AURORA | Award-winning Colorado journalist McKenna Harford will join the Sentinel Colorado news team in April to cover Aurora and local governments.
“McKenna brings a wealth of experience reporting on local issues important to readers and a proven dedication to accurate, accountable journalism,” said Sentinel Editor Dave Perry. “At a time when the community is awash in misleading and confusing messaging generated by newsmakers themselves, McKenna’s trusted work is more critical than ever.”
Harford has been a journalist in Colorado since 2018, writing for Sky-Hi News, City Cast Denver, Bisnow and extensively for the fleet of Colorado Community Media newspapers in the metro area, including the Douglas County News Press and Littleton Independent.
“In my more than a decade as a journalist, I’ve spent the majority of my time working in local newsrooms to help communities as small as Granby and as large as Denver understand their local governments, connect to their neighbors and stay informed,” Harford said.
Harford graduated from the University of Kansas with degrees in journalism and international studies and has won top reporting awards from the Colorado Press Association and Society of Professional Journalists for her investigative and political coverage of the metro area.
A 2025 investigation for the Douglas County News Press revealed that county commissioners contrived a selection process for the county’s library board in order to select a library board director who had promoted banning LGBTQ+ themed materials from the library.
She also extensively reported on the Douglas County School District, revealing that the district fell under federal investigation for how educators failed to respond to student allegations of discrimination, harassment and bullying against disabled and minority students.
Harford said she loves the Aurora food scene and a Colorado lifestyle of hiking with her two dogs and finding something new to read.
She is expected to join the Sentinel newsroom April 13.