Colorado journalists honor Aurora Sentinel editor as 2022 News Leader

DENVER | Aurora Sentinel Editor and Publisher Dave Perry was honored Saturday by statewide journalists as the 2022 News Leader recipient.

“Dave Perry is everywhere. He is a publisher, an editor, a mentor, a colleague, an industry expert, and an innovator,” Colorado News Collaborative Business Innovation Director Carol Wood said during his nomination at the Colorado Press Association’s 145th annual convention in Denver. “Most of all, he is an incredible human being — a friend and cheerleader to all who seek his wisdom.”

Perry, a Metro State University of Denver alumni, has spent 40 years in local journalism, with bylines in numerous state and local newspapers and magazines, including Denver magazine, the Denver Post, the Associated Press, Denver Westword and Sentinel newspapers.

Perry joined the Aurora Sentinel 30 years ago in a successful effort to create a five-day morning paper for the growing city of Aurora.

The Sentinel became an online digital daily 10 years ago and publishes in print weekly. He became editor and publisher two years ago, reflecting a trend in consolidating newspaper management and downsizing staff.

“Dave was instrumental in helping develop a community nonprofit, which now owns the Sentinel, and where community members have an opportunity to take ownership,” Wood said.

The Sentinel is poised to launch a campaign inviting readers and community members from Aurora and across the state to bolster the 126-year-old newspaper by contributing in return for “shares” in the news media icon.

Details of the unique shares program will be made public in the next week, according to Aurora Sentinel Community Media board members.

Nominating colleagues said Perry’s allegiance to the community and the demand for accurate, fearless journalism have guided the paper for decades.

“I have worked for several newspapers and many great editors over the years but I have never met anyone that could hold a candle to Dave,” Sentinel Advertising Director Ron Thayer said in his nomination for the award. “His love of newspapers and journalism drive him to provide nothing less than the highest quality, professional, fact- based news and information. To say he works tirelessly would be an understatement.”

In accepting the award, Perry said no one person at a newspaper is ever responsible for the paper’s success.

“The Sentinel has long stood out because of the dedicated talent and passion of the entire staff,” Perry said. He also credited a recent push toward collaboration among news media across the state as part of the answer to the industry’s pervasive and difficult economic problems.

“News media like the Sentinel continue to evolve and improve to better scrutinize the community and inclusively expand the voices from inside and outside of the newsroom,” Perry said. “But our unique role in relentlessly demanding transparency and accountability of our leaders and governments will always be paramount.”

Perry said that like other successful news media, the Sentinel has earned the trust of the community because it does not dismiss or ignore the voices of the paper’s detractors or fans.

“You don’t have to look any further than letters readers send to us or leave as comments of the stories to understand exactly what some of our readers think we get wrong,” Perry said. “Scrutiny of our work is just as important as the scrutiny we impose on others.”

Journalists who’ve worked with Perry at the Sentinel said the push for more is his trademark. 

“He cares deeply about the community, and never shies away from taking important issues head-on in his editorials, which elicit a lot of response,” said veteran Sentinel Sports Editor Courtney Oakes. “With all due respect to all the amazing journalism leadership around the state, you would be hard-pressed to find anybody who has to balance so much and do it the way Dave Perry does. He is the true definition of a news leader.”