The Colorado Independent

The Colorado Independent was a nonprofit media organization, first reporting news via its online website that was started in July 2006, later revitalized again in September 2013 under new Colorado-based management.

The Colorado Independent, an online nonprofit news organization, is defunct. It was launched in 2006 as part of a network of local news websites, initially called Colorado Confidential, that focused on regional government and politics and were run by the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Independent Media, later known as the American Independent News Network (AINN). AINN started closing its websites in 2013 due to funding problems.

The Colorado Independent was relaunched in September 2013 by editor Susan Greene and managing editor John Tomasic, who secured funding from two local Colorado foundations: The Gill Foundation and the Bohemian Foundation. The revived Colorado Independent broadened its reporting focus, updated its website design, and assembled a team of veteran journalists. It also received grants from the Zell Family Foundation, the Douglas H. Phelps Foundation, and individual online contributions.

The organization positioned itself as a "small-media, big news movement" and actively engaged with the community through monthly events and forums. They embraced a philosophy of sharing their content freely, encouraging other news outlets and readers to "Steal our copy, please. Post it far and wide. Give us credit". However, the organization's independence faced scrutiny due to its donor base, which included long-time Democratic supporters, leading to difficulties in obtaining credentials for its staffers to access the floor of the state Legislature.

In April 2025, the Colorado Springs Independent, a weekly alternative newspaper commonly known as The Indy, which had been acquired by new owners J.W. Roth and Kevin O'Neil in February 2024 and relaunched, also laid off all staff and was sold again, this time to Dirk R. Hobbs and Colorado Media Group. Hobbs intends to relaunch The Independent and incorporate the Colorado Springs Business Journal into Southern Colorado Business Forum & Digest.

The Southern Colorado Press Club, another journalism support organization, also disbanded at the end of its 2024-2025 term, citing a decline in participation.