There's a newspaper for sale in Colorado, and no, it’s not The Denver Post.
Barbara Hardt bought the Mountain Ear, based in Nederland, in 2007 – a time when the paper was going down in readership and losing advertisers.
Hardt says that she and the eight staff members, interns and columnists try to constantly change to meet the needs of readers and make the paper better.
The Mountain Ear’s first paper was published in 1977. Five-thousand readers subscribe to the print edition today.
“It’s important to the town. It’s important to the history of our area,” Hardt said. “We cover such a broad area, from Allenspark to Idaho Springs. There’s no one else that covers up here.”
Hardt has decided to sell to spend more time with her family. She thinks a graphic designer or journalist could make a great owner, but maybe even journalism student, or a hometown person with a love for the area, could take the job.
“I would say someone that loves small-town news... even someone one that doesn’t have a lot of experience but wants to be part of something like this could be the ideal candidate,” Hardt says. “It has to be someone who wants to keep it local.”
Hardt believes The Mountain Ear can survive while bigger papers struggle because its coverage is hyperlocal. She’ll keep working until the right owner comes along to continue that practice.
If you’re interested, contact Barbara at 303-810-5409 or email publisher1977@gmail.com.
