Central Florida Community News

OCN'S FOCUS REMAINED ON CITY HALL COVERAGE IN 2023, ENABLING PEOPLE TO KNOW AND UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANT DECISIONS THEIR ELECTED LEADERS ARE MAKING ON THEIR BEHALF. OCN REPORTERS COVERED MORE THAN 637 HOURS OF LOCAL PUBLIC MEETINGS IN 2023. IT PUBLISHED 2,400 LOCAL EVENTS, MEETING ITS MISSION TO STRENGTHEN COMMUNITY CONNECTION. OCN MENTORED SIX STUDENT INTERNS. AN AUDIT OF OCN'S REPORTING THIS YEAR REVEALED THAT IN ADDITION TO CITY HALL REPORTING, OCN HAS PUBLISHED 11 ARTICLES ON THE LOCAL ELECTION, A DOZEN ARTICLES CONCERNING THE AREA'S TRAFFIC ISSUES, 35 ARTICLES ON MATTERS THAT IMPACT YOUR FINANCES AND SERVICES THAT YOU DEPEND ON (SUCH AS GARBAGE AND WATER), MORE THAN HALF A DOZEN EDUCATION ARTICLES, A DOZEN ARTICLES CONCERNING THE LOCAL ENVIRONMENT, A FOUR-ARTICLE HOUSING SERIES AND NINE ARTICLES ON LOCAL BUSINESSES. OCN CREATED A VOTER GUIDE BY GATHERING READER QUESTIONS AND PRIORITIES AND USING THOSE TO PRESS THE CANDIDATES RUNNING FOR LOCAL OFFICE IN NOVEMBER ON ISSUES THAT MATTER TO VOTERS. ADDITIONAL READER INPUT INSPIRED US TO CREATE A MULTIMEDIA APPROACH THAT ADDED VIDEO TO THE GUIDE, DEEP, DATA-BASED ANALYSIS, AND A SOCIAL MEDIA FOCUS. MORE THAN 6,000 PEOPLE READ THIS IN-DEPTH, SEVEN-ARTICLE RESOURCE. OCN WAS ABLE TO HIRE A SECOND REPORTER, ABE ABORAYA, LAST QUARTER. AN AWARD-WINNING JOURNALIST, ABE HAS HELPED OCN TO PROVIDE MORE IN-DEPTH COVERAGE, EXPLORE MORE INVESTIGATIONS AND ALLOW OCN'S MANAGERS TO SPEND MORE TIME DEVELOPING THE BUSINESS SIDE OF THE NEWSROOM, STRENGTHENING ITS RESILIENCY. THIS YEAR, OCN BROUGHT HOME AN AWARD IN THE FLORIDA PRESS CLUB'S EXCELLENCE IN JOURNALISM COMPETITION FOR ENVIRONMENTAL WRITING AS WELL AS A SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS SUNSHINE STATE AWARD FOR THE EARLY BIRD NEWSLETTER. OCN'S 2022 VOTER GUIDE WAS ALSO RECOGNIZED AS A NATIONAL FINALIST FOR LOCAL INDEPENDENT ONLINE NEWS' (LION) OUTSTANDING COVERAGE AWARD. OCN REACHES AN AUDIENCE OF 25,000 EVERY MONTH AND GREW ITS NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIBERS FROM 2,000 TO ALMOST 5,000.

OCN'S FOCUS REMAINED ON CITY HALL COVERAGE IN 2023, ENABLING PEOPLE TO KNOW AND UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANT DECISIONS THEIR ELECTED LEADERS ARE MAKING ON THEIR BEHALF. OCN REPORTERS COVERED MORE THAN 637 HOURS OF LOCAL PUBLIC MEETINGS IN 2023. IT PUBLISHED 2,400 LOCAL EVENTS, MEETING ITS MISSION TO STRENGTHEN COMMUNITY CONNECTION. OCN MENTORED SIX STUDENT INTERNS. AN AUDIT OF OCN'S REPORTING THIS YEAR REVEALED THAT IN ADDITION TO CITY HALL REPORTING, OCN HAS PUBLISHED 11 ARTICLES ON THE LOCAL ELECTION, A DOZEN ARTICLES CONCERNING THE AREA'S TRAFFIC ISSUES, 35 ARTICLES ON MATTERS THAT IMPACT YOUR FINANCES AND SERVICES THAT YOU DEPEND ON (SUCH AS GARBAGE AND WATER), MORE THAN HALF A DOZEN EDUCATION ARTICLES, A DOZEN ARTICLES CONCERNING THE LOCAL ENVIRONMENT, A FOUR-ARTICLE HOUSING SERIES AND NINE ARTICLES ON LOCAL BUSINESSES. OCN CREATED A VOTER GUIDE BY GATHERING READER QUESTIONS AND PRIORITIES AND USING THOSE TO PRESS THE CANDIDATES RUNNING FOR LOCAL OFFICE IN NOVEMBER ON ISSUES THAT MATTER TO VOTERS. ADDITIONAL READER INPUT INSPIRED US TO CREATE A MULTIMEDIA APPROACH THAT ADDED VIDEO TO THE GUIDE, DEEP, DATA-BASED ANALYSIS, AND A SOCIAL MEDIA FOCUS. MORE THAN 6,000 PEOPLE READ THIS IN-DEPTH, SEVEN-ARTICLE RESOURCE. OCN WAS ABLE TO HIRE A SECOND REPORTER, ABE ABORAYA, LAST QUARTER. AN AWARD-WINNING JOURNALIST, ABE HAS HELPED OCN TO PROVIDE MORE IN-DEPTH COVERAGE, EXPLORE MORE INVESTIGATIONS AND ALLOW OCN'S MANAGERS TO SPEND MORE TIME DEVELOPING THE BUSINESS SIDE OF THE NEWSROOM, STRENGTHENING ITS RESILIENCY. THIS YEAR, OCN BROUGHT HOME AN AWARD IN THE FLORIDA PRESS CLUB'S EXCELLENCE IN JOURNALISM COMPETITION FOR ENVIRONMENTAL WRITING AS WELL AS A SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS SUNSHINE STATE AWARD FOR THE EARLY BIRD NEWSLETTER. OCN'S 2022 VOTER GUIDE WAS ALSO RECOGNIZED AS A NATIONAL FINALIST FOR LOCAL INDEPENDENT ONLINE NEWS' (LION) OUTSTANDING COVERAGE AWARD. OCN REACHES AN AUDIENCE OF 25,000 EVERY MONTH AND GREW ITS NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIBERS FROM 2,000 TO ALMOST 5,000.