A year after launching a series of public events connecting journalists with the communities they cover, Suncoast Searchlight is gearing up for a second year — with renewed financial support and a familiar face to kick things off.

Gulf Coast Community Foundation has awarded Suncoast Searchlight a $12,500 grant to continue its Searchlight Series for a second year. Since launching last November, the series of free public conversations and workshops has drawn hundreds of residents to events focused on journalism, government accountability and issues affecting their communities.

The new season begins Nov. 19 with the return of Dean Baquet, former executive editor of The New York Times, who helped launch the Searchlight Series last year with a conversation about the future of local journalism.

This time, Baquet will explore journalism’s role in American politics, the changing relationship between the press and those in power and what it means for the public.

Coming just two weeks after the midterm elections, the discussion will draw on Baquet’s experience leading one of the nation’s most influential news organizations through two presidential elections, an increasingly polarized political landscape and groundbreaking investigations into President Donald Trump’s finances and tax returns.

“We’re incredibly fortunate to have Dean back,” said Emily Le Coz, Suncoast Searchlight’s executive editor-in-chief. “He’s spent his career making some of the toughest editorial decisions in journalism, often under enormous political pressure. I can’t think of a better person to help us make sense of the relationship between the press and politics, and I think we’re going to have a fascinating conversation.”

Baquet, who led The New York Times from 2014 to 2022, now leads the Times’ Local Investigations Fellowship, which helps journalists at regional news organizations produce ambitious investigative reporting.

The one-hour conversation begins at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 19 at The Graham in Sarasota. The event is free and open to the public, but space is limited and advance registration is required.

Attendees are invited to submit questions for Baquet in advance. Selected questions will be incorporated into the discussion.

Register for the free Nov. 19 event here.

The Searchlight Series is part of a broader effort to strengthen civic engagement at a time when local news organizations are shrinking or disappearing altogether and when public trust in journalism is under strain — all while residents face increasingly complex decisions about the future of their communities.

Gulf Coast Community Foundation helped launch the series in November 2025 through its Nancy Jo Marchisello Charitable Fund. Its renewed support allows Suncoast Searchlight to build on a first year of programs that connected residents with journalists, public officials and experts — and, in some cases, inspired participants to become more involved in their communities.

“Events like the Searchlight Series bring journalism off the page and into conversations with the people it impacts, ultimately creating space for greater transparency and accountability,” said Phillip Lanham, president and CEO of Gulf Coast Community Foundation. “Gulf Coast is proud to support opportunities like these that foster a greater sense of belonging in our community.”

A year of conversations — and community impact

Since its launch, the Searchlight Series has brought hundreds of residents together for discussions about development, government accountability, environmental challenges and the role of journalism in a healthy democracy.

A standing-room-only event in Venice examined how development decisions affect infrastructure, taxes and quality of life. Public records workshops showed residents how to obtain government documents and use them to hold public officials accountable. Another event, organized in partnership with the Science and Environment Council, drew nearly 100 participants for a discussion of the region’s environmental challenges.

For some residents, those conversations have led to a renewed commitment to civic participation.

Bob Clark of Venice attended Power, Profit & Palm Trees, a Searchlight Series discussion about how development decisions and state policies shape local communities. The conversation prompted him to reconsider how much attention he paid to state government.

“One of my takeaways from the program was that I needed to do more to communicate with my representative in Tallahassee,” Clark said. “I write to my representatives in Washington all the time, but I don’t even know who represents me in Tallahassee. Shame on me. But I’m going to change that.”

Clark’s response reflects something Suncoast Searchlight has seen throughout the series’ first year: Residents want to understand not only what’s happening in their communities, but also how decisions are made, who makes them and what they can do about it.

With Gulf Coast Community Foundation’s continued support, the newsroom hopes to build on that interest by bringing the series to more communities across the region.

“We started the Searchlight Series because we believe journalism should be a conversation with the community, not just something people read,” Le Coz said. “We’ve seen firsthand how much people want to understand the issues affecting their lives and have a say in what happens next. We’re grateful to Gulf Coast Community Foundation for helping us keep those conversations going.”