In July 2019, our office welcomed the first of two journalism groups that would come to northwest Florida in the summer. The first was from Central Asia and their goal was to explore modern newsrooms through a series of appointments at a large daily newspaper, a weekly independent newspaper, a bi-monthly minority newspaper, and a local television station.
At the Pensacola News Journal, Executive Editor Lisa Savage and Digital Manager Brandon Girod provided insight into how they now write every story with digital delivery first and foremost. They also shared how they can track, up to the minute, their readership across all platforms, and how they are working to move readership from print to digital.
Owner and Publisher Rick Outzen of InWeekly talked with the journalists about how his independent paper has gained a loyal following, national attention, and a solid reputation. Of particular interest to the group was the paper’s funding strategy and the role of advertising.
An official welcome to the region took place at Pensacola City Hall where two former journalists, Allie Norton and Kaycee Lagarde, shared how their backgrounds have proved useful in their current positions in the City of Pensacola’s Public Information Office. They also focused on how to establish beneficial relationships between media and the government. At the conclusion of this discussion, each visitor received a Certificate of Honorary Citizenship with the City of Pensacola issued by Mayor Grover Robinson.
A discussion with Grace McCaffery, owner and publisher of La Costa Latina, highlighted how she offers much needed assistance and support to the Spanish speaking population. The group was so impressed with her work that they tried to leverage their recent honorary citizenship status to get her to run for elected office.
The group’s last appointment took them to the WEAR TV where Anchor Bob Solarski joined them for a tour of the newsroom, control room, and studio set. He also led a discussion on the operations of an affiliate station, and how a news organization can struggle to maintain its reputation in a climate of “fake news.” To close out the visit, the journalists then watched a live newscast from the studio floor.
The Gulf Coast Citizen Diplomacy Council team thanks all in the community who contributed to this project and to the visitors’ exploration of modern newsrooms in northwest Florida.
