Serving Barnwell County and it's neighbors since 1852
The People-Sentinel is expanding its coverage thanks to a grant from Report for America (RFA).
RFA is a non-profit organization that seeks to place skilled journalists in underserved and unserved communities throughout the country. The People-Sentinel is one of nearly 30 new host newsroom partners - and only two in South Carolina - selected by RFA for 2023.
“Far too many Americans desperately need reliable, fact-based information to make decisions about their daily lives, and a growing number of local newsrooms are turning to us for support,” said Kim Kleman, senior vice president of Report for America. “We were blown away by the breadth of applications we received, and only wish we had the ability to bring on even more newsrooms this year.”
The People-Sentinel applied for funding to add a Rural Communities beat reporter to its dedicated team. This reporter will focus on the issues that impact rural communities, specifically government, education, and healthcare.
“The People-Sentinel has primarily served Barnwell County since it was founded in 1852, but this amazing opportunity through Report for America will allow us to expand coverage into neighboring communities that lack consistent, quality coverage,” said Jonathan Vickery, a Barnwell native and publisher of The People-Sentinel.
The newspaper especially wants to grow coverage of Allendale County, which has not had a newspaper for close to a decade. Though The People-Sentinel has started publishing a regular Allendale County news page most weeks, this grant will allow that coverage to grow.
“Newspapers play a vital role in American democracy by keeping the community informed while also holding public officials accountable,” said Vickery.
Unfortunately, more than 2,000 newspapers have closed over the last 20 years. Most of those that remain have had their newsroom staff significantly cut due to the changing conditions caused by the internet, economic downturns, and COVID-19.
The People-Sentinel has been able to grow since it returned to local ownership in July 2021. The staff, content and size of the paper have all increased.
“We love serving our community by providing factual, unbiased, and fair reporting to keep our community informed. We can’t wait to see how our new Rural Communities reporter will help us better serve Barnwell County and our neighbors,” said Vickery.
With these additional 30 newsrooms, Report for America corps members will be working next year in nearly 220 newsrooms across the United States, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and Guam.
Now that the newsroom selections have been made, RFA is seeking talented, service-minded journalists and photographers to join its reporting corps—a two-year program (with an option for three years) that delivers a wide range of benefits to its corps members.
“Report for America provides a unique opportunity for journalists to pursue meaningful, local beat reporting that sadly is missing from many of today’s newsrooms,” said Earl Johnson, director of admissions at Report for America. “Beyond talented reporters and photojournalists, we are looking for a diversity of individuals who see journalism as a calling, who want to make a difference within their communities.”
To learn more about RFA, visit reportforamerica.org.
