Imagine if you will, a reporter or editor being interviewed by us. That’s right, we interview them. Why? Because too often in our business it’s tough to find time, foster a relationship, and say thank you for all you do to keep the public informed and entertained.

We figured a page in our monthly newsletter would be a good way to do just that – and keep our readers up to speed on what’s happening in media.

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You cofounded The Colorado Sun in 2018 with a mission for sustainable local journalism—what’s the most surprising or rewarding “behind-the-scenes” moment from those early days that still makes you smile (or laugh)?

At some point early on, I took on the task of customer service mainly because nobody else was doing it. That was a bad look for us. I’m technologically proficient (having to figure out so many gadgets back in my day as the Gadgetress at another newspaper) and am pretty good at figuring things out. I was also involved in setting up our earlier membership systems so I had a good understanding of how things worked (literally) behind the scenes. The joy of the role was that I responded to everyone who reached out to support@coloradosun.com and gave them some human help. Folks loved it. And those who figured out it was me were just shocked that a reporter would be responding to their technical issue. Many folks thought we had a whole division handling customer service. That extra touch hopefully helped us retain customers and create fans. I left the role about two years ago when we hired our first dedicated membership director. We’ve also changed the backend, so I don’t know how it works anymore. If you’re not getting a response from the Sun to your questions, don’t blame me! But feel free to email me and I’ll still help! 

What’s one under-the-radar Colorado business story you’ve covered that you wish had gotten more attention, and why did it stick with you?

Maybe this story: “Why a Colorado mattress recycler sends old mattresses to the landfill”  Before the Sun, I pretty much covered technology and tech startups full time. Moving over to The Sun, there were only 10 of us founders and 7 of us were reporters. I didn’t feel it was right to focus just on tech so I switched to a more general business and economy/jobs beat. That allowed me to really cover anything I wanted. One of our freelance photographers suggested to me a mattress recycler that hired employees who were recovering addicts or homeless. As I was reporting out that story, I learned about how hard it is to recycle mattresses, especially modern ones with individual coils. Those often end up in landfills. I was hoping that after I wrote the story, some wealthy individual would step up and help them out to figure it out. 
OR… maybe this story: “In a chaotic job market, workers change their strategies as employers hire with caution.” It could always use a larger audience 🙂

You’ve reported on everything from meatpacker strikes and hemp growers to apartment concessions and tariff refunds. If you had to describe Colorado’s current business vibe as a weather forecast or a movie genre, what would it be right now and why?
Definitely cloudy. And hazy! I’ve never been skilled at forecasting, which is probably a good thing for a reporter. We don’t pre-write stories and I certainly have no clue what a story is going to say before I’ve reported it. A lot of reporting however ends up being a response to something that happened, and usually, that something is not great. All the federal chaos (tariffs, federal employee cuts, closing certain federal offices only in Colorado…) kept me busy as a business reporter last year and this year. And the business folks I’d interview tended to be uncertain or unhappy with their current state or future.

If you weren’t reporting on business and tech, what wildly different beat or career path do you think you’d enjoy in Colorado?
Food! But I’d be a terrible food critic because I enjoy eating almost everything. 
I actually wouldn’t mind getting back into full-time tech coverage, like when I was at the Denver Post and before that. I feel like the stories I was able to write a decade ago helped tell the story of the local tech community in Denver and, perhaps, bring a lot of outside attention to the city’s tech scene. At the Sun, I feel I have certain obligations to cover business and the local/state economy. But that’s on me. Nobody at The Sun is telling me what to do or cover. However, I also feel if I didn’t cover the economy, nobody here would.  

What are some of your favorite hobbies outside of your role as a reporter?
Gardening, which I never did before I moved to Colorado (and I’m from California!). My story about that is when I first moved here, my neighbor knocked on my door and welcomed me to the neighborhood. As we chatted she mentioned that the last neighbor had a garden and that she was a master gardener (hint, hint). And if I was interested, she’d be happy to help. Not long after, she brought her family over one weekend and rented a rototiller and helped my family plant our first garden. I’ve had one every summer since and I’ve now been in Colorado for 15 years.
I also enjoy guessing ingredients of restaurant meals and trying to duplicate favorite dishes at home with my teenage daughter.   

What else would you like to share with us – we’d love to hear more!
When we announced the Sun in June 2018, I had my doubts that we’d be around for more than a year or two. But I felt someone had to figure out a better way to sustain local journalism.  We didn’t want to be at the whims of an out-of-state corporate hedge fund owner. Did it work? Thanks to our readers, grants and some local advertisers, we celebrate our 8th year this year! Thank you everyone!

“When we announced the Sun in June 2018, I had my doubts that we’d be around for more than a year or two. But I felt someone had to figure out a better way to sustain local journalism. We didn’t want to be at the whims of an out-of-state corporate hedge fund owner.”
~ Tamara Chuang