“No one needs to tell me about the importance of the free press in a democratic society or about the essential role a newspaper can play in its community.” Robert Kennedy
There is little doubt that the news media plays an integral role in our community. From covering major political events to the local high school football game, the media keeps us connected. Whether online, on paper, or on television, media in today’s post-pandemic world has had to drastically change and adjust.
On October 26, the best class ever LT23 spent the day learning about various types of news reporting in the Tampa Bay area. The day started at the Poynter Institute for Media Studies in St. Petersburg where after a quick scramble to get coffee (thank you Tampa Bay Times) we were welcomed by Conan Gallaty, Chairman & CEO of the Times Publishing Company. He informed the group about the long and proud history of the paper including its stature as the longest-standing member of the chamber (113 years!) and prominence as the largest newsroom in the state of Florida.
We then learned more about the Poynter Institute from its president, Neil Brown who highlighted the legacy of Nelson Poynter and how through his generosity they are educating the next generation of journalists. The morning continued with an energetic presentation by Joe Deluca from the Tampa Times and a panel interview with the editorial and newsroom leaders from 10 Tampa Bay, News Channel 8, WUSF, the Tampa Bay Times and La Gaceta, all of whom highlighted the changing landscape of the local media environment and the shifting behaviors of its consumers.
The conversation continued at lunch as business journalists from Florida Trend magazine, the Tampa Bay Business Journal, and Tampa Bay Times shared many insights including how to effectively pitch stories and garner coverage in their publications.
We were then summoned to “come on down” to 10 Tampa Bay where we were divided into groups and got a behind-the-scenes and on-camera peek at the world of television news. Highlights of the visit included taking turns doing a live “breaking news” segment and weather report. We also got a chance to check out the cool gadgets (trucks, drones) and control room that help them tell the news to the entire Tampa DMA 5 hours a day.
The last stop of the day was at Vu, a state-of-the-art studio, where after dancing through the doors, we learned about news accuracy and fact-checking through a discussion with Katie Sanders and Aaron Sharockman from PolitiFact, moderated by Kerry O’Reilly (Tampa Bay Times & LT15). The busy day concluded with the inspirational story of Vu.
Many thanks to the Tampa Bay Times for sponsoring Media Day. Additional thanks to our Day Chairs; Barb Zant (10 Tampa Bay & LT15), Conan Gallaty (Tampa Bay Times & LT20) and Kenneth Gibson, (Crisis Center of Tampa Bay & LT22)!
