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Gulf & Main Magazine

Democracy Watch Program: A Collaboration Between WGCU News and FGCU

Mar 01, 2022 11:28AM ● By Jessica Wagner

WGCU Public Media and Florida Gulf Coast University are teaming up to bring real-world experiences to current and recently graduated students in the realm of journalism.

“Samantha Roesler, Sabrina Salovitz, and Katiuska Carrillo have been covering government meetings from Bonita Springs to Marco Island and Immokalee, reporting on such issues as a bill that would make the superintendent of schools in Lee County an elected position, fair housing, environmental conservation and COVID’s effects on the Hispanic population in Southwest Florida,” according to WGCU.

This program is in its second semester, allowing senior Journalism students who are enrolled in the Democracy Watch class to participate.

Lyn Millner, FGCU Journalism Professor, created the Democracy Watch program after pitching the idea to Foundation donors Howard Cohen, Linda Penniman and Jim Hale.

“Adjunct journalism instructor Mike Walcher, who was an anchor reporter for WINK TV from 1998 to 2016, put together a syllabus and started teaching the Democracy Watch class last fall. Of the seven students that first semester, three were chosen to be paid fellows earning $10 an hour, or about $1,350 a semester,” remarks WGCU. “The program benefits the students with experience and WGCU, which is the NPR and PBS source for Southwest Florida, with more coverage. Strengthening WGCU’s news coverage is one of the top goals expressed by General Manager Corey Lewis, in that post since May 2021. He believes public media is aptly positioned as a nonprofit, member-supported service to ensure that Southwest Floridians have relevant news and the context as commercial media becomes ever more anemic.”

For more information on FGCU and its collaboration with WGCU Public Media, visit its website.