Sun Sentinel Leading News Source for South Florida

The Sun Sentinel is the primary daily newspaper serving Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Broward County. With an expanded reach that covers Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties, as well as statewide news, it stands as the fourth largest-circulation newspaper in the state of Florida. The publication is currently managed by General Manager Greg Mazanec and Executive Editor Gretchen Day-Bryant.

Overview and Reach

The Sun Sentinel places a heavy emphasis on local news through its dedicated Community News and Local sections. It maintains a significant readership with a daily circulation of 163,728 and a Sunday circulation of 228,906. Its online platform is recognized as one of the top news sites in Florida based on monthly unique visitors.

While the paper historically focused on Broward County, it expanded its coverage to all of South Florida in the late 1990s. This expansion brought it into direct competition with The Miami Herald in Miami and The Palm Beach Post in Palm Beach County.

Digital Integration and Special Publications

The Sun Sentinel website integrates news video from South Florida television stations, including WPEC (West Palm Beach) and WSFL-TV. Additionally, the paper publishes El Sentinel, a Spanish-language weekly, and various other community-focused publications.

History and Evolution

The paper's roots date back to 1910 with the founding of the Fort Lauderdale Weekly Herald, followed by the Everglades Breeze in 1911. In 1925, the Everglades Breeze became the Sentinel, and both were consolidated into the Daily News and Evening Sentinel. After several ownership changes and the impact of the 1926 Miami hurricane, the paper was acquired by the Gore Publishing Company in 1929.

In 1953, it was renamed the Fort Lauderdale News, and by 1960, the Pompano Sun-Sentinel was launched. The Tribune Company acquired Gore Publishing in 1963, and through a series of mergers and name changes in the 1970s and 80s, it became the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel. In 2000, the name was updated to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel to reflect its broader coverage area.

Modern Era and Innovation

In 2001, the paper established a foreign bureau in Havana, Cuba, providing a unique presence for a South Florida newspaper. In 2008, a major rebranding effort removed the hyphen from the name and introduced a new visual identity. Since 2011, the publication has focused on melding print and digital media, launching the entertainment site SouthFlorida.com and the video channel SunSentinel Originals.

Awards and Recognition

The Sun Sentinel has been recognized for its commitment to journalistic excellence. In 2013, it won a gold medal for Public Service Journalism for an investigative series on reckless speeding by off-duty police officers. Most notably, the paper has won two Pulitzer Prizes for Public Service, cementing its reputation as a high-impact investigative news organization.