The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel is the largest daily newspaper in western Colorado, with distribution in six counties.
The Sentinel’s companion website, GJSentinel.com, was founded in 1996. Together, the news organization provides daily community, state, national and international news coverage.
The Daily Sentinel’s offices and press are located at 734 S. Seventh St., Grand Junction, Colorado
History
Pennsylvania-born traveling salesman I.N. Bunting founded the newspaper in 1893 with partner Howard T. Lee.[1] Walter Walker bought The Daily Sentinel in 1911 and ran it until his death in 1956. He left the newspaper to his son, Preston Walker, who served as publisher until his death in 1970. He left the newspaper to one of his employees, Ken Johnson, who sold the company to Cox Newspapers in 1979.[2]
James Kennedy served as publisher until 1985 when he went on to become chairman and chief executive of parent company Cox Enterprises Inc., naming George Orbanek publisher.
Orbanek served until his retirement in 2007, when Alex Taylor became publisher.
In July, 2009, the newspaper was sold to Kansas-based Seaton Publishing Co., and a new Grand Junction Media Co. was formed.
Jay Seaton became publisher of The Daily Sentinel and executive vice president of Grand Junction Media. His brother, Ned Seaton, is president. Their father, Ed Seaton, is chairman.
The Seaton family can trace its roots in journalism back two centuries to the National Intelligencer in Washington, D.C., in 1812.
Seaton Publishing is a family business based in Manhattan, Kan., that publishes the daily newspaper in that city. It’s associated with family-owned newspaper companies in Arkansas City and Winfield, Kan.; Alliance and Hastings, Neb.; Spearfish, S.D.; and Sheridan, Wyo., in addition to radio stations in Manhattan, Kan.
Awards
In 2007 The Daily Sentinel was named Large Business of the Year by the Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce for "the paper's lengthy history of community involvement."
The newspaper annually wins numerous awards from the Colorado Press Association and The Associated Press of Colorado.