Our Mission
The mission of The Murray Sentinel is to promote, facilitate and inspire a broad spectrum of civic engagement through providing the Murray-Calloway County community a truly independent, locally-focused news source that offers an inclusive and representative approach to maintaining a public well-informed of the happenings and inner-workings of the “friendliest small town” we call home.
Our Vision
Officially, our organization is Jackson Purchase Voice, Inc., and we operate as The Murray Sentinel under a certificate of assumed name. Why did we do that? Because we have a grander vision in mind – to create a regional network of community-funded, locally-staffed newsrooms, ensuring that communities across the Purchase Area have free access to high-quality local news by providing the organizational infrastructure and the digital platform(s) necessary to publish their material. The Sentinel is just the first newsroom and, for the next three to five years, is our primary focus.
Our Policies
Meet Brody Jones, official mascot of The Murray Sentinel
Brody is the quintessential “watchdog,” which is synonymous with sentinel. He is the embodiment of vigilance, loyalty and security, and what could be more patriotic than an American bulldog? He doesn’t attack; he doesn’t give chase. He simply notifies and stands firm as a buffer between his people and any potential threat. The goal of this media outlet is to protect and serve our community in the same fashion.
Our Leadership Team
Jessica Paine, Founder/Editor
Jessica came into the field of journalism with a strong research background and an inquisitive mind, fostered over years in academia – she is a registered dietitian, holds master’s degrees in nutrition and nonprofit leadership and was a professor at Murray State University for four years.
Raised in a household where law was the family business, Jessica became a de facto paralegal at an early age, exposing her to the inner machinations of the legal system that encompasses some aspect of every citizen’s life at some point or another. She has forged relationships with and gained perspective from people from all walks of life through travel, study abroad and eclectic interests, hobbies and jobs.
Jessica recognized a void in the local media landscape, prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and endeavored to remedy the discrepancy with her own research, proclivity for analytics, capacity to translate data into actionable information and her anecdotal personal perspective as a parent and Murray native. She found overwhelming support from her readership, giving her the inspiration and incentive to embark on her own independent enterprise… The Murray Sentinel.
Board of Directors
Chad Lampe, Board Chair
Chad has spent his entire career working in non-profit media. Currently, Chad serves as the Director of Radio System Investments for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Prior to that he worked with PRX (The Public Radio Exchange) to support and develop content for the public radio system, but Chad spent much of his career – nearly 17 years – working with WKMS as a national award-winning journalist and general manager. His awards include national Sigma Delta Chi awards from the Society of Professional Journalists for documentary productions focusing on regional history. He has been recognized by the Public Media Journalists Association (formerly PRNDI) for work in feature reporting, podcasts and audio documentaries.
Perhaps one of Chad’s most cherished awards is one earned by WKMS during his leadership – the Al Smith award for public service through community journalism, awarded by the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues at the University of Kentucky. It was the first time the award went to a broadcaster.
Chad has worked with colleagues from across the country and from NPR in the Public Radio Incubation Lab to design and prototype new models for collaborative fundraising.
He’s a staunch believer in the free and independent press to keep citizens informed and serve as an accountability agent to those in power.
Constance Alexander, Board Secretary
With extensive publication, production, and broadcasting credits, Constance is a tireless promoter of the arts, literacy, women’s issues, and social justice. Taking the lead in creative, community, and civic journalism projects, she is committed to issues related to sensible public policy for rural communities.
A New Jersey native, she has lived in Murray since 1988. Besides an undergraduate degree in English, she holds a Master’s in Humanities, an MBA and an MFA. She is the recipient of a Governor’s Award in the Arts for her work in media, and two Al Smith Fellowships from Kentucky Arts Council.
Constance has provided leadership through participation on various non-profit boards, including Ky Historical Society, Foundation for a Healthy Ky, The Carson Center for the Performing Arts, and the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues. Projects she has led were funded by Robert Wood Johnson and Benton Foundations, the Pilgrim Project, Ky Humanities, Ky Foundation for Women, Kaiser Foundation, among others.
Constance was recently selected to be part of the Guerilla Writing Collective for the 2024-2025 season. Participants develop and hone their own unique approaches to writing musical text. Their pieces are workshopped by the group through table readings and other formats. By the end of the program, each participant has a full reading of their completed text.
Founded in Boston in 2007, Guerilla Opera is a punk ensemble that embodies art emerging from those who challenge status, engage in rebellious works of opera theatre, question established norms, and call for radical change. The Collective meets via Zoom twice a month for eight months to develop texts for musical performances.
Jereme Rose, Board Member
Jereme is the co-founder and executive director of Neartown Recovery, a local nonprofit that offers residential drug and alcohol treatment programs.
An almost-native, he has called Murray home for more than 30 years, graduating from Calloway County High School in 1996. He is motivated by his love for both nature and the Murray/Calloway County community, where he and his wife Elle have raised three children.
Although he does not have a journalism background, Jereme does have a long history in nonprofit work, particularly on the local level. He has served on several local nonprofit boards and has led many community-based projects throughout the years, including recent efforts for the community to be designated a “Recovery Ready Community” by the Kentucky Advisory Council for Recovery Ready Communities.
With over 10 years of nonprofit leadership experience, Jereme seeks to help The Sentinel build a foundation that will stand the test of time. His love for the local community and desire to support quality, unbiased journalism make him a great fit for The Sentinel.
