FROM THE EDITOR

Take a look around at your community — the people in power, the schools your children attend, the events that bring color and life to the mundane. 

Now picture your community without its local newsroom. 

Newspapers are one of the few industries where the product is made completely from scratch every single day. Building that product takes a team of dedicated individuals who care about what is happening in the community, not just for the sake of reporting the facts, but because the issues impact them as well.

At The Sentinel-Record, our team takes this mission to heart because we are your neighbors, our children go to the same school as yours, we serve and worship alongside you. This is our community, too. 

It is our job not to sugarcoat what happens here locally, but to hold a mirror to our community and reflect back to the reader the facts, good and bad. 

It’s no secret that newsrooms in this country are shuttering. Costs of production have gone up, advertising dollars are being spent elsewhere and circulation numbers are dropping. 

The Sentinel-Record is fortunate to continue to be moderately profitable in spite of these industry trends, but we have serious headwinds in front of us. There is still more that can be done in terms of providing additional coverage on key issues and expanding our abilities to cover subjects more in depth. 

That’s why we are launching The Sentinel-Record Community Journalism Project, a philanthropic initiative that will allow our newsroom to expand its mission of presenting the facts without fear or favor for generations to come. 

Donations to the Community Journalism Project, administered through the Hot Springs Area Community Foundation, will help us magnify our coverage in areas that matter most to our readers. We will be able to devote more time and resources to investigating key issues, recruiting and retaining experienced journalists and developing our skills with new technology and training. 

Philanthropy is not a new concept for newsrooms. Over the years, news organizations have turned to philanthropic efforts to provide journalists with the means to better serve their communities. Through these funds, local journalists are able to put readers first in their coverage, tackling issues with the greatest impact and interest that results in a more meaningful and valuable product.

Some generous members of our community have already donated $5,700 toward The Sentinel-RecordCommunity Journalism Project and we are asking you to help match these gifts and beyond to reach our initial goal of $75,000.

With your donation in any amount, we can raise our initial goal and much more. Our hope is to continue to build on this foundation so that the annual contributions reach $150,000 or more over the next few years. We need your support; not just today but continuing as long as we meet your need for news and information.

The Sentinel-Record has stood the test of time in Garland County as the only remaining newspaper in operation since 1877. By contributing to the Community Journalism Project, you will help us fund more in-depth and investigative reporting, and community driven newsroom projects that will help us serve our community in ways we have not been able to before.