EXCLUSIVE: An interview with the Publisher of the only newspaper to call for President Trump’s impeachment.
An engaging interview on journalism, trust, press freedom, and how a local news outlet serves its community - and democracy.
(This is PART 2 of 2. PART 1 can be found here).
The interview that follows is the result of communications between the Media and Democracy Project (MAD) and the Publisher/Editor of Sentinel Colorado, Dave Perry (DP).
Sentinel Colorado is a news outlet with a strong sense of civic responsibility. It is a leading, local news source in Colorado. It has no paywall; its print editions are free on newsstands across the region, and its daily email E-dition (The Aurora Sentinel) is free to anyone who signs up online. Its groundbreaking call for impeachment on November 21, 2025, is courageous and patriotic; it is also an indictment of the leadership of other news organizations’ Editorial Boards who have failed to respond to a dangerous demagogue with calls for impeachment (or resignation). Defending the Constitution is not partisan.
MAD is a non-partisan, grassroots civic organization fighting for more informative and pro-democracy media operating in the public interest.
MAD: So far, we have not seen large national outlets call for impeachment or run Opinions calling for impeachment of President Trump or for any members of his administration. Why did the Sentinel make this courageous statement now, ahead of the “political will” and it being unlikely to become a reality in the near term with a Republican majority that is fused with the Executive branch?
DP: Thanks for the acknowledgment of a complicated and critical editorial position. It was not taken lightly. The Sentinel called for Trump’s impeachment not just for the dangerous and illegal attempt to undermine elected members of Congress and threaten their arrest, and even execution, but as compelling final grounds for impeachment. Trump has illegally forced the military to act against U.S. citizens inside the country. Trump has called for and forced members of the military to undertake extrajudicial killings in open international water against alleged civilian drug traffickers. Trump has thwarted U.S. courts and Congress on several instances since his inauguration. The egregious threats and actions against six members of Congress for pointing out current law makes clear Trump’s control of the presidency poses an imminent threat to the nation.
MAD: With the increasing attacks on press freedom—ranging from the FCC being weaponized against large news corporations to journalists being physically attacked in Los Angeles and Chicago and berated in the Oval Office—how/why did the Sentinel muster the courage to release this statement in support of impeachment?
DP: The Sentinel is not alone in pressing ahead with credible stories and opinions that target either both political parties and independents, including Trump and his administration. It is the job of all journalists to use the First Amendment as a tool to provide transparency for the public’s benefit, which in turn ensures critical accountability. The key word and goal is “trust.” The Sentinel ensures not only that we substantiate our stories, and require subjects in our stories to substantiate their comments and assertions as well. More dangerous than angering some of our readers who disagree with our editorial positions or news coverage, would be endangering our credibility by avoiding controversy or disagreement.
MAD: Are you aware of any other Editorial Boards making a similar proclamation? Have any national news or civic orgs reached out to you besides us?
DP: We have not seen any house editorials regarding the six Democrats targeted by Trump, but there have been staff columnists calling out the patently illegal behavior, including Megan Schrader, editorial page editor of the Denver Post, and Mike Litwinn of the Colorado Sun, and myself, this week: https://sentinelcolorado.com/opinion/perry-trumps-attack-on-rep-crow-and-dem-veterans-is-the-nations-911-moment/ We have heard plenty from readers and off the record acknowledgments from numerous elected officials.
MAD: How have your community and paying subscribers responded to the Editorial?
DP: The Sentinel has no paywalls for online access or daily email newsletters. Our current print circulation is about 11K. We log about 350 pageviews per month and have about 12K subscribers to our twice-daily email newsletters.
MAD: Is mountain air patriotic? In December 2023, it was the Colorado Supreme Court that found Donald Trump had engaged in “insurrection.” Now a small local paper with outsized courage has called for impeachment of a menacing authoritarian.
DP: lol. Colorado, and Aurora, have long been home to independent-minded people and newspapers. At the same time, this is the state that has three-times elected Lauren Boebert and was home to the Tina Peters election fraud controversy, which continues.
MAD: If you could communicate with the influential New York TImes Editorial Board, what would you tell them? Does it matter if they called for impeachment as compared to the Sentinel?
DP: While newspapers across the nation have shied away from and even discontinued “house editorials” for fear of appearing partisan or angering part of their readership, we feel that controversial news and opinions are not partisan but pragmatic. Not only do newspapers endanger their credibility by dodging controversial stories and opinions, they undermine our valid arguments that Trump’s impeachment is a national question, not a partisan one. By ignoring hard questions on either side, supporting or dismissing Trump’s impeachment, newspapers can appear complicit.
MAD: With American democracy and press freedom under siege, why should Americans subscribe to local outlets like the Sentinel?
DP: There is no substitute for credible, accurate journalism. Without it, we lose our uniquely American freedoms and control of all levels of government. Without the public’s support of media, however, journalism cannot survive. Social media commentary and government spokespersons are not journalism.
MAD: What do you see as the role of the Sentinel in defending American democracy?
Every day, the Sentinel must decide what resources to put toward telling the public what local, state and federal government officials do and why. No one else does that. No one. Without that transparency, the valued democracy we all know and enjoy cannot exist.
MAD: Anything else on the subject of “media and democracy” you’d like to share?
DP: In my career, I’ve talked at great lengths with survivors from Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union and other foul regimes across the planet. Many said the same thing: They didn’t push back because they didn’t think it would go that far. They didn’t think it would happen to them.
MAD is grateful to the entire team at the Sentinel for their work in support of Aurora and democracy; and to Dave Perry for taking the time for this interview.
NOW flex your civic muscles and take action!:
- Share the Sentinel’s editorial with your community and networks. Amplify their Bluesky post announcing their call for impeachment.
- Support the Sentinel by donating and subscribing. https://www.coloradogives.org/organization/Aurora-Sentinel-Community-Media
https://sentinelcolorado.com/sentinel-info/subscriptions/
- Reach out to your local and national news outlets: share the Sentinel’s editorial with them and ask them why they have not called for resignation or impeachment.
BONUS: You can also find the Sentinel and other great local news outlets to support in MAD’s searchable 50-state Local Journalism Directory. We built the directory which has over 2,200+ outlets to help people find and support quality local news : https://www.mediaanddemocracyproject.org/journalism-directory/#directory
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