ABOUT US
Arkansas Advocate intends to show how state government affects the lives of everyday Arkansans so they can make informed decisions about themselves, their families and their communities.
We strive to amplify the voices of all Arkansans. We focus especially on the relationship between people, power and policy.
As an independent, nonpartisan news organization, Arkansas Advocate will keep an eye on the levers of power and those who manipulate them, and hold public officials accountable regardless of party or ideology.
We believe news is a vital community service and ethical journalism a cornerstone of democracy, making us key players in fulfilling Arkansas’ state motto, Regnat Populus: “the people rule.”
Arkansas Advocate proudly publishes the work of independent journalists. If you have a great idea and a passion for ethical, truthful storytelling, we’d love to hear from you. Check out our submission guidelines.
The Advocate also provides a forum for guest commentary on issues of interest to Arkansans. We separate opinion from our news reporting and clearly label each. See our guidelines for submitting opinion columns here.
We welcome other news organizations to republish our work, asking only that they credit us and link back to our original story.
You can read us for free. We are supported by the generosity of those who believe an informed citizenry strengthens society and who value independent journalism.
Arkansas Advocate is part of States Newsroom, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit supported by grants and a coalition of donors and readers. The Advocate retains full editorial independence.
Sonny Albarado
Editor-in-Chief
In his nearly 50-year career, Sonny Albarado has been an investigations editor, a business editor, a city editor, an environmental reporter and a government reporter at newspapers in Arkansas, Tennessee and Louisiana. Most recently, he retired from the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette after serving as projects editor for 12 ½ years. He got his start in journalism as editor of the Nicholls Worth, the student newspaper at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, La., where he earned a bachelor’s degree in English in 1973. Nicholls awarded him an honorary Doctor of Letters in 2014.
Hunter Field
Deputy Editor
Hunter Field is a veteran Arkansas journalist whose reporting on the state has carried him from military air strips in northwest Arkansas to soybean fields in the Arkansas delta. He spent the better part of the last decade investigating and reporting on Arkansas government and politics. For three years, he covered education policy, medical marijuana and the Arkansas General Assembly as part of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette’s Capitol Bureau. Most recently, he was the Democrat-Gazette's projects editor, leading the newspaper's investigative team. Hunter got his start in journalism covering sports for The Commercial Appeal in Memphis. A Memphis native, he enjoys smoking barbecue, kayaking and fishing in his free time.
Antoinette Grajeda
Senior Reporter
Antoinette Grajeda is a multimedia journalist who has reported since 2007 on a wide range of topics, including politics, health, education, immigration and the arts for NPR affiliates, print publications and digital platforms. A University of Arkansas alumna, she earned a bachelor’s degree in print journalism and a master’s degree in documentary film.
Tess Vrbin
Reporter
Tess Vrbin came to the Advocate from the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, where she reported on low-income housing and tenants' rights, and won awards for her coverage of 2021 flooding and tornado damage in rural Arkansas. She previously covered local government for The Commercial Dispatch in Mississippi and state government for the Columbia Daily Tribune in Missouri. A Midwesterner by birth, she graduated from the University of Missouri's journalism school in 2019.