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Northern Colorado Deliberative Journalism Project

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Northern Colorado Deliberative Journalism Project

Poudre River Public Library District

Advocacy & Awareness | 2023

Innovation Synopsis

DJP reimagines local journalism by improving public discourse and the availability of information. It builds community with a new public opinion forum, library programming, and student-led reporting. CSU Center for Public Deliberation and The Coloradoan launched DJP, which has grown to 10 partners working to boost local news and civic engagement.

Challenge/Opportunity

The U.S has lost more than ¼ of its newspapers since 2005 (NU Medill School). With the collapse of the traditional newsroom model and mistrust of the media, DJP is an opportunity to strengthen our information ecosystem. Because libraries see higher levels of institutional trust compared to the media/academia, we're uniquely positioned to champion local news reform, protect against misinformation, preserve local discourse, promote understanding across differences, and partner with organizations to engage our community.


Key Elements of Innovation

  • DJP is the first of its kind in the nation.
  • Coloradoan Conversations (CC): our newspaper asks 2 weekly opinion questions, encouraging public discourse on local issues.
  • The Scoop: Monthly library program based on popular CC questions. Attendees meet journalists and engage in debates on relevant topics (e.g., Bridging Political Divides).
  • NoCo Convos: This student-run site offers local information and news in a space where DJP partners can contribute.
  • Key Partners: CSU CPD, The Coloradoan, CSU Journalism Dept.

Achieved Outcomes

  • The project doubled in size since we joined in Feb. ‘22.
  • CC has drawn 184,000 views from 145,000 visitors with an avg. engaged time of 1+ minute, higher than previous opinion formats.
  • The Scoop has seen 200+ attendees since launch in Oct., 2022 and averages 40+ participants each month.
  • "These are fantastic. Keep coming to these, because they work." -Regular Attendee to 'The Scoop'
  • Over six new Library partnerships developed
  • DJP received national attention from NPR, Better News, and Colorado News Collaborative.