Tag Archives: WGCU-FM

The Poynter Institute

March 15, 2022 – The Poynter Institute, a global leader in journalism, fact-checking and media literacy education, announced the 14 news organizations selected for Table Stakes: Poynter’s Local News Innovation Program in 2022.

Among the newsrooms selected include Florida public radio stations: WFSU (Tallahassee), WJCT (Jacksonville) and WGCU (Ft. Myers/Naples).

This is the fifth year of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation-funded and Poynter-facilitated initiative to accelerate digital transformation and sustainability in local news.

More than 60 newsrooms across the United States have realized their performance challenges through Poynter’s program since 2017, while also adapting to the coronavirus pandemic, intensifying racial reckoning and ongoing business model changes.

The Florida initiatives include:

Jacksonville Today, a product of WJCT Public Media, Jacksonville,

FloridaParticipants: Jessica Palombo, Editorial Director; Ray Hollister, Digital Director; and Pete Havens, Local Journalism Business and Donor Relations Manager

Our new digital news offering, Jacksonville Today, launched in October 2021 as a weekday email newsletter, giving readers a concise rundown of top local news, along with original reporting, ways to get civically involved, opinion columns and more. As we build on our initial success, we are hoping the Table Stakes challenge tracking process will help us grow our base of subscribers and engage our audience in new ways, all while building a more diverse team within our newsroom.

WFSU Public Media, Tallahassee, Florida

Participants: David Mullins, GM; Lynn Hatter, News Director; Patricia Moynihan, Digital Director; Kim Kelling, Director of Content; and Crystal Cumbo, Corporate Support

This program is critical in helping us reorient our newsroom on the importance of building our digital audiences. We know that growing audiences will translate to more members and better future outcomes for the station.

WGCU Public Media, Fort Myers, Florida

Participants: Amy Shumaker, Associate General Manager of Content; Corey Lewis, General Manager; and Pamela James, Executive Producer of Content

Our Executive team is leading our entire staff through organizational change to meet the changing needs of our audience. Poynter’s 2022 Tables Stakes program ensures that we will meet our goals and ambitions with greater ease and clarity. Poynter has been there before and we are happy to take their guidance.