The News Collaborative of Central Florida, a collective of independent local news outlets and aligned partners, including the Osceola News-Gazette, working toward a more informed and engaged Central Florida, has launched a new show, "Talking Central Florida," hosted by local journalist Steve Mort.
The weekly radio and podcast program explores key issues in Central Florida through conversations with the local journalists who cover them. Episodes will air on Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. on Central Florida Public Media’s 90.7 FM and 89.5 FM. It will also be available on YouTube and all podcast platforms.
“Local journalists across Central Florida are doing important work, and this show creates the time and space to focus on that reporting,” said Mort. “Plus, it gives people a better understanding of the critical issues shaping their communities and lets them get to know the journalists covering them.”
Mort has traveled on assignment with the PBS Newshour, reported for Rocky Mountain PBS in Denver and covered Washington and the United Nations for a variety of international news outlets. Most recently, he was the host and executive producer of WUCF’s NewsNight for six years until the show was discontinued in 2025.
"Talking Central Florida" will preserve an important forum for regional reporting while advancing NCCF’s mission to support a strong, accessible local journalism ecosystem.
The program is made possible through funding support from Central Florida Public Media, Orlando Sentinel, Winter Park Voice and the Central Florida Foundation.
"Talking Central Florida" reflects how NCCF’s work is expanding in 2026. Since launching publicly in January 2025 with a shared reporting effort on the local impacts of Florida’s Unauthorized Public Camping and Public Sleeping law (House Bill 1365), NCCF partners collaborated to share more than 100 stories, extending the reach of that reporting across Central Florida.
This year, NCCF has secured $50,000 in support from the Collaborative Journalism Resource Hub and the Central Florida Foundation, onboarded its first dedicated team member and aligned around joint election coverage this year. The new show highlights the NCCF mission of targeted collaboration by providing an important platform for local reporting and bringing that work to the region on a regular basis.
"(The show) represents an important milestone for the News Collaborative of Central Florida,” said Judith Smelser, NCCF task force chair and president and general manager of Central Florida Public Media. “It says a lot when news organizations are willing to work together to offer local residents an easy, approachable way to access trusted local reporting and information from professional journalists across our region. Central Florida Public Media is proud to be the show’s broadcast partner.”
