2025 Estes Valley Voice Readers Survey

Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback about what you want and need in local news in the Estes Valley. We are a locally owned, independent, and journalist-led news organization founded in June 2024.

We believe that the news media should report the news and provide a platform for community engagement in conversations about the news.

We would like to hear from you, our readers, about your thoughts on the quality of local news reporting. We hope to earn and maintain your support as a reader, as a paid subscriber, and, if you are a business owner, as an advertiser or sponsor.

Patti Brown

Editor/Founder

Estes Valley Voie

Suzy Blackhurst

Senior Editor

Estes Valley Voice

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* 1. How closely do you follow news in the Estes Valley?

A great deal

A lot

A moderate amount

A little

None at all

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* 2. How important is a local news media to the community?

Extremely important

Very important

Somewhat important

Not so important

Not at all important

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* 3. What local news sources do you read?

Estes Park News in print

Estes Park News online

Estes Park Trail-Gazette in print

Estes Park Trail-Gazette online

Estes Valley Voice online

Other

None

Other (please specify)

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* 4. What state and national online news outlets do you regulalry read? (check all that apply)

Denver Post in print

Denver Post online

Colorado Sun

BizWest

Boulder Daily Camera in print

Boulder Daily Camera online

Longmont Daily Times Call in print

Longmont Daily Times Call online

Loveland Reporter in print

Loveland Reporter online

The Coloradoan in print

The Coloradoan online

The Wall Street Journal in print

The Wall Street Journal online

New York Times in print

New York Times online

USA Today in print

USA Today online

Other (please specify)

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* 5. How satisfied are you with the sources of news available about the Estes Valley?

Very satisfied

Satisfied

Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied

Dissatisfied

Very dissatisfied

Tell us what is good about how the local news in Estes Park is reported and what could be better.

Question Title

* 6. What three local news topics are most important for you to know about?

Local government (issues in front of the town and county, elections, local taxing districts, changes in law/regulations)

Estes Park School (activities, achievements of students, administration, school sports)

Crime and crisis events

Environment (ecology, sustainability, environmental protection)

Opinion and commentary columns about local issues

The business community (the local economy, what's new, what's changing)

Wildlife and outdoor activities (day hiking, back packing, climbing, news about RMNP)

What's going on/local entertainment (music, plays, movies, art shows, events, festivals, etc.)

Features and profiles about Estes Park people

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 7. What three local news topics are least important for you to know about?

Local government (issues in front of the town and county, elections, local taxing districts, changes in law/regulations)

Environment (ecology, sustainability, environmental protection)

Wildlife and outdoor activities (day hiking, back packing, climbing, news about RMNP)

What's going on/local entertainment (music, plays, movies, art shows, events, festivals, etc.)

Crime and crisis events

Opinion and commentary columns about local issues

Estes Park School (activities, achievements of students, administration, school sports)

Features and profiles about Estes Park people

The business community (the local economy, what's new, what's changing)

Other (please specify)

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* 8. Certain news stories have dominated local coverage. What local issues have you been most concerned about over the past year?

Increasing options for workforce housing

Increasing options for childcare

Proposed zoning restrictions

Regulating short-term rentals

The acquisition of Estes Park Health by UCHealth

The administrative problems at the Estes Valley Fire Protection District

The impact of tourism on the local environment

The impact of tourism on the local economy

The impact of the federal government shutdown on RMNP and the local economy

Other (please specify)

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* 9. On what device do you typically read the news?

A smart phone

A tablet

A lap-top or desk-top computer

I do not read the news online

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* 10. Journalism research has shown that news is a public good. Communities that have lost their local news outlets have lower voter engagement and civic participation than communities with a strong, independent news outlet.

The Estes Valley Voice is a public benefit corporation. We believe the news should be accessible to everyone, but producing it is not free. It costs money to hire reporters and pay for a publishing platform. We set our inaugural subscription rate to the Estes Valley Voice at $72 a year or $6 a month if paid annually, or $7 a month if paid month-to-month. What is the right subscription price per month to have local news delivered to your inbox at least three times a week?

$8 per month

$12 per month

$15 per month

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* 11. What is your age?

Under 18

18-29

30-39

40-49

50-59

60-69

70+

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* 12. Gender: How do you identify?

Man

Non-binary

Woman

Prefer to self-describe, below

Self-describe:

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* 13. What is your relationship to the Estes Valley?

I live here full-time

I live here part-time

I own a business in the Estes Valley

I am employed in the Estes Valley, but I do not live in the community

I live elsewhere, but I love to visit the Estes Valley

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* 14. Please tell us a bit more about yourself

I live alone

I live with a spouse or partner

I live with minor children

I live with one or more unrelated housemates

I am employed/work part-time

I am employed/work full-time

I am semi-retired

I am retired

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* 15. What local stories do you think need to be told that are not getting the attention they should?

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* 16. “The news is what someone does not want you to report; everything else is just public relations,” is a famous quote attributed to George Orwell. Should local news report difficult stories, or should the local news just report on easy, happy stories?

Local news should tackle difficult community stories, especially when it deals with government offices and issues of transparency and public accountabiliy.

Local news reporting should just focus on easy reading, fun stories.

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* 17. Thank you for taking the time to give us your feedback. To be entered in a drawing for one of ten $10 gift cards to an Estes Park coffee shop and also receive a copy of the survey responses, please enter your contact information below.

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Company

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City/Town

State/Province

ZIP/Postal Code

Country

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