Westword Summer Membership Drive Underway

This year, back-to-school season also means back-to-an-election season. That means our busy newsroom will not only be covering local political and election news, but also trying to make sense of national developments and how they affect our community. We’ll present you with the facts so that you can draw your own conclusions.

Producing independent journalism isn't cheap. We're proud to offer our coverage without a paywall, and recently introduced a website redesign to reduce pop-up ads in order to improve your online experience as you read our stories.

But we could not erase this main point: We cannot rely solely on advertising support to keep us moving forward.

Our summer membership drive is underway — and we have big plans. Through August 25, we’re aiming to raise $14,500 to help our newsroom provide crucial coverage during this unprecedented election cycle, and we are asking for your help. Join our membership program by contributing any amount to support our newsroom — and you’ll get cool perks!

And if you join by Thursday, August 15, you'll get an invite to our in-office concert with Denver's Grace DeVine.

Your contribution isn't just an investment in our current election coverage; it will also help allow us to continue as an independent, free local news source covering a variety of areas, and could lead to an increase in freelance writers or photographers.

Since its founding in 1977, Westword has carved out a place in the cultural landscape of the Mile High City. We’ve evolved a lot over the years, but our mission remains strong: to be an unparalleled source of information and insight about local issues, including government and politics.

This is a role we take seriously. We believe that being informed means being empowered. With access to reputable information, readers like you are better able to make educated choices, engage thoughtfully with others and connect meaningfully with the rest of the world.

We often hear from you, our readers, that you want to see more reporting about politics and the election. The time is clearly right to bolster our efforts in this area, which is why we are crowdfunding.

With this campaign, you’re providing more than money. You’re showing our newsroom that our publication matters to you. You come to us for stories you can’t get anywhere else. And to us, that’s more encouraging and motivating than any dollar amount will ever be.

Thank you.