When you open your phone to check the news, it can feel more like a raging river of noise, filled with national news, clickbait and political screeds. Trustworthy, fact-based local news and information that’s good for our brains and our communities? A relative trickle. 

Floridians need in depth, freely accessible news that holds leaders accountable, protects tax dollars, and informs residents about issues that matter.

That’s why I’m so excited to announce that as of today, The Tributary has expanded to include statewide coverage and will now be called The Florida Trib. Our website and branding might look different, but our mission remains the same: Provide investigative news that holds government accountable, and prioritize collaboration to shine a light on stories that would otherwise go untold. 

It’s urgently needed: Florida ranks dead last in the United States in news outlets per capita. In Tallahassee, fewer reporters than ever cover state government. Before joining The Florida Trib, reporter Kate Payne was the sole remaining Associated Press reporter in the capital. I’m grateful that as a nonprofit committed to making our stories freely available, her excellent reporting will continue to be available for republishing by partner news outlets.

In places from Texas and California to Mississippi and Nevada, we have seen a transformational revival of local news. Florida is on their heels. In addition to The Florida Trib’s expansion, we have seen Press Forward local chapters spring up in South Florida, Tampa Bay, and North Florida; and the emergence of the News Collaborative of Central Florida and our own Northeast Florida News Collaborative. 

As Evan Smith, co-founder of the Texas Tribune and adviser to the Emerson Collective, put it at one of our recent events: “Florida is awash in need and opportunity. There’s not nearly enough coverage of a firehose of news turned up to the highest setting at all times — a great big spotlight shining at all times on everything that happens here.”

What to expect in 2026

This year, The Florida Trib will add more coverage of state government, education, the environment, and housing, while doubling down on municipal government accountability, starting in Jacksonville. We’ll release new products and hold more events. 

On the eve of important elections, from school board races to an open gubernatorial seat, we will provide millions of voters with vital news and information.

“A lot of these races are going to effectively be decided in August [primaries], so there’s a real urgency on our part to get our hands around the breadth of these races,” The Trib’s executive editor, Nate Monroe, said. Otherwise, “some of them will effectively not be covered at all because of the decline of news resources in this state.”

The current moment, Smith said, “obligates us to innovate and create. And just as Texas needed the Texas Tribune for the last 16-plus years to make sense of it all, Florida needs The Trib in expansion mode to play that critical role now more than ever,” Smith said. “Right moment, right team, right mission. Let’s get it done.”

Challenge accepted.

We’re building on a solid foundation. The Trib’s stories have already reached more than 10 million Floridians through our network of partner news outlets. Our award-winning reporting led to the resignation of a sheriff, the ending of racially gerrymandered city council districts, the halving of deaths at a local jail, and the dismantling of a Miami-Dade County program of school bus-mounted cameras that led to the indiscriminate issuance of thousands of tickets to motorists who did nothing wrong. The Trib has been cited everywhere from street protests to the statehouse to the U.S. Supreme Court. All this was made possible by more than 1,000 unique donors, who have fueled increases in revenue and impact each year.

“That is testament both to the desire for quality accountability journalism and the commitment that folks have made to say that The Tributary is an organization that is providing what they want and what they need in their communities,” said Ashley Smith Juarez, chair of our board of directors. “This small and mighty newsroom actually began with some ideas that were shared six feet apart in backyards during Covid times … needing news, information, and facts to act upon as a community individually and collectively.”

The work ahead won’t be easy, but our stellar staff and incredible volunteer board are up to the challenge. They have a diverse array of backgrounds and experience, and too many awards to fit on any shelf. They have worked more late nights, knocked on more doors, and dealt with more scrutiny than most people could imagine. They range in age from their 20s to their 70s, and live as far north as Tallahassee and as far south as Miami. Every single one of them is deeply committed to this state.

The country’s future is Florida’s ‘urgent present’

Floridians are well acquainted with the contradictory mix of casual derision and rapacious appreciation for my home state from outsiders. Assumptions are driven by the flood of serious news and stereotype-fueling clickbait that seems to pour into and out of our state about the Florida men and women who are taking the oath of office or taking down an alligator barefoot on Interstate 95. 

But Floridians are so much more than that. They are the advocates fiercely battling for years over the fate of a river long-ago dammed. They are families looking for housing, health care, and utilities while still putting food on the table. They are the voters at the ballot box Googling candidates and coming up with nothing but campaign websites and regurgitated talking points. 

Running through Florida’s diverse regions is a common thread: Our state government is increasingly powerful and — because the number of local journalists has decreased by 75% in the last two decades —decreasingly scrutinized. From school closures to nuclear safety, issues that might seem isolated gain needed context when connected to statewide patterns — information that residents need to understand changes in their backyards.

This work has ramifications not only for Floridians, but across the United States. To understand where this country is headed, you have to understand Florida today, Monroe said. Whether in judicial appointments, the independence of higher education, or climate threats, Florida is a living example of policies being pursued nationwide.

“Every time a Miami street floods beneath sunny skies, every time we have to prep for a hurricane that is way stronger than it has any business being, we Floridians are reminded that this future for some is our urgent present,” he said. “People sometimes want to write off Florida. But the truth is that everyone is a Floridian now. And so to write us off is to write everyone off.”

When I think back to one of those nights on my back porch that our board chair alluded to, this moment was probably beyond our wildest dreams. The support of 250 angel investors (who gave us approximately $100 each) proved, however, that you don’t have to have a billionaire backer to start and grow a newsroom capable of ambitious reporting. 

To those who were there for us in the early days — thank you. And to those who have joined us along the way, thank you for being a part of this movement. 

How to get involved

If you’re just learning about The Florida Trib, welcome! There has never been a more urgent time for people who believe we need more access to news and information about important issues that matter to those who call Florida home to get involved. 

Here’s how you can make a difference:

• Sign up for our newsletter. You’ll get it weekly in your inbox with a focused look at one or two stories to cut down on the noise.
• Make a contribution of any amount. Whether it’s $15 or $150, your support is crucial this year.
• Audit your own news diet. It may take more effort, but make sure you are reading and sharing as much information about Florida and your local community as national and international news. 
• Share tips with our news team. Email tips@floridatrib.org, or you can find contact information for our reporters on our about page.

As we geared up for this expansion, we have heard from so many of you that you want to know what politicians and the powerful are really up to, no matter their party affiliation. 

It makes me think of something Casey Frank, a legendary journalist who joined our staff as special projects editor after retiring as head of investigations at the Miami Herald, wrote recently. He was reflecting on his decades at the Herald — where he oversaw Pulitzer Prize-winning projects and the newspaper’s investigation of Jeffrey Epstein — and the current moment.

“The graft, grifting, wheedling, and outright thievery embedded like a virus in the region’s body politic are more prevalent than ever,” he said. “This is where a not-for-profit newsroom like The Tributary can make a big difference. We are nimble. We are hungry. We bring a fresh outlook … and, we are collaborative. This newsroom, and others like it, are a vital — and growing — component of the journalistic ecosystem. Going forward, we will be heard even more.”

Deirdre Conner is Publisher & CEO of The Florida Trib. You can reach her at deirdre.conner@floridatrib.org.