Roundtable, our Club’s new discussion forum, is off to a tremendous start. Since our debut post-election session in December, we have produced five additional segments focused on various media issues ranging from news coverage to industry trends and ethics.
We have talked with journalists who were inside the US Capitol during the attack on January 6.
Bill Barker
Former Naples Daily News publisher Bill Barker joined us to discuss the ongoing viability of newspapers, and two local broadcast executives provided insights into the challenges facing TV news.
Jim Farrell Photo courtesy of WINK-TV
We even took the opportunity to toast newly retired WINK meteorologist Jim Farrell.
This link will take you to our Club’s YouTube Channel where you can watch them all: Press Club of SWFL Roundtable
I want to thank a dedicated core of participants for putting us on the virtual map. Mark Young has helped create and produce our sessions, and our FGCU student editor Samantha Roesler has done a great job converting our Zoom calls into polished video podcasts. Club members Denise Cobb, Larry Doyle, Gregg & Mary Ramshaw, Phil Jones, Frank Cipolla, Tom Marquardt, George Lehner, Delia D’Ambra, and Judd Cribbs have served as panelists leading us in robust discussions.
But now we need your help to grow the franchise. If you have a great idea for a segment and/or a guest, please reach out to me at boborr21@gmail.com. There are no strict boundaries in terms of topics, but we are especially interested in current events, media coverage, and emerging issues affecting the news industry. Also, if you would like to be a panelist or a moderator, just raise your hand. Finally, feel free to share links to our YouTube segments with your friends and colleagues.
Roundtable is a great opportunity to bolster the relevance of our Club and move us closer to the working press. But it will be most effective if we have broad-based participation.