Media Resources

Reporters Workshop 2009

Twenty-one newspaper, TV and radio journalists new to the courts and legal beats, or new to Florida, attended the Reporters Workshop in Tallahassee presented by The Florida Bar Media and Communications Law Committee. During the intensive-two day workshop, reporters learned the basics in legal reporting from lawyers, judges and other experienced journalists.

Reporters Workshop sponsors underwrite the annual event, which brings reporters to Tallahassee from around the state to learn more about covering the courts and high-profile legal issues.

Craig Waters speaking at Reporters Workshop

Dinner atop the Capitol
Craig Waters, Florida Supreme Court PIO, helped to organize the Reporters Workshop and introduced speakers at the dinner for reporters held atop the 22nd floor or the Capitol with its panoramic view of Tallahassee. The dinner gives reporters a chance to meet and talk with Florida Supreme Court justices.

Chief Justice Peggy Quince
Supreme Court Chief Justice Peggy Quince addressed reporters at the Monday night dinner, emphasizing legislative changes that need to be made to make sure courts receive adequate funding.

Media Award Winners
Winners of the 54th Florida Bar Media Awards were announced at the Monday night dinner. The Daytona Beach News Journal won First Place in the category of Newspapers and Other Periodicals Over 50,000 for Deborah Circelli's coverage about the mistreatment of mentally ill inmates at the Volusia County Jail. The Daily Business Review won First Place for Newspapers and Other Periodicals Under 50,000 Circulation for reporter Billy Shields' story "Taken for a ride?" about the booming but unregulated litigation finance industry. Reporter Polyana da Costa accepted the award for the Daily Business Review.

Three Reporters
Reporters Abbey Phillips of WTXL-ABC 27 in Tallahassee; John Sotomayor, a freelance writer from Ocala; and Jamye Durrance from Hometown News in New Smyrna Beach during one of the 14 sessions held at the Supreme Court.

Paul R. McAdoo
Attorney Paul R. McAdoo took reporters through the ins and outs of the high-profile case, AP v. FSU, regarding the NCAA's efforts to prevent public release of certain records pertaining to an academic cheating scandal by athletes at Florida State University.

Supreme Court Judicial Meeting Room
Sessions held in the Judicial Meeting Room included ones about The Florida Bar and Lawyer Regulation; Libel Law and Defamation; Covering High-Profile Cases; and Funding Our State Courts.

Sandra Chance of the Brechner Center
Sandra Chance, executive director of the Brechner Center for Freedom of Information at the University of Florida, moderated the panel on public records.

Rozzi Franco and Curtis Krueger
Reporters Rozzi Franco of WFLA 540 AM in Orlando and Curtis Krueger of the St. Petersburg Times.

Public Records Panel
From left to right: Gregory Smith, attorney with the Office of State Courts Administrator; Jo Ann Carrin, director of the Office of Open Government; Alexis Lambert, deputy general counsel Office of the Attorney General, Joe Adams, Times Union editorial writer and author of The Florida Public Records Handbook participated on the Public Records Panel.

Supreme Court Justices
Justice Barbara Pariente moderated a panel composed of the four newest justices to the Supreme Court: Charles T. Canady, Ricky Polston, Jorge Labarga and James E.C. Perry.

Justice Charles T. Canady
Justice Canady, who served both in the Legislature and Congress before being appointed to the court, said he traces his interest in politics to when his father ran Lawton Chiles' first U.S. Senate campaign.

[Revised: 10-21-2009 ]