Yesterday, I learned that Boulder Weekly, the county’s once-beloved alt-weekly, has quietly closed its doors. The owner, Stewart Sallo, let the entire staff go, save for a bookkeeper and a special operations manager. No farewell, no final issue, no tribute to the journalists who made it what it was. Just… gone.
Some might assume I’d feel triumphant. I don’t.
Boulder Weekly wasn’t my first job in media. I started in California at Good Times when I was 21, and later spent five years in a corporate role after moving back to Colorado. I wouldn’t reach Boulder Weekly until early 1996, and I’d stay until August 12, 2000. It was barely a year and a half old at the time—scrappy, ambitious, and fighting for survival against steep competition. I left a secure job after the birth of my son to take a leap back into journalism. It was a risk. But that leap, and that newsroom, shaped the publisher I am today.
The team I worked alongside was brilliant, dedicated, and often underpaid. I drank the “journalism matters” Kool-Aid because of them. We produced stories that sparked dialogue and made real change, all while scrambling to make rent. We were the first media outlet in the country to question whether the Oklahoma City bombing was domestic terrorism. We sent a reporter to Bosnia. The staff made Boulder Weekly matter. Not the ownership, it was always the staff.
Boulder Weekly staff, circa 1998 or 1999 (or so)
Boulder Weekly was also where I cut my teeth on the business side of things. I was a full-commission ad rep, and I worked hard for my clients—pushing for design that went beyond phonebook aesthetics. One designer later told me that, after working with me, they learned to say, “Anything is possible.” That spirit of collaboration and excellence is what defined my career. I brought in about 60% of the Weekly’s revenue. I worked hard, earned strong commissions, and helped build something special. But when ownership decided I was making too much and offered to cut my pay while expanding my responsibilities, I knew it was time to go. That decision—painful as it was—ultimately led to the creation of Yellow Scene, originally serving the East County market before expanding to the entire county.
Now, 25 years later, Yellow Scene is the last locally owned print publication in Boulder County.
Everything else is owned by a hedge fund, a franchise, or a conglomerate. This is not a badge of honor I wear lightly. It’s a warning. If we don’t support independent media, it disappears.
I’d love to hire some of the Boulder Weekly staff. However, the reality is that this work is expensive. We still rely on advertising (and I’m endlessly grateful to the local businesses who understand authentic journalism is the bridge to an authentic community), but ad sales alone no longer sustain the newsroom. We need both advertisers and readers to make this work.
I still print because it offers a tangible, high-touch value that digital doesn’t. The truth is, these days, our profit margins are slim. I used to fund this work with ad revenue alone. Now, I fundraise because I believe in what we’re doing—because local, independent journalism matters.
I’m grateful to the community that continues to read and enjoy YS, and especially thankful for those who have become sustaining supporters. Those small monthly gifts? They go farther than you might think.
If you’ve ever read a story in Yellow Scene that made you feel seen, informed, or inspired, I hope you’ll consider becoming a sustaining supporter. Only $8 a month helps us print, pay writers, and hold power to account. It keeps real journalism alive, helps us hire the necessary staff (hopefully some from Boulder Weekly), produce the news, and deliver it to your mailbox.
Boulder Weekly’s closure is a loss for local media and our community. I’m grieving, with deep respect for the journalists and artists who made it great.
To those former colleagues: thank you. You shaped the publisher I am today. And to our readers, advertisers, and supporters—you’re the reason we’re still moving forward in this new landscape for local media.
Shavonne Blades
Publisher, Yellow Scene Magazine
Become a sustaining supporter and keep local, independent journalism strong.
The post Publisher’s Note: No Goodbye, No Final Page: What the Loss of Boulder Weekly Means for Us All appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.