Dear readers,
As the editor-in-chief of the Orlando Sentinel for the past six years, I have focused our newsroom on the most vital responsibility of a free press: holding the powerful accountable to the people they govern.
A local free press is essential to a healthy democracy. It’s as true now as in 1791 ago when the First Amendment was ratified.
We reported extensively on issues with former State Rep. Carolina Amesty’s family-run school, which led to the state re-examining its license and Amesty being indicted on four felony charges after a grand jury determined she forged a man’s signature on a document she notarized for the school.
Sentinel journalists researched and reported on “Orlando’s Walking Dead,” detailing how deadly area roads continue to be for pedestrians – despite the region making progress in combating the issue.
We uncovered the story of the needless death of Delmy Alvarez, who was killed in a fatal crash that followed an Orlando Police officer’s unauthorized, high-speed pursuit of a suspect in a traffic-light infraction.
And the Sentinel presented vital information to our readers about candidates running for local office in this year’s elections. Our editorial board conducted its own interviews and offered its recommendations for voters.
These stories – and others like them – take hundreds of hours of digging, and thousands of dollars to report.
We know there are more out there waiting to be reported, but we can use your help.
How? You can make a tax-deductible contribution to the Orlando Sentinel Community News Fund to help fund our investigative reporting and other vital local journalism. You can go to OrlandoSentinel.com/donate or send a check to Florida Press Foundation, 1025 Greenwood Blvd., Suite 121, Lake Mary, FL, 32746 and note it is for Orlando Sentinel.
The Florida Press Foundation set up the Fund in 2020 to help the Sentinel and other newspapers expand their journalism. If you have given to the Fund in the past, thank you. We hope you and others will consider providing us a boost for 2025.
Best regards,
Julie Anderson
