The News Collaborative of Central Florida (NCCF), a collective of independent local news outlets and aligned partners working toward a more informed and engaged Central Florida, is announcing the next phase in its evolving service to the region.
NCCF launched publicly in Jan. 2025 to collaborate on reporting for the local impacts of Florida’s Unauthorized Public Camping and Public Sleeping law (House Bill 1365). Over 100 stories were shared, including 18 that ran in the Osceola News-Gazette, amplifying reach of this vital reporting to residents.
That success has now been met with a combined $50,000 in funding from Collaborative Journalism Resource Hub (the Hub) and Central Florida Foundation, fueling the Collaborative’s next phase of growth. As part of this evolution, NCCF has onboarded its first dedicated team member, and in 2026, NCCF partners will pool their resources to provide comprehensive coverage of this year’s elections.
“Our first year made it clear that collaborative journalism works, and we’re ready to take on elections coverage – made possible by the support from Collaborative Journalism Resource Hub and Central Florida Foundation,” says Judith Smelser, NCCF’s first task force chair and Central Florida Public Media’s president and general manager. “Ongoing community support is essential to sustaining this unique journalism model and ensuring it can continue delivering impactful reporting year over year.”
NCCF has contracted with Erica Rodriguez Kight as a dedicated project manager to establish governance, coordinate communication across partner organizations and support community engagement efforts that bring residents into the reporting process.
Erica is the assistant director for mass media at the Nicholson School of Communication and Media at the University of Central Florida, where she’s also an associate lecturer in journalism and media production. Her background includes reporting roles at The Bradenton Herald and ABC affiliate WCJB-TV and a reporting fellowship with Cortico AI.
“Collaborative Journalism Resource Hub provides comprehensive support to journalism collaboratives across the U.S.,” says Amy Maestas, director of Collaborative Journalism Resource Hub. “News Collaborative of Central Florida is the first of 20 collaboratives the Hub will support over the next five years to advance the field of collaborative journalism. NCCF is a strong and dedicated group of media and community organizations that are willing to evolve from a competitive mindset to collaboration as a commitment to bringing stronger journalism to their communities. We look forward to being a resource as they join the robust and growing practice of collaborative journalism in the U.S.”
“This collaboration of journalists comes online at a critical moment, when Central Floridians are facing important decisions. By bringing together a more diverse group of journalists committed to helping residents understand what they are voting on, the News Collaborative of Central Florida plays an important role in strengthening our community,” says Mark Brewer, president and CEO, Central Florida Foundation. “Central Florida Foundation has a long history of supporting civic engagement, and local media is a vital pillar of a healthy, civically engaged region."
As in 2025, the Osceola News-Gazette will contribute its local expertise to provide resources and information to empower residents to be more engaged, especially in the 2026 mid-term election.
“It’s already been a news priority here in 2026 to stress how important of an election it is this year despite it not being part of the Presidential election cycle,” News-Gazette Editor Ken Jackson said. “We’re excited to share in a regional effort to get more information to readers about candidates so that it encourages them to head out to the polls this August and November, during a time when election officials agree turnout figures are lackluster.”
The News Collaborative of Central Florida is a collective of independent local news outlets and aligned partners working toward a more informed and engaged Central Florida. It grew out of the Central Florida Journalism Ecosystem Summit, created in 2024 by Central Florida Public Media, Central Florida Foundation and Oviedo Community News. Confirmed participants in NCCF’s 2026 collaborative election coverage include Central Florida Public Media, Ocala Gazette, Orlando Sentinel, Osceola News Gazette, Oviedo Community News, VoxPopuli, Winter Park Voice and WKMG News 6.
As our region’s community foundation, Central Florida Foundation serves as a launchpad for high-impact philanthropy. Championing the collective power of head, heart and dollar, we coordinate the commitment and investment of philanthropists, nonprofits and community partners to target today’s most critical challenges and those on the horizon. The Foundation also offers expert giving advice, a personalized approach to managing charitable funds and the capacity to convene collaboration across sectors. Learn more about Central Florida Foundation by visiting cffound.org.
