In 2023, BRL readers voraciously read stories across a range of topics. However, they clicked the most on housing news, local election updates, breaking news, exclusive investigations and stories about the local food scene and the outdoors.
Here are the 10 most-read stories of last year in order. Keep reading for a BRL team discussion on our personal highlights from 2023 — and what we’re looking forward to in the new year.
THE 10 MOST POPULAR STORIES ON BOULDER REPORTING LAB in 2023
Tragic fall at Rocky Mountain National Park: Boulder community mourns loss of local climber
Boulder High and CU graduate Bailee Mulholland is remembered as a friend to many in local climbing and running communities. ‘This one hits home for us in Boulder.’
Boulder Election Day 2023: Live results, updates (closed)
BRL reporters liveblogged election night happenings and results as they were posted.
Meet the candidates running for BVSD Board of Education in the 2023 election
Boulder Reporting Lab asked the Boulder Valley school board candidates six questions covering topics from declining enrollment to the presence of school resource officers and the youth mental health crisis. Here’s what they said.
‘Killer views’: Long-awaited Toll Trail opens, paving the way to eventually connect Nederland to Winter Park
The scenic five-mile trail, with a complex history, traverses private land and is currently open for access. However, it will close for winters at the request of Eldora Ski Resort.
Golden West’s plans to close Boulder assisted living facility leaves dozens of low-income older adults scrambling for a place to live
The 33 residents living in the Mezzanine have until March 4 to move out, according to the nonprofit. Some are looking outside of Boulder for a place they can afford.
Developers abandon affordable senior housing project at Fruehauf’s property amid rising costs
A recent deal with the city offers the possibility that the plans may still happen someday. But the five-year saga over the site highlights the challenges the city faces when trying to ensure more lower-cost housing is built.
New year, new restaurants: Meet Boulder’s newest additions for 2023
From traditional Italian to Salvadoran food, Stella’s Cucina, Pupusas Lover 2, Nopalitos and Postino are filling gaps in Boulder’s cuisine options.
Boulder is buying a home for people to live in and recover from methamphetamine addiction
The recent closure of the Boulder Public Library due to meth contamination highlights the far-reaching impacts of the public health crisis.
‘Once-in-a-forever opportunity’: Boulder residents to weigh in on repurposing airport for housing
The general aviation airport, dating back to 1928, covers more than 179 acres northeast of the city. Some want it redeveloped for housing. The city will be presenting an update on its community conversations to city council on Thursday, Aug. 24.
Boulder County’s elected coroner takes ‘time away’ after internal investigation substantiates workplace allegations
Emma Hall, who has served as county coroner since 2011 and was elected four times, proposed the ballot effort to extend term limits for the county coroner. Since 2020, eight employees have left the coroner’s office, which employs 15 people.
BRL chat reflections: What were your highlights of 2023?
Stacy Feldman: Where to start! Overall, we’ve strengthened local journalism in Boulder with impactful stories. It’s been so rewarding this year to see the potential of what more local reporting can achieve. Earlier this year, I had a chat with Bob Wells, a former local journalist, who mentioned that back in the 1980s, the Daily Camera had 70 people in the newsroom when Boulder County had 70% fewer residents. We’ve been so short on reporters on the ground on Boulder. I see how we’re really filling a critical need.
John kicked off the year with fantastic reporting on the closure of the Golden West assisted living facility, thanks to a tip he received. Tim wrapped up the year with another tip about the coroner facing internal investigations. He was the first to expose the toxic work environment, leading to her resignation. The response was overwhelming. In between, there were hundreds of stories on issues of community importance. Our election coverage got more clicks and pageviews in two days than we usually get in a month. Providing that kind of public service felt great. All year our reporting sparked opinion pieces and community discussions. Our work was not only appreciated by Boulderites but also recognized by our journalism peers. We snagged around 30 honors, including national ones for our work on the Marshall Fire and other climate issues. More than 1,500 people have now donated to us, and every donation receipt feels like fuel. So many highlights!
I’ll never forget an email from a reader this year who not only thanked us for our work but also acknowledged the “risk” we took in starting BRL. That recognition really stuck with me.
