Local residents will have more news in the public interest, free of paywalls and supported by the community it serves thanks to a new initiative announced today.
The Miami Accountability Collaborative will provide sustained, independent watchdog reporting on Miami City Hall and the decisions that shape life for the city’s roughly 490,000 residents. It is a project of The Florida Trib, the nonprofit statewide newsroom focused on government accountability and investigative journalism, and the Coconut Grove Spotlight, a nonprofit newsroom providing government accountability and in-depth local reporting from the Miami neighborhood where City Hall is located. Support for the first year of the Miami Accountability Collaborative comes from challenge matching grants from Press Forward South Florida, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Report for America and other generous donors.
The need is urgent. Florida ranks last in the nation in news outlets per capita, and dedicated coverage of Miami City Hall was recently eliminated amid deep cuts at the Miami Herald. Meanwhile, residents face rising costs, environmental threats and a fast-changing education system, with less scrutiny of local government than ever.
To anchor the initiative, The Florida Trib has hired Miami investigative reporter Tess Riski, who previously covered Miami City Hall for the Miami Herald. Riski will be a Report for America corps member. The Florida Trib also welcomed longtime investigative journalist Carol Marbin Miller as Editor at Large. Both will be supported by Special Projects Editor Casey Frank, who joined The Trib in fall 2024 after retiring as the senior editor in charge of the Miami Herald’s investigative team, where he won or shared in three Pulitzer Prizes.
The Spotlight’s team includes board member and editor David Villano, a South Florida journalist and editor with more than 40 years of experience; board member and editor Don Finefrock, whose investigative reporting on Hurricane Andrew helped the Miami Herald win a Pulitzer Prize for public service; and Anita Li, the Spotlight’s government accountability reporter and a Report for America corps member.
The organizations will co-publish stories, convene additional partners to develop the collaborative, and reach out to the community through events and other products.
The Miami Accountability Collaborative is the first phase of The Florida Trib’s South Florida Regional Reporting Hub, which is built on the organization’s model for local impact — pairing skilled investigative journalists with a collaborative network of newsroom partners. The model was piloted in Jacksonville with the January launch of the Northeast Florida News Collaborative and the hiring of The Florida Trib’s Molly Farrar, also a Report for America corps member.
In addition to Frank, Marbin Miller, and Riski, the South Florida Regional Reporting Hub includes veteran local journalists, including Reporter Michael Vasquez, an alum of the Herald, Politico and the Chronicle of Higher Education; Reporter Nicolás Rivero, previously of the Washington Post, the Herald, and Quartz; and Marian Liu, who leads audience work and the Florida Election Reporting Partnership for The Florida Trib following editorial and product roles at the Washington Post and South Florida Sun Sentinel. The Trib’s forthcoming Who Speaks for South Florida project is anchored by reporter Kate Payne from Tallahassee, who brings a wealth of South Florida and statewide experience in her previous reporting for the Associated Press and WLRN.
Meet the new hires
Tess Riski, Miami investigative reporter
Tess Riski joins The Florida Trib as its Miami investigative reporter, and her reporting will anchor the Miami Accountability Collaborative. Riski spent four years at the Miami Herald covering Miami City Hall, local government and politics across Miami-Dade County. Her reporting has focused on campaigns, corruption, money, power and influence. Riski won the 2026 SPJ Sunshine State Awards for election reporting and profile reporting. She was part of the team behind Shakedown City, the award-winning investigative series that revealed the Miami mayor’s ties to the Saudi government. She is a graduate of the Toni Stabile Center for Investigative Journalism at Columbia Journalism School.
You can reach her at tess.riski@floridatrib.org.
Carol Marbin Miller, Editor at Large
Carol Marbin Miller, one of Florida’s most decorated investigative journalists, joins The Florida Trib as Editor at Large. Marbin Miller most recently served as deputy investigations editor at the Miami Herald, where she worked since 2000, and before that the Tampa Bay Times and the Palm Beach Post. Her reporting on children and adults with special needs, and the state agencies charged with serving them, has led to the passage of 10 state laws. Those include reforms to Florida’s child welfare and juvenile justice systems, its involuntary commitment law and its compensation program for infants born with catastrophic brain injuries. In addition to dozens of other honors, two series she co-wrote were Pulitzer Prize finalists: Neglected to Death, on assisted living facilities (public service, 2012), and Fight Club, on Florida’s juvenile justice system (investigative reporting, 2018). Marbin Miller holds degrees from Florida State University and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
You can reach her at cmarbin@floridatrib.org.
