Profile of a Publication: High Country News

High Country News (HCN) is a multimedia publication based in Paonia, Colorado. In existence as a print magazine since 1970, HCN has 33,000 subscribers and continues to develop active online community. A bi weekly magazine with lots of photographs, a meticulously curated online archive, an engaging and responsive social media presence, periodic short videos on YouTube, and an audio series produced with Paonia community radio station KVNF constitute HCNs’ current forms of publication.

In addition, HCN recently announced a forthcoming film series called American West(s), to be produced in conjunction with Forrest Pound, a San Francisco based documentary filmmaker.

When contacted, Pound expressed excitement about the project’s potential. He remarks, “My hope is that the American West(s) film series will help to bring HCN’s reporting to new audiences, in the way that only video these days can. In addition to online distribution, we hope to take the films on tour to select western cities to start an in-person conversation that may help bring our divided country closer together.”

Ultimately, American West(s) will consist of five to ten short films per year. HCN is crowdfunding the initial round of three films, and the publication is well on its way to its goal of $36,000.

High Country News is a non-profit organization. Most funding comes from subscriptions and reader contributions and gifts. A smaller percentage comes from advertising.

HCN focuses on the issues pertaining to the American West.  On their Submission Guidelines page, editors spell this out clearly for those making pitches. “ High Country News will consider stories on any natural resource or environmental topic, as long as it concerns the American West as a region.  We define resources to include people, politics, culture and aesthetic values, not just coal, oil and timber.” High Country News concisely sums up their brand identity in their mission statement:

High Country News is a nonprofit 501(c)3 independent media organization that covers the important issues and stories that define the American West. Its mission is to inform and inspire people—through in-depth journalism— to act on behalf of the West’s diverse natural and human communities.

HCN clearly defines itself as an independent group that values thoughtful analysis and commentary on issues related to the American West and it’s people.

The group that contributes to High Country News is diverse. The publication uses content both from staff and from freelancers, and uses work journalists that are both established and up and coming. The publication also has an essay contest, The Bell Prize, which encourages young writers (ages 18-25) to submit their writing for a chance at publication and other prizes.

In its text, video, and audio pieces, HCN largely approaches their storytelling from the Journalistic/ Authoritative and Interview (both contemporary) traditions. Writers on the Range, HCN’s widely syndicated opinion pieces, make up a traditional op-ed style column that is thoughtful, diverse and poignant.

Because of their history of consistency, their dedicated readers, and their thoughtful web strategy, High Country News is well positioned to successfully evolve with the shifting media landscape, and will no doubt maintain their place as respected and far reaching multimedia publication for topics related to the West.