Westword Launches Spring Membership Drive

Since Westword was founded almost fifty years ago as Denver’s alt-weekly, it’s always been free…but that doesn’t mean producing quality journalism comes cheap. And now, when we’re producing a seven-day-a-week website as well as the paper in a changing media landscape, our newsroom needs your help to keep access to those stories free. And to keep our journalism improving!

So today, we’re kicking off our spring fundraising campaign.

This campaign isn’t just about raising money. It’s about showing you what it takes to do this work…and why it matters. Our newsroom covers the city – our recent Best of Denver issue, filled with hundreds of reasons why we’re high on the Mile High, proves that – but we also uncover recent developments, reporting issues and writing stories that help people understand what’s happening around them.

And that news can be good or bad. Either way, we share it.

That’s because we do our work for our readers, and it’s only possible because of readers who support us.

As an independent news organization, we rely on your support. Every dollar helps fund journalism that serves our community and advances our mission to connect readers with the realities of life in Denver.

As we come out of the Best of Denver project, we’ll be focusing on what it will take to bring downtown Denver back. This is also a critical election year, with the primaries less than three months away and attacks on our voting system coming fast and furious, including Donald Trump’s most recent executive order regarding mail-in voting.

During a time when our industry is impacted by AI previews and Google updates sending fewer readers to our website, and when our print and website advertising revenue continues to decline, your contributions help keep a vital community resource growing (if you are a business that wants to get in front of our print or expanding digital audience, email advertising@westword.com to learn more). And in these fractured, misinformation-filled times, having a free, accessible, reliable source of fact-based news is key.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll share more information about our reporting and impact, culled from a recent reader survey. We hope that will inspire you to step up your support by becoming a monthly or annual member or making a one-time gift; find out how on our membership page.

We’ve set a goal of raising $20,000 by April 26, and every gift moves us closer.

Thanks, as always, for your support…and helping to keep Westword free.