What they’re saying
“The future of local news is the one we build together, and I couldn’t think of a better coalition to ensure that Florida’s second-largest city has the high-octane government accountability and investigative reporting it needs,” said Deirdre Conner, CEO and Publisher of The Florida Trib. “While our state ranks dead last in local news outlets per capita, this is about more than replacing what was lost — it’s about building a vibrant information ecosystem that reaches more people and has more impact.”
“The Spotlight has covered Miami City Hall because our neighbors deserve to know how decisions are made and who they serve,” said Mel Meinhardt, Publisher of the Coconut Grove Spotlight. “Partnering with The Florida Trib lets us go deeper and reach further than either of us could alone.”
“Tess Riski and Carol Marbin Miller are two of the most accomplished watchdog journalists in Florida,” said Nate Monroe, Executive Editor of The Florida Trib. “Their records speak for themselves: their reporting has changed laws, exposed corruption and held powerful people accountable. Miami residents and all Floridians will be better informed because of their work.”
“Miami residents deserve dedicated coverage of City Hall. Without it, we lose something essential: someone asking hard questions on behalf of our community,” said Tere Figueras Negrete, Senior Director of Press Forward South Florida. “Through Press Forward South Florida, we’re proud to anchor this collaborative with a challenge grant. We invite others who care about an informed Miami to help match it.”
“Informed communities are the foundation of a healthy democracy, and that starts with knowing what’s happening at your own city hall,” said Maribel Pérez Wadsworth, President and CEO of Knight Foundation. “This partnership helps news organizations build on each other’s strengths rather than compete for limited resources, bringing more news to more residents across Miami.”
“Report for America exists to put talented journalists where communities need them most, and few places need watchdog reporting more right now than Miami City Hall,” said Kim Kleman, Executive Director, Report for America. “Tess Riski brings deep sourcing and investigative experience to a beat that matters to every resident of the city, and will be supported by two of Florida’s most promising nonprofit newsrooms.”
How to get involved
Readers are encouraged to sign up for newsletters from The Florida Trib and Coconut Grove Spotlight.
Individuals who wish to donate to the initiative are encouraged to do so at the Press Forward South Florida website.
To share news tips or story ideas, email tess.riski@floridatrib.org.
About the partners
The Florida Trib is a nonprofit newsroom producing high-impact government accountability and investigative journalism in the public interest. Its mission is to shine a light on systemic problems and solutions, hold those in power accountable, and focus on undercovered topics through collaboration with other news organizations across Florida. Learn more at floridatrib.org.
The Coconut Grove Spotlight is an independent, nonprofit newsroom providing in-depth local news, investigative reporting and watchdog coverage of Coconut Grove and the City of Miami. Its mission is to keep residents informed, hold local government accountable and examine the decisions and policies that shape everyday life in the community. Learn more at coconutgrovespotlight.com.
Report for America recruits, places and supports talented journalists in local newsrooms across the United States and has placed more than 825 journalists in nearly 500 newsrooms nationwide and will have helped newsroom partners raise more than $75 million in local donations to support community news coverage. Report for America is an initiative of Report Local, a nonprofit journalism organization dedicated to strengthening local journalism across the U.S.
Press Forward South Florida is an investment in the local news and information ecosystem to ensure residents stay informed, engaged, and connected to civic life.. A local coalition of philanthropy partners, Press Forward South Florida is housed at The Miami Foundation and includes Community Foundation of Broward, Coral Gables Community Foundation, Key Biscayne Community Foundation, Ocean Reef Community Foundation and support from national and local donors. The local initiative is part of the national Press Forward network of 50 chapters across the U.S.
Knight Foundation is a social investor who supports a more effective democracy by funding free expression and journalism, arts and culture in community, research in areas of media and democracy, and the success of American cities and towns where the Knight brothers once published newspapers.
