FSNE Note

A series of regular updates that appear in upcoming Bulletins about Florida Society of Newspaper Editor activities.

Feb. 28, 2008

FSNE Working on Multiple Fronts

February saw FSNE officers and members at work in important gatherings in Sarasota, Tallahassee and Orlando.

Significant virtual work is underway for Sunshine Sunday March 16. Florida editors are learning about Sunshine Sunday plans in emails from Cory Lancaster, M.E. in Daytona Beach and a new FSNE board member. Cory says “this may be our biggest effort ever with additional online resources, guest columnists, news stories and an audit of government agencies’ responses to requests for public records.” She needs to hear from editors by March 3 about their plans. Her email address is cory.lancaster@news-jrnl.com.

The Governor’s Commission on Open Government Reform held its third set of hearings in Sarasota. Publishers, including Jim Doughton and Diane McFarlin, reinforced the earlier testimony in Tallahassee and Orlando by editors on the issues of access, secrecy and cost that hobble Sunshine effectiveness. Herald-Tribune editors and reporters, led by executive editor Mike Connelly, opened a fourth line of argument about Sunshine deficiencies. They documented in great detail how incompatible and outrageously priced government data bases are hobbling their efforts to do essential research on public sector performance. Links to the must-read Sarasota testimony are:

• Diane McFarlin, Publisher, Herald-Tribune Media Group
• Mike Connelly, Executive Editor of the Herald-Tribune
• Maurice Tamman, Online Editor, Herald-Tribune
• Chris Davis, Senior Editor/Investigations, Herald-Tribune
• Matthew Doig, Investigative reporter, Herald-Tribune
• Paige St. John, Investigative Reporter, Herald-Tribune
• David Gulliver, Reporter, Herald-Tribune

Up the road in Tallahassee, FSNE held its third Multimedia Workshop, this time at FAMU and designed for North Florida and Panhandle newspapers. Turnout was in the low 70s, including several dozen FAMU students and faculty. Our thanks to Dorothy Bland, journalism head at FAMU, for terrific hospitality. A fourth workshop is planned for USF-Tampa Saturday May 17.

In Orlando, The Sentinel was host to a meeting of FSNE editors and reporters with the key leadership of the state Department of Children and Families. John Bartosek, past FSNE president, initiated the panel discussion and interactive conversation to spur more openness between DCF and the press. Jbart will convene the first of a planned series of regional meetings in West Palm Beach March 26 to drive the openness message deeper into DCF. Vicki Chachere of the Tampa Tribune, Melanie Ave of the St. Petersburg Times and host Rafael Palacio joined Jbart and me at the meeting.

Gil Thelen
Executive Director
FSNE