Building Bridges to Increase Civic Engagement and Social Capital: Local Journalism Unites
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At Central Florida Foundation, we specialize in bringing diverse perspectives together to achieve solutions and positive incremental change for complex social issues. Through our Thrive Community & Social Connection focus area, we work toward strengthening social capital in the region and fostering civic engagement through initiatives such as TableTalk and 100 Women Strong. Now, we’re proud to announce a new initiative within this space: a groundbreaking regional journalism collaborative.
Ten local news organizations—natural competitors in a fragmented media landscape—have come together to serve their audiences better. They will be examining and reporting on the local impact of Florida’s new law, House Bill 1365 or HB 1365, on Unauthorized Public Camping and Public Sleeping bill, which went into effect on January 1st, 2025.
Convening for action: the Journalism Ecosystem Summit
Two local news leaders had an idea: what if we had a more collaborative news landscape here in Central Florida? Could this improve how we serve our community? And – how do we achieve this while still remaining competitors?
The two leaders, Judith Smelser, president and general manager at Central Florida Public Media, and Megan Stokes, editor-in-chief at hyper local Oviedo Community News, knew this idea could be a game changer, but there was one major problem: how to get a group of competitors in the room to talk collaboration. Knowing its history of being an effective community partner and convener, Judith and Megan approached Central Florida Foundation to find a way forward.
With Central Florida Foundation’s President/CEO Mark Brewer on board as a convener and operational advisor, they began developing what would become the Journalism Ecosystem Summit, which took place last summer, alongside Central Florida Public Media and Oviedo Community News as co-hosts. The Summit’s purpose was ambitious: to bring together diverse voices in local journalism to explore how cooperation, rather than competition, can enhance community impact.
In the end, the Journalism Ecosystem Summit was able to convene a group of 12 local news organizations, with ten joining the resulting collaborative.
The collaboration, which began in January and spans six months, will see these news outlets share and cross-publish their reporting on HB 1365. Each organization will bring its unique strengths to the table.
Fueling Central Florida’s most innovative and effective partnerships
We specialize in building bridges—between people, organizations, sectors, and ideas. With our expertise in finding common ground and aligning shared goals, we facilitate conversations that turn a spark of an idea into a functional operational partnership.
“The Journalism Ecosystem Summit and, subsequently, this first collaboration among local news organizations are excellent examples of Central Florida as a leader in community innovation,” Mark Brewer said. “Organizations across sectors want to work together to achieve shared goals, and this initiative shows what’s possible when we prioritize collective impact over individual gain.”
The collaboration is already creating ripples. By uniting to address a critical issue, these news organizations are building a model of shared responsibility and public service journalism. This initiative is not just about reporting—it’s about reimagining the role of local journalism in a way that fosters trust, transparency, and engagement across our community.
“As the only local nonprofit news organization serving all of Central Florida, we believe we have a responsibility to unite the community’s news outlets and prioritize public service over competition,” said Judith Smelser, president and general manager of Central Florida Public Media. “Gone are the days when one single media outlet could meet the region’s needs alone. By working together, we can strengthen and preserve local journalism.”
In Oviedo Community News’ press release sharing about the collaborative, Megan Stokes noted, “Looking to best practices around the nation, this group of committed news organizations has been working hard to create a local model that will reach more Central Floridians and dive deeper into issues that matter to our audiences. Accessibility and creating news that responds to local needs have been pillars of Oviedo Community News from the start. We are excited to work with this collaborative to help spread that public service throughout the region.”
Local news organizations participating in this collaborative:
Central Florida’s Convener and Civic Engagement Advocate
Since 1994, Central Florida Foundation has worked with partnerships to develop and launch initiatives that offer opportunities for our region to become an even better place to call home. From having a key role in developing our community’s collective approach to Housing First, to our work with the Black Boardroom Leadership Institute and more, we have been steadfast in our commitment to being an independent, trustworthy organization that brings people together through shared goals.
We’re proud to have played an operational advisory role in making this journalism collaboration a reality. This initiative represents the best of what can happen when people come together with a shared vision for the greater good. By uniting under a common goal, these ten news organizations have given our region an opportunity to strengthen our social capital and increase civic engagement.
As this collaboration evolves, we look forward to continuing our work as an operational convener and advisor to this group of local news organizations and seeing its impact on Central Florida and beyond. And, as a local community organization ourselves, we remain committed to fostering partnerships that create a more informed, engaged, and resilient community.
Tags: civic engagement, collaboration, hb1365, homelessness, journalism, news, partnership