Editorial collaborative of 10 local news organizations to examine the impact of Florida’s camping ban

Partner organizations' logos — Partner organizations’ logos

Oviedo Community News is joining 10 local news outlets in a regional collaboration to report on the local impact of Florida’s new Unauthorized Public Camping and Public Sleeping bill (House Bill 1365), set to be enforced Jan. 1.

For six months these news outlets will share and cross-publish their reporting to work toward creating a more informed and engaged Central Florida community. Alone, each organization can only do so much but together, the group can reduce redundancy, look at the issue from more angles and include more communities and sources. This collaboration is an ongoing effort, which additional news organizations may join over time.

Oviedo Community News is contributing its hyperlocal lens to examine how the law will impact Greater Oviedo and Winter Springs. Through its coverage, Oviedo Community News aims to provide readers with impactful, locally focused reporting on this critical issue.

“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,” Oviedo Community News Editor-in-chief Megan Stokes said. “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.”

This collaboration was formed at the Central Florida Journalism Ecosystem Summit, created last summer by Central Florida Public Media, Central Florida Foundation and Oviedo Community News. The Summit served as the first strategic alliance of local news organizations looking to change the course of civic engagement in Central Florida.

Following the Summit, a nine-member task force facilitated by Mark Brewer, president and CEO of Central Florida Foundation, met to fine-tune the collaborative’s goals and select a pilot project – choosing House Bill 1365 as the first major issue to address together.

This collaboration highlights the power of regional news outlets unifying under the same goal. To learn more about House Bill 1365 and stay up to date with Oviedo Community News’ reporting on the issue, click here.

“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.”

“One of the Central Florida Foundation’s core values is fostering a well-informed and civically engaged community,” said Mark Brewer, president and CEO of the Central Florida Foundation, which is providing operational but not editorial guidance to the budding collaborative. “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, with organizations across sectors that want to work together to achieve shared goals.”

You can find more information on all participating organizations below:

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Megan Stokes

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