Suncoast Searchlight, a new nonprofit newsroom dedicated to delivering in-depth journalism, launches today to serve Sarasota, Manatee, and DeSoto counties. 

With a mission to shine a light on critical issues facing the Suncoast region, the newsroom will produce original accountability, explanatory and investigative stories and make them freely available on its website and for republication by other media outlets. 

It also will partner with local print, digital and broadcast newsrooms to co-produce impactful stories using shared resources. And it will support those local newsrooms by offering assistance with public records requests, data work, editing, and training – ensuring stronger local journalism across the Suncoast. 

Engaging directly with the community is also at the heart of the newsroom’s mission, as it seeks public input and facilitates civic discussions through events and outreach.

“This is about strengthening local journalism in every way possible,” said Emily Le Coz, executive editor-in-chief of Suncoast Searchlight. “By producing original investigative work, collaborating with established newsrooms, and directly supporting local journalists, we’re ensuring the people of Sarasota, Manatee, and DeSoto counties have access to the rigorous, fact-based reporting they deserve.”

In addition to Le Coz, a former USA TODAY investigative journalist who has lived in Sarasota since 2015, the newsroom has a staff of four full-time reporters with a combined 40 years of experience in data, investigative and local journalism. 

They are: Josh Salman, who most recently served as watchdog editor at the Sarasota Herald-Tribune; Kara Newhouse, a former Washington D.C.-based editor and podcast producer for KQED; Alice Herman, who previously covered politics for The Guardian U.S. from Madison, Wisconsin; and Derek Gilliam, a Florida-based reporter who most recently covered real estate for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

The newsroom aims to fill critical gaps in local enterprise and investigative reporting by tackling issues such as government transparency, environmental concerns, affordable housing, public health, and social justice.

Its first stories, published today, focus on the lingering devastation wrought by the most recent hurricane season, which unleashed three named storms on the region and caused widespread flooding, wind damage and environmental destruction. 

One of the stories examines the role played by aging infrastructure in exacerbating the storms’ environmental impacts. The other highlights the losses suffered by business owners still reeling from the disasters. 

Suncoast Searchlight aims to publish stories weekly, which it will make available on its website, suncoastsearchlight.org, and through distribution by its media partners. The newsroom also will publish a weekly newsletter emailed to anyone who subscribes. 

Suncoast Searchlight grew from the Community News Collaborative

The seeds for Suncoast Searchlight were planted years ago by community members concerned about the local impacts of the nation’s rapidly shrinking news industry. 

Across the country, thousands of newsrooms have closed, leaving vast news deserts where local governments operate with little scrutiny. Even in areas where media organizations still exist, many have been hollowed out by layoffs and budget cuts, resulting in fewer reporters to cover city halls, school boards, and public safety. 

Closer to home, legacy news organizations have reduced staff, consolidated coverage, and scaled back investigative reporting, leaving critical gaps in accountability journalism. Amid these challenges, Suncoast Searchlight emerged as a solution to ensure that essential local news remains accessible and impactful.

Seeded by a generous grant from the Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation, the nonprofit newsroom first took shape in 2023 as the Community News Collaborative and was housed under Tampa Bay-area NPR affiliate WUSF. Its team of reporters produced community news for local media partners, but the newsroom disbanded after a short run. 

Then, in 2024, the Community News Collaborative reformed as an independent 501c3 with a separate governing board and a more focused mission of producing investigative, watchdog and explanatory journalism.

“This is a great opportunity to reinforce and reimagine local journalism,” said Kelly McBride, board member and senior vice president and chair of the Craig Newmark Center for Ethics and Leadership at The Poynter Institute.

“Every newsroom that serves this region is doing more with less,” McBride said. “By partnering with existing media and creating in-depth coverage that would otherwise not get done, we aim to help the people who live here better understand their community and participate in civic life.”

In addition to McBride, other board members are: Keith Woods, chief diversity officer at NPR; Chris Davis, deputy investigations editor for The New York Times’ Local Investigative Reporting Fellowship; Carol LoCicero managing partner of Thomas & LoCicero’s Tampa office; and Sam Scott; retired Chairman, President, and CEO of Corn Products International, Inc. (now Ingredion).

Although the nonprofit itself retains its original name – Community News Collaborative – both for legal purposes and to receive tax-deductible donations, the newsroom operates as Suncoast Searchlight.

“We thought it was important to distinguish our newsroom from the previous iteration and to imbue it with a sense of place,” Le Coz said. “Suncoast Searchlight seemed the perfect fit.”

The seed grant from the Barancik Foundation allowed Suncoast Searchlight to get off the ground, but the newsroom must sustain itself through philanthropic contributions, private donations, grants and sponsorships. These funds will ensure its work remains independent and free to the public. 

“Access to reliable, in-depth reporting is essential for a thriving community,” said Teri A Hansen, president and chief executive officer of Barancik Foundation. “That’s why we made an initial investment in Suncoast Searchlight. It will not only ensure important stories get told, but it will strengthen other local media outlets through collaboration and shared resources, ultimately making journalism across the region more sustainable.”

This story was produced by Suncoast Searchlight, a nonprofit newsroom of the Community News Collaborative serving Sarasota, Manatee, and DeSoto counties. Learn more at suncoastsearchlight.org.