By Mark Harden / SPJ Colorado Pro communications chair

Hello again, and welcome to the almost-May edition of the newsletter of the Society of Professional Journalists Colorado Professional Chapter.

This time around, we’re focusing on the legacy of our departed friend and leader Fred Brown in a number of ways, and we’ll co-host a Celebration of Life for “Ethical Fred” on May 7. Also, on Saturday we presented our Top of the Rockies awards, individual honors and scholarships at our annual reception. And we offer an update on our new mentorship program. Read on for the latest. (For more, visit our website.)

A Celebration of Life for Fred Brown

Join us on May 7 as we pay tribute to Fred Brown – our brother in journalism, our ethical soul, a loving husband, and a longtime SPJ leader – at a Celebration of Life at the Denver Press Club. Details and RSVP here.

Across decades, Fred was a guiding light for journalists in the Centennial State and nationwide. He died April 1 following a stroke at age 85. Read SPJ Colorado Pro’s remembrance here.

I had the honor of paying tribute to Fred and his work – work that earned him the nickname “Ethical Fred” – at our Top of the Rockies Awards reception on April 25. Watch the video here.

Earlier that same day, our SPJ Colorado Pro Chapter board created a new annual award to recognize outstanding examples of ethics in Colorado journalism. The award, which will be bestowed for the first time in 2027, has been named The Ethical Fred.

And the national Society of Professional Journalists has renamed its national award for ethics in journalism in recognition of Fred. On Monday, the inaugural Fred Brown SPJ Ethics in Journalism Award was presented to student journalists at Indiana University and Purdue University. Click here for details.

Excellence in journalism celebrated

As it is every year, our Top of the Rockies Awards reception on April 25 was quite a party. Nearly 200 people gathered at the Slate Hotel in Denver to toast the best in regional journalism. The event was organized by our chapter president, Deb Hurley Brobst, and emceed by board member Michael de Yoanna.

The main attraction was the roll call of Top of the Rockies winners from among nearly 2,100 entries submitted by newsrooms across Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming. Click here for a recap, including a slide show of the winners announcement and the full winners list.

Also at the awards reception, the SPJ Colorado Pro Chapter presented its 2026 individual awards to Colorado journalism superstars. The honorees are:

• KEEPER OF THE FLAME (career achievement): Linda Carpio Shapley, presented by Michael Karlik. (Watch the presentation here.)
• JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR: Jeremy Jojola, presented by Marco Cummings. (Watch the presentation here.)
• EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR: Doug Cosper (posthumous), accepted by his wife, Carol Rowe, and presented by Beth Potter. (Watch the presentation here.)
• FIRST AMENDMENT AWARD: Aurora Sentinel, accepted by publisher-editor Dave Perry, and presented by Kara Mason. (Watch the presentation here.)

Click here for more on the honorees.

The chapter also presented scholarships to 13 deserving Colorado journalism students. Click here for the recipients. And click here to watch the presentation.

More on mentorship

Earlier this month, our chapter announced the launch of a mentorship program to connect working journalists with Colorado college students, under the leadership of Doug Bell, SPJ Colorado Pro’s education chair.

The program pairs mentors and mentees for one year, and the pairs will meet twice a month virtually or in person for feedback and career advice. Mentors and mentees will be matched based on interests and expertise. 

Now, Doug offers an update on the program: “So far, the program has paired seven communications pros with students from five different Colorado universities. And more volunteer pros are waiting for students to apply to the program.”

Click here for full program details and how to take part.

The mentorship initiative follows on the heels of our recent resume-review event, in which journalism pros offered students job-hunting advice. Education is a pillar of our chapter mission, which is why we welcome both students and journalism educators to become SPJ members (see below).

Panels, events and more

SPJ Colorado Pro offered a full slate of events this spring, thanks to the hard work of board members Marco Cummings, Michael Karlik, Doug and others. Highlights included our panel of media meteorologists, our Covering the Courts webinar, our session with culinary historian Adrian Miller, and our “DEI on Deadline” panel. Watch videos of our past events and panels at our YouTube channel, and subscribe so you won’t miss future videos.

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And that’s a wrap on this edition of our newsletter. Don’t be a stranger; please join us at SPJ Colorado Pro and help us further our mission of better journalism. Click here for information on how to become a member.

• Stay in touch with SPJ Colorado Pro online, on Facebook, on LinkedIn, on Bluesky, and on Instagram.