The Rural News Service is focused on local and regional original reporting for, and about, rural communities located within Florida’s middle panhandle and Big Bend region.

Organizational Partners:

The Rural News Service is collaborative based out of WFSU Public Media in Tallahassee, FL. It is funded through Press Forward with operational and reporting support provided by the Community Foundation of North Florida. Editorial oversight is provided by WFSU, Florida A&M University’s School of Journalism and Graphic Communication and WTXL/ABC-27.

• WFSU Public Media
• Florida A&M University SJGC
• WTXL/ABC-27

Funding:

The Rural News Service is funded through a grant by Press Forward, a non-profit organization that funds efforts to expand local journal journalism. Press Forward is independent of ideology and plans to work with More Perfