Winter Park Voice Helps Launch New Weekly Podcast
The program is a product of the News Collaborative of Central Florida. It will air Wednesdays on Central Florida Public Media and be available on-demand as a video and audio podcast
Feb. 10, 2026
UPDATE: The name of the show to be launched by the News Collaborative of Central Florida is still under consideration. The name of the show reported in the original version of this story and by other outlets in the collaborative is changing. Stay tuned for another update soon.
Staff Report
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 launching a new show.
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. The first episode will air on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. on Central Florida Public Media’s radio frequencies 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 Steve Mort, host of the show. “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.
The project 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.
In addition to financial support, the Winter Park Voice will also be among the partners who share news stories with the podcast and video show.
“We are thrilled to help launch this new show that will bring our readers local news in podcast and video formats,” said Voice Editor Beth Kassab. “We know our readers count on the Voice to bring them trustworthy information about the places they care about most and the show is another way we will deliver on that mission alongside our partners in the News Collaborative.”
The launch of the podcast reflects how NCCF’s work is expanding in 2026. Since launching publicly in Jan. 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 have 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. 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.”
WinterParkVoiceEditor@gmail.com
Great news! Proud of the Voice. Proud of you, Beth.
What could make this show very interesting is to have the local journalist present the issue. Then two local community members could be invited to give a brief 2 minute presentation of their opposing viewpoint on the issue.
We need to get back to people hearing both sides of an issue and making up their own mind. Spending time only hearing one side of an issue is why our country is so polarized and falling apart. People have so much more in common than they think if they could just abandon this blind loyalty to one side or the other and quit listening to only their side’s viewpoint in a vacuum.
Your point is well taken and as someone who often is interviewing people with various or even opposing perspectives, I agree we all have more in common than many realize. This show will feature the reporters who are working on these stories. And sometimes there will also be other guests. I think there’s a lot of good potential.
Residents are interested in interviews with local elected officials. not with local journalists. Having local journalists talking about issues offer zero information.
Gosh, zero information? So harsh, Pete. And also wrong. I agree that residents should hear directly from local elected officials. But those interviews can sometimes be very guarded and far from candid talks about what is going on and driving policy. I know this because I’ve interviewed dozens upon dozens of local elected officials, maybe more, over 25 years. There are a number of local officials who don’t respond to interview requests or only tell residents what they think they want to hear or a sanitized version of a scenario. The role reporters play is to cut through talking points, interview others, add context and fact check. That’s why its so valuable for residents to hear from them, too. It’s not an either/or situation. Newsgathering and reporting is serious work and we do it by clear principles and standards and ethics and, in my experience, people in the community very much value this!
I’m curious how “Reportable” plans to ensure balanced coverage. The Winter Park Voice has been criticized in the past for framing local issues in ways that feel selective or one-sided. What safeguards will be in place to ensure this program doesn’t simply reinforce the same perspectives under a new format?
Also, who decides what is “topical”? There’s often a disconnect between what journalists believe is important and what residents are actually concerned about. Will there be a transparent process for identifying topics, or opportunities for community input?
Thank you.
How does Reportable plan to ensure balanced coverage? The same way we always do. It’s not a mystery. We attend meetings, we look at public records. We interview people. We connect dots or disconnect them. We respect facts. We correct the record when we get something wrong. We stand on our credibility. We don’t succumb to bullying and grandstanding and we know that criticism comes with the territory. We value and incorporate constructive feedback. We do not cower to the powerful or those who simply want to yell “bias” because they don’t like the facts. Will there be a transparent process for identifying topics or opportunities for community input? Yep. Exhibit A is the comment board you are currently reading. We also put our email at the bottom of every story. We also have social media accounts that are open to all. I also live here and run into people all the time. (SHOCKING! Reporters are people with families and who live here and love their communities as much as anyone!) To be clear, the Voice is just one piece of Reportable. Steve Mort is the host and producer and wants to add to the community dialogue. The show will feature a wide variety of stories and I hope you’ll give it a listen!
Thank you, I appreciate the explanation of your reporting process. Attending meetings and reviewing records is foundational work, and that’s important.
My concern is not about whether reporting is done. It’s about framing and topic selection. Editorial judgment shapes what gets attention, what gets sustained coverage, and what fades into the background. That’s where many readers perceive imbalance.
Will “Reportable” commit to featuring a diversity of viewpoints on contested local issues, especially when those viewpoints challenge prevailing narratives within media circles? And will there be transparency about how recurring topics are chosen and prioritized? For example, historic preservation is important in Winter Park. Will you invite someone who represents the preservation angle and someone will bring perspective from a private property rights viewpoint?
Trust is not built by dismissing skepticism as discomfort with facts. It’s built by demonstrating openness to scrutiny of editorial decisions themselves. Look forward to the show. Thank you.