The Colorado Springs Independent, commonly referred to as the CS Indy is a weekly newspaper that serves the Pikes Peak region covering predominately the city of Colorado Springs. The Colorado Springs Independent is the largest locally owned newspaper in the Pikes Peak region with 126,000 readers and features several popular annual features such as The Best of Colorado Springs and the Indy Music Awards.
The Colorado Springs Independent was founded in 1993 by publishers John Weiss and Kathryn Carpenter Eastburn who established the local publication to provide Colorado Springs readers with “informative, entertaining and thought-provoking articles”. A Colorado College graduate, John Weiss also serves as Chair of the Colorado Springs Business Journal and the Pikes Peak Bulletin. Weiss also established the Indy Give! campaign, which has helped 125 local non-profits raise more than $5 million.
One of the popular annual features in the Colorado Springs Independent is the Best of Colorado Springs highlighting top reader reviewed businesses in the Pikes Peak region. The newspaper publishes the results of the readers’ poll on a variety of businesses, people and activities in the Pikes Peak region. The results cover food and drink in one issue with a follow up of services and attractions the following issue.
The newspaper also features the popular Indy Music Awards. The Colorado Springs Independent started the Indy Music Awards in 2011as a way to promote local musicians and establish Colorado Springs as a destination for live music. Annually, Colorado Springs Independent readers vote for their favorite local artists in more than a dozen musical categories. Winners of the Indy Music Awards are profiled in the independents Local Music Issue and later perform at the annual Indy Music Awards showcase at Stargazers theater in Colorado Springs.
More than 40% of Pikes Peak area adults are regular readers of the Colorado Springs Independent. The popular publication has a reputation for giving voice to local and national issues that are largely ignored by other local media outlets. The Independents editorial page offers a unique perspective on local issues that for many readers acts as an alternative to the conservative minded Colorado Springs Gazette owned by Clarity Media Group a subsidiary of the Anschutz Corporation. The Independent’s editorial excellence has been recognized by more than two dozen national and regional associations.
Generously Submitted by Alex Archuleta, Historian
