Aurora Sentinel named Press Forward grant recipient to boost local coverage

AURORA | The Aurora Sentinel was named Wednesday a national Press Forward grant recipient, recognizing the 117-year-old newspaper as a critical voice for the most diverse community in Colorado.

“We are honored and humbled by the Press Forward grant designation,” said Sentinel Editor and Publisher Dave Perry. “We’re anxious to bring more reporting resources on board to continue our mission of providing trusted, fact-driven journalism for and about Aurora to everyone, without restrictions or paywalls.”

The national grant program provided a variety of levels of financial support for 205 newsrooms across the country among 900 applications for the program, according to Press Forward officials.

“We are proud to join a league of small, scrappy newsrooms across the state and across the nation to share the voices and stories of everyone living and working in diverse communities.”  

The Sentinel will share in $20 million in funding as part of Press Forward’s first Open Call on Closing Local Coverage Gaps, according to Press Forward officials.

The foundation seeks to help sustain newspapers and digital media that report on diverse communities.

The Sentinel is operated by a 501(c)(3) non-profit group, dedicated solely to preserving the city’s long-standing and frequently honored newspaper and digital news company.

The Sentinel is a digital daily, distributes about 14,000 free, email-news updates twice a day, is a member of the Associated Press, Colorado News Collaborative, Colorado Media Project, Colorado Ethnic Media Exchange, and offers a weekly print edition every Thursday.

This year, the Sentinel won seven top honors from the Colorado Press Association annual newspaper contest, competing against the state’s largest newsrooms, including the Denver Post, The Colorado Springs Gazette and the Colorado Sun.

“From newsrooms focused on people of color and linguistically diverse communities, to others covering vast rural areas where they are the only news source for miles, these local journalists are filling the gaps where traditional coverage has fallen short,” Press Forward officials said in a statement.

The grant will provide for an additional staff reporter to focus on Aurora’s vibrant community of cultures and entrepreneurialism, Perry said. 

Perry invited everyone who appreciates the Sentinel’s coverage or its unique, non-profit mission, to join hundreds of “community share holders” dedicated to preserving Aurora’s independent and indispensable journalism voice.

“This is a city that has long openly welcomed immigrants and all struggling Americans anxious to try their hand at starting their own business in a community eager to offer their support,” Perry said. “It’s a community that embraces people who have come from all over the world, sharing an extraordinary variety of cultures. From cuisines to concerts, markets and festivals, Aurora truly is a cultural nexus.”