The stars aligned. It’s a great time to root for the home team.
The Green Bay Packers were in town, and the Sentinel scored back-to-back touchdowns for Aurora this week. And the Broncos amazed everyone
Let me unpack all of this.
Just over a year ago, as journalism industry innovator Joaquin Alvarado swooped in to stabilize the Sentinel, I was sent to Green Bay, Wisconsin to attend the Packers annual shareholder meeting.
It was a trip I never thought I’d ever make.
Not being a fan of any kind of football, I had no idea it was the only NFL team not owned by someone very rich. For those naive like me, the team is “owned” by the community of Green Bay, and people who are honorary Green Bay denizens.
Joaquin insisted I go there to watch thousands of people celebrate their “shares” ownership.
“You mean my worthless piece of paper?” was the usual response from people I asked why they gave money to a professional football team that would never give the money back.
I was schooled by Packer shareholders that the real value to greater Green Bay comes from the team as an engine for just about everything in the region.
OK. I get it.
15 months later, we’re making plans for the Sentinel’s first shareholder meeting, sometime next year.
Earlier this year, the Sentinel was converted to a non-profit organization. The board of directors includes Alvarado, former AT&T executive and Aurora management consultant Terri Tochihara-Dirks, former Aurora Mayor Bob LeGare, Aurora teacher and Poet Laureate Emeritus Jovan Mayes, Colorado State University journalism professor and longtime Aurora Public Schools and Cherry Creek Schools communications executive Michelle Ancell and accountant and business consultant Ben Hout.
The board’s powers include but are limited to ensuring for the growth and stability of the newspaper company. The board appoints a publisher to oversee operations and editorial mission.
Critical to the success of the Sentinel Shares model, like the Green Bay Packers, shareholders and board members support the home team, but it operates independently.
The new Sentinel model scored repeatedly last week when the 116-year-old news media company brought in its first 168 shareholders into the fold.
Thanks, deeply, to each of you for stepping up fast to the call for the community to invest in the Sentinel by contributing “shares. Investment can be as little as $10 each. Some supporters have contributed several thousand dollars.
All of us are humbled and proud.
The Sentinel delivered on shareholder’s faith in us this week by producing a collection of collaborative investigative stories and commentary. The package focuses on how police locally and statewide skirt laws intended to keep dangerous cops from continuing to be dangerous cops.
Here are the stories in the “Undisciplined” investigation:
It’s the kind of work that comes from dedicated, honest and persistent journalism, and it’s only possibly because of reader support like yours.
Those and some other news highlights of this week are below.
We can do this kind of journalism, and more, because the community is offering their “share” of keeping the home team on the field.
If you haven’t yet, please consider what the “home team” means to you, and even to those who don’t read us or don’t even know what honest and accurate local journalism does for all of everyone.
Follow @EditorDavePerry on Threads, Mastodon, Twitter and Facebook or reach him at 303-750-7555 or dperry@SentinelColorado.com