No sacred cows. Balanced investigative reporting. Bold graphics. Crisp writing. Crusading columnists, often at odds with one another. Arts and cultural reviews, previews, insights and trends. Absolutely the best events calendar around. Plus a healthy dose of comics and humor.

This is what the 126,000 regular readers of the Colorado Springs Independent expect week in, week out from the Pikes Peak region’s largest locally owned newspaper. (Media Audit Report for Colorado Springs, Winer 2009)

“We’re read so widely due to our local focus,” says Publisher/Co-founder John Weiss. “Local politics, local angles on national news, local artists, local offbeat characters, local bands, local heroes, local villains, local everything.”

The Independent’s editorial excellence has been recognized by more than two dozen national and regional associations, including accolades from the Utne Reader, The Nation Magazine, Colorado Society for Professional Journalism, the National Society for Lesbian & Gay Journalists, the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies, and the Education Writers Association of America.

Serving Colorado’s second largest city and the nation’s 80th largest market, The Independent reaches more professional/technical employees and more first home-time home buyers than any section of the daily and more pop/rock as well as more symphony/opera concert-goers than any area radio station. (Media Audit Report, Winter 2009.) The Independent is the vehicle to reach Southern Colorado’s savvy, thoughtful and upscale decision makers.

“Our readers like our paper and our advertisers like our readers,” adds founding Ad Director Teri Homick. “When we launched the Independent, our goals were to have fun, do good and make money — in that order. And I am pleased to report that we have done all three.”