Tim Drugan: Learning has been the highlight of 2023 for me, as it was in 2022 and will probably be in 2024. I feel lucky that my job is having people to explain things to me, often in great detail with great gusto. Whether a resident explaining why a certain flood project shouldn’t move forward or a city official detailing why it should, or a fire chief lamenting the flammable landscaping choices of Boulderites, the conversations I have on a day-to-day basis are never boring and often downright entertaining. People say remarkable things when you offer them the space to.
These conversations, along with delving into the history of our town and tuning into its legal happenings, grounds me in Boulder — a good place to be grounded in.
John Herrick: I’ve been thinking about the mayoral forum we held in October. It was intimidating, and I kept thinking maybe it wasn’t going to happen. But then it fell into place. The candidates agreed to a day. Trident offered up a space. KGNU set up the sound system. It was nice to see the community make it happen.
Separately, I thought the feedback to the coal ash story was enlightening. I think we all want to write deeper stories. But sometimes I wonder whether our readers truly want that. The story, like most long investigative stories, didn’t get as many clicks as others. But it was nice to hear people talking about it. It was affirmation that it’s worth putting in the months it takes to report an investigation or feature. But I guess it easy for me to say that. I didn’t write it.
What are you most looking forward to in 2024?
Stacy: Growth in every aspect — two years in startup mode, pure hustle. This year I’m looking forward to making space to lay the foundation for a permanent newsroom. This involves crucial behind-the-scenes work on board development, revenue and technology. It’s serious — the local news crisis is evident, some 43,000 newspaper journalists lost jobs in the past two decades, and we’re witnessing it unfold here. We have communities all around us, with literally no reporters, asking for Reporting Labs.
We’re now two years into this journey, armed with a wealth of reader data, survey insight and valuable conversations. This makes experimentation feel less like a risk and more like a method of meeting Boulder’s needs. Reporting remains our core, our greatest value-add. Yet, I’m excited about expanding into developing a “town square” where commentary, community interaction and comments turn it into a two-way conversation. I’m also looking forward to venturing into new ways to serve the community — like a platform for people to publish their obituaries for free. Ultimately, we’re building a community asset. It may be stewarded by us, but it belongs to Boulder.
Tim: In 2024, I’m excited to continue broadening the reach of my reporting outside the City of Boulder. Talking to water managers across Boulder County this past summer about their cities’ reliance on the taxed Colorado River, I realized that no municipality can operate in a silo when it comes to climate and environmental issues. More collaboration is going to be necessary to address water needs, wildfire mitigation and landscape management. It only makes sense, then, that my reporting reflect that.
In the same vein, I’d like to better cover the science and technicalities of climate change and environmental initiatives where possible. How are Boulder’s weather patterns going to change in the coming years? How do fire districts assess the current flammability of the landscape? These details, when tied into pertinent news stories, heighten Boulderites’ understanding of what is driving the decisions of city and county officials. And I have to think a heightened understanding is a good thing.
I’m also eager to deepen my knowledge of the governmental mechanisms dictating aspects of Boulderites’ lives. After receiving a tip about the toxic environment in the coroner’s office this fall, I was struck by the necessity of journalism in our political system. When there are elected officials that answer only to voters, it’s essential that those voters have insight into what those officials are doing.
And while BRL is toying with the idea of adding opinion writing to the mix in the new year, this past year I fell in love with straight reporting. In college, I wrote an opinion column for my student newspaper. But if I had to opine now, I don’t know if I could. My reporting has led me to believe there’s almost always at least a kernel of validity to each side of an issue. I talk to a passionate advocate of one side and think, “Wow, that’s a great point, I didn’t think of that.” Then, in talking to an equally passionate detractor, I think, “You know, they’re making a lot of sense here.” This might indicate gullibility on my part, but I hope it instead means I’m growing my nuance muscle. I’m excited to continue strengthening it in 2024.
John: I feel like we’re starting to get into a nice groove. With that, it’s easier to take on longer-term projects. One project might be creating an archive for city council meetings. We’ll get to learn some coding and make our work easier in the future. It’s a different kind of journalism that seems in keeping with our name. More traditionally, I’m interested to continue following people’s stories. This includes people who are on the waiting list to get housing. Following their experience is one way to understand an otherwise very complicated system. Hopefully next year will bring them some good news.
You do good work. We need you. Thanks for being here