deductible donations that will benefit a specific publication’s COVID-19 coverage, using the LMA’s 501(c)3 foundation.

The Local Media Association created the fund with publications like BizWest in mind: It is available only to independent and family-owned media companies.

“The need for local news and information about the coronavirus crisis and its effects on our changing world has never been greater, and the challenges facing local newsrooms are at an unprecedented high,” the LMA said in announcing the fund. “As advertising and events revenue plummet at local media organizations all over the country, the ability to inform your communities is at risk.”

The economic decline brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic has been unprecedented in terms of speed. Thousands of workers have been laid off or furloughed in Colorado, and millions nationwide. Record numbers of people have filed for unemployment. Many businesses have been forced to shut down to stop the spread of the virus, and some will never reopen.

Critical to understanding this crisis are local media organizations that can report on what’s happening in the economy, with breaking business news, in-depth analysis of key trends and sectors, and information on resources available to business owners and employees.

But we also will report on the path ahead: How do individuals, businesses and key industries rebound when the virus subsides? What will be the enduring changes in our economy brought on by social distancing and work-at-home?

To do that, support from the public is critical. Since January, BizWest has produced 154 articles referencing the coronavirus, and we have made those articles free to read — no paywall — as a public service to our readers.

But although the articles are free, producing that coverage is not. BizWest thus far has been able to avoid layoffs that have decimated other publications around the country. A donation to the BizWest COVID-19 Local News Fund will help us continue our valuable work.

There are other ways that you can support our efforts:

  • Subscribe to BizWest. Although our COVID-19 coverage is free to read, we produce many other articles that will provide you with critical information about businesses, industries and the economy.
  • Support local businesses. Order takeout or delivery from a local restaurant. Purchase products online from local retailers. Pay an invoice in advance for one of your smaller suppliers. Preserving those valuable businesses will help us all rebound from the downturn much more quickly.
  • Donate to a nonprofit, including the region’s food banks, which face enormous demand.

Much has changed since 1982, when the only form of publication for the Boulder County Business Report was print. Today, BizWest is a multimedia enterprise with a highly trafficked website and daily and weekly e-newsletters, along with numerous print publications, including our monthly business journal.

Our in-person business events — although on hiatus during the pandemic — remain an important part of our business. And our research department produces valuable data on companies, key industries, demographics and economic statistics.

With this pandemic, we are producing webinars that provide insights into the effects of the crisis. And we’ve launched our first podcast that features interviews with business and economic stakeholders in the community.

We have much to do. Your support will help us do it.

 

Christopher Wood is editor and publisher of BizWest. He can be reached at 303-630-1942, 970-232-3133 or cwood@bizwest.com.

 

Christopher Wood
Christopher Wood is editor and publisher of BizWest, a regional business journal covering Boulder, Broomfield, Larimer and Weld counties. Wood co-founded the Northern Colorado Business Report in 1995 and served as publisher of the Boulder County Business Report until the two publications were merged to form BizWest in 2014. From 1990 to 1995, Wood served as reporter and managing editor of the Denver Business Journal. He is a Marine Corps veteran and a graduate of the University of Colorado Boulder. He has won numerous awards from the Colorado Press Association, Society of Professional Journalists and the Alliance of Area Business Publishers.
Sign up for BizWest Daily Alerts