• by Ray Schultz , Columnist, Yesterday

The National Trust for Local News is devoted to strengthening local media, but not necessarily in the Denver, Colorado area. 

The nonprofit is transferring ownership of 21 local publications, part of its Colorado Community Media unit, to Times Media Group (TMG), a for-profit Arizona-based publisher of 60 titles.

The Trust describes this as a restructuring. The terms were not disclosed, but one wonders: did money change hands? 

The National Trust will continue owning seven publications that serve communities from Brighton to Idaho Springs. These will now be part of a subsidiary called the Colorado Trust for Local News. 

And, as part of the transaction, TMG will print the publications at the Trust Press, a Denver printing press opened by the National Trust last fall. 

In addition, TMG will provide shared services,, including page design, digital infrastructure, advertising sales, and circulation management to the Colorado Trust for Local News.

As for the staff, most Colorado Community Media employees were offered jobs with Times Media Group. Some will stay with the Colorado Trust for Local News.

The National Trust for Local News acquired Colorado Community Media in 2021.Times Media Group approached the Trust in recent months.

“Through this strategic partnership with Times Media Group, we can reduce our footprint in greater Denver without reducing local journalism there, all while positioning ourselves to grow in the parts of Colorado where the need for our unique model is greatest,” says Will Nelligan, chief growth officer at the National Trust for Local News. “While it wasn’t an easy decision, we think it’s a positive outcome from all perspectives that sets the stage for a more resilient, equitable, and vibrant media ecosystem in the state.”

Nonprofits, widely seen as the hope of the news business, are struggling. Partnerships with for-profit companies might be one way out of this dilemma.

However, some media reports cast doubt on it. 

“It’s difficult to see how this turns out to be good news for two dozen Colorado newspapers, their employees and their readers,” Mark Harden, a former editor of Colorado Community Media, told Inside the News in Colorado. Why? Because of potential layoffs. 

But Steve Strickbine, president and founder of Times Media Group, argues that this is a good move for everyone involved. 

“We couldn’t be more excited to serve the communities in Colorado,” Strickbine says. “We know how much community news means in this state, and we understand the terrific legacy created over the years by these publications and their teams. This partnership is a good fit for Times Media Group and the National Trust for Local News.”

Let them have a go at it. We trust that the 21 publications, including Arvada Press, Englewood Herald, Littleton Independent, and Parker Chronicle, will survive and prosper.