Suncoast Searchlight Events
Interested in partnering with Suncoast Searchlight on an event, or inviting one of our journalists to speak or moderate? Email us here!
Upcoming events
Derek Gilliam at stayTRU
Tuesday, Nov. 10 | 5–8 p.m. | Sarasota Fairgrounds
Suncoast Searchlight watchdog and investigative reporter Derek Gilliam will be a featured speaker at stayTRU’s annual community meeting.
Derek will share an independent journalist’s perspective on Florida’s Live Local Act, the legal and policy disputes surrounding its application in Sarasota County and what residents should be watching next.
The event begins at 5 p.m. with food trucks, live music and community activities. The official program begins at 6:30 p.m.
An evening with Dean Baquet
Thursday, Nov. 19 | 6:30–7:30 p.m. | The Graham
Join Suncoast Searchlight for an evening with Dean Baquet, former executive editor of The New York Times and executive editor of its Local Investigations Fellowship, for a conversation about journalism, politics and the shifting balance between the press and power.
Baquet will sit down with Executive Editor-in-Chief Emily Le Coz to discuss what communities need from local journalism before, during and after elections and the role accountability reporting plays in holding power to account.
Free and open to the public. Registration required.
Past events
Cinema at The Bay: All the President’s Men (50th anniversary)
Nov. 5, 2026 | The Bay Sarasota
Behind the Flock investigation that led to a Sarasota cop’s arrest
Sept. 23, 2026 | Virtual
What’s on your ballot? Amendment 3 and what it would mean for Sarasota County
Sept. 22, 2026 | Selby Library, Sarasota
Powering the future? Data centers on the Suncoast
Aug. 11, 2026 | Jacaranda Library, Venice
