Our Mission

Suncoast Searchlight is a 501c3 nonprofit news organization whose mission is to produce investigative and explanatory journalism that serves and empowers the residents of Florida’s Suncoast region (Sarasota, Manatee, and DeSoto counties). We shine a light on critical issues affecting our community. Through independent reporting and collaboration with diverse media partners, we foster transparency, accountability and an informed citizenry, ensuring that all voices are heard and that the public has access to the information they need to drive meaningful change.

Our team of watchdog and investigative journalists deliver depth – not by generating daily headlines but by strategically focusing our reporting power where we can get maximum impact. We will do this in several ways:

• Original journalism: We produce quick-turn accountability and explanatory stories, mid-level enterprise pieces and in-depth investigations using our own, in-house resources and make them freely available for republication by print, digital television and radio outlets.

• Collaborative journalism: We partner with print, digital television and radio newsrooms to produce quick-turn accountability and explanatory stories, mid-level enterprise pieces and in-depth investigations using shared resources and co-publish them.

• Supportive journalism: We provide resources – including public FOIA assistance, data work, editing help and training sessions – to bolster the work of local print, digital television and radio newsrooms, which will credit us for that assistance when appropriate.

• Community engagement: We seek input from the community, engage with them on the topics they think are important and produce stories that open discussion on civic and community engagement. We also host events and create other opportunities to give voice to people across the region.

In this message from Suncoast Searchlight’s executive editor-in-chief, Emily Le Coz shares insights into how she and the reporting team will carry out the newsroom’s mission.