Frontier Publisher Bobby Lorton.

When we launched The Frontier, we didn’t necessarily envision a nation-wide pandemic that would close down businesses and schools.

But we did expect that there would be times when we needed to focus our entire newsroom on one issue. Obviously, the COVID-19 outbreak is such an issue.

It’s hard to believe how fast things have happened. Just weeks ago almost 20,000 people attended an NBA game in Oklahoma City. That type of gathering seems unfathomable now.

In the last two weeks we’ve produced almost 30 stories covering the COVID-19 fallout. Stories from the jail and prison response to the virus, to the struggles of homeless shelters and schools to cope with the outbreak, to the government response to the pandemic as cities shut down and the governor pushed back against strict statewide orders.

We also launched a daily podcast to help keep you updated on the outbreak and the response to it on multiple levels.

The reason we turned our newsroom’s entire focus to the COVID-19 issue is simple — journalists are watchdogs, and the coronavirus story is one of accountability. Perhaps the most important accountability story in the state’s recent history.

So we wanted to take this opportunity to thank you. Without your support, none of this would be possible, and these stories would go untold and uncovered.

Hopefully it won’t be long before things begin to return to normal. But until then we’ll stay on this story as long as it takes to shine a light on what’s happening across Oklahoma.

Bobby Lorton
Frontier Publisher