Boulder Reporting Lab has been delivering news straight to inboxes since the end of 2021, building the largest hyperlocal news-focused product in our city. It builds on an ethos we’ve had since pre-launching BRL: We can’t succeed if we cling to old models of information consumption.
Our entire news-in-your-inbox model is built on two premises: You really want to be informed about what’s happening in Boulder because you care about Boulder, and you love feeling more connected to the place you live in. But we also know that you might only have a few minutes right when you wake up, while drinking your morning brew, or heading back from your morning walk, run or bike ride.
We’re relaunching BRL Today with this in mind, and we’re walking you through it here. BRL Today is your front page for Boulder. It’s your lead stories, your below-the-fold news, your things to do and more. The relaunch of this newsletter leans into the design elements to make it more explicit about what you’re getting. We’re also adding new sections:
- The Mailbag, where occasionally we’ll publish the provocative or thoughtful comments we receive
- The Outtakes, which features what lands on the cutting room floor from our stories but that we know you’d be interested in
- We’re launching free Obituaries on BRL and a brand-new section, Boulder Explained, where you’ll ask us your burning questions about Boulder, and we’ll answer them.
What do you really get?
You get all of our original reporting on issues you care most about — on housing and homelessness, transportation, climate resilience, community safety, local government and more. Since we’re biased toward that work, it’s the first thing you’ll see in our newsletter. It’s what we call “The Lead.” It’s what takes the most time, has the most impact, makes you feel the most deeply informed, and is what we’re most proud of. Our original reporting is what we call in the industry “enterprise reporting” — meaning we only know what’s in the story because we actually reported it. It’s not a rewrite of a press release or anything derivative. It is wholly BRL original.
That’s not all — you’ll also get a series of news briefs and a curated selection of community information. These might be from press releases that we think are important for you to know, often with that extra bit of contextual information that makes it feel like BRL. We want you not just to know something happened, but to understand why, and why it’s important to know. You’ll get frequent curated event lists and other special features. You can donate straight to us from the newsletter, which we love — just one click away. And if you’re a local business or organization, you can see your own ads in our newsletter, strategically placed in a few spots so you can reach the most loyal, engaged news-reading audience in town. Interested in partnering with us? Here’s how to get in touch.
In short, what you get is Boulder’s Front Page. Like the old days — but for modern times. And did we mention you get all this for free, so that if you can’t afford a subscription to read the news, you can still read it?
How long does it take?
Here’s the best part: The newsletter is designed to be read in 1 minute, 3 minutes, or 5-7 minutes — all based on how much time you have to read that day. Of course, clicking through links and reading our original journalism (we’re biased toward our own reporting) is highly recommended and ideal, but we expect you’ll do that at some point.
The 1-minute version is right at the top of the newsletter — a summary designed to get you informed as quickly as possible. We’re not in it for clicks. All we want is for you to feel more informed than ever, and we pledge to help you get there in a minute.
The 3-minute version? Just get past the top and read on to what’s happening Below the Fold.
For the 5-7 minute version, you’ll read all the way to the end, knowing what’s happening today, why it matters, and what to do tonight.
Of course, the best version is clicking through the links and reading on our website — all the original stories you won’t find anywhere else.