PUBLIUS: Colorado Community Media and The Erosion of Journalistic Integrity

In a time when a reliable and truthful Fourth Estate is more crucial than ever, it is disappointing to witness the decline in journalistic standards at Colorado Community Media (CCM). What was once a trusted source of local news has now become a lamentable example of the erosion of journalistic integrity and the inability to report basic facts accurately. In its recent July 3rd article titled “A challenge: Angela Thomas wants debates with George Teal in Douglas County commissioner race,” CCM states in the opening paragraph, “As part of her bid to unseat incumbent Douglas County Commissioner George Teal, Democrat Angela Thomas is asking for debates. She has challenged Teal to four of them, asking that they also be streamed, ahead of the November election.”

Then later in the same article CCM discloses the truth: “Thomas said her team didn’t reach out to Teal ‘as we were certain it would either end up in a spam box or simply ignored.’”

In the context of challenging someone to a debate, the definition of challenge is as follows.

/chăl′ənj/

noun

A call to engage in a contest, fight, or competition.  e.g. "a challenge to a duel."

The reporting implies that candidate Thomas has challenged them or communicated with the Teal campaign directly. The only challenge that actually happened was when candidate Thomas suggested it to the CCM reporter as the article was being written. This is not a challenge. CCM wrote an entire article based on this flawed premise when it knew no challenge existed. This lie by candidate Thomas goes completely unchallenged as the journalist at Colorado Community Media chose instead to ignore this and proceed to sell the publication’s ability to host a debate in the rest of the article, instead of simply informing the reader of the facts. Why would any Republican have confidence in CCM to moderate a debate when it can’t even be bothered to uphold its own standards with one of the involved parties? 

Recent trends suggest a troubling departure from the standards that once defined CCM. It would seem that the trust built over years of dedicated reporting is being systematically undermined by a series of glaring inaccuracies, a seeming disregard for journalistic rigor, and clear partisan bias focusing on helping left wing candidates in the county. 

The Crisis of Accuracy

The most fundamental duty of any news outlet is to publish facts accurately. Yet the appearance is that Colorado Community Media has repeatedly failed to meet this basic expectation. Instances of misreported details, unchecked facts, naked partisan advocacy, and sensationalism have become alarmingly frequent. Such lapses are not merely minor errors; they represent a significant breach of the public trust. 

While this article is one example, there are many we could point to that are little more than brazen Democratic Party activism masquerading as local press.

Sensationalism Over Substance

Equally troubling is the apparent shift towards biased partisan coverage and sensationalism that looks as if it is designed to help Democratic Party aligned candidates in recent local elections. In an era dominated by clickbait and viral content, it is tempting for media outlets to prioritize lurid headlines over substantive reporting. Colorado Community Media has not been immune to this temptation, often opting for eye-catching stories that lack depth and factual grounding. Regrettably, this creates the impression that CCM ignores key facts that could damage their preferred candidates.

This shift not only misinforms the public, but also detracts from the real issues that deserve attention. The role of community media should be to illuminate the pressing concerns of the community, not to distract with tabloid content that offers little real value.

Another example is contained in the July 5th article titled “A Snapshot of Several Capitol Races in Douglas County this November.” The CCM reporter does much more than give a snapshot, dedicating two paragraphs toward a hyperbolic, editorialized attack against state representative Brandi Bradley’s social media posts advocating for her constituents. Republican Rep. Bradley (HD39) is the only elected official attacked in this manner in CCM’s article. The piece repeats, without evidence, claims that others have received threats based on her social media posts, while failing to mention the actual threats Rep. Bradley has received by radical leftists toward her and her family.

Radical Democrat state representative Bob Marshall (HD43) touts his award as 2023 “Best Government Official - Highlands Ranch” as voted on by Colorado Community Media’s readers. It is interesting that in every article, writers at CCM choose to ignore the fact that Rep. Marshall voted in the last session to raise our property taxes and give our TABOR refunds to the migrant crisis. The publication also ignores Rep Marshall’s support and sponsorship of some of the most damaging bills proposed in the 2024 session, as well as his long history of litigious behavior. 

A Call for Accountability

The decline in journalistic standards at Colorado Community Media is a stark reminder of the need for accountability in the media. It is imperative that the organization reassess its commitment to truth and accuracy. CCM must conduct a review of the ideological views of its reporting and editorial staff to add conservative voices, along with some true ideological diversity. This involves investing in rigorous fact-checking processes so we do not have a repeat of the slipshod errors like the ones in the July 3rd article regarding Candidate Thomas’s purported debate challenge that never actually happened. 

It also involves holding its reporters to higher standards, and fostering a culture that restores impartiality and accuracy and rejects politically motivated fables. 

The Role of the Community

As consumers of news, the community also has a role to play in demanding better. By holding media outlets accountable and advocating for higher standards, residents can help ensure that their local news sources remain responsible and credible. It is through this collective effort that the integrity of local journalism can be restored. Please join us in calling for Colorado Community Media to do better, to cover elections fairly, and to add conservative voices to their newsroom.

The issues plaguing Colorado Community Media are not unique, but they are deeply concerning. A neutral, unbiased press is a cornerstone of the very foundation of a free and informed society. It is incumbent upon Colorado Community Media to address these issues head-on and recommit to the principles of accurate, reliable, substantive, and non-partisan journalism. Only then can it hope to regain the trust and respect of the community it serves.

- Publius