Author: Tom Doerr, President of the Press Club of Southwest Florida
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Before Lee County voters decide whether to change how county commissioners are elected, they deserve something increasingly rare in modern politics: An explanation. Not campaign slogans. Not competing accusations. Not political advertising. Just a clear understanding of what the referendum would and would not do. That responsibility belongs first to our local journalists. In November,…
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Pete Hegseth has a credibility problem. As the Pentagon’s civilian leader, he must explain to the American people an increasingly costly and unpopular war with Iran. Instead, the Pentagon has restricted access for independent journalists, limited briefings, and released consequential information only after reporters pressed for it. The latest example involves American casualties. The Pentagon…
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A free press is often described as the Fourth Estate, a watchdog over government. That description is incomplete. Journalists do not gather information for themselves. They gather it on the public’s behalf. The right to know belongs to citizens. That simple principle lies at the heart of the escalating confrontation between the federal government and…
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America celebrated its 250th birthday this past weekend with fireworks, parades, concerts, speeches, and patriotic displays. It was a weekend meant to remind us of an extraordinary national promise that all people are created equal and possess the inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Yet amid those celebrations, another image emerged.…
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On its 250th birthday, America is a nation that tells itself only flattering stories. That’s a sign of decline, not greatness. That thought came to mind while reading a recent essay, “How America Gave Up on Its Own History,” by Yoni Appelbaum in The Atlantic, about America’s struggle to reach a shared understanding of its past and present. History…
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The Press Club of Southwest Florida has always been powered by volunteers. Every luncheon, every scholarship, every Newsmaker event, every opportunity to bring journalists and the public together begins with members who are willing to step forward and help. Today, I’m asking a few more members to do exactly that. As the club continues to…
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“Do you have your toothbrush packed?” The chairman of The Washington Post Company, Don Graham, asked me. The idea of going to jail had never crossed my mind. But there I was on a call with Graham, the company attorney, and my boss in Miami. A judge in Broward County had ordered WPLG to reveal…
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Perhaps you’ve seen or read about this spring’s college graduates booing their commencement speakers. New York Times columnist Molly Jong-Fast writes that the frustration with some commencement speakers reflects anxiety about the economic future. Today’s recent graduates have reason to be concerned. Speakers focus on artificial intelligence boosterism. Graduates already know A.I.’s growth is inevitable. Yet…
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Good afternoon. Thank you for being here, and a big thanks to Barbara Peterson of the Florida Center for Government Accountability. I truly appreciate your presence. A year ago, I took on the responsibility of serving as president of the Press Club of Southwest Florida—with a clear understanding of what this organization represents…and what it must never become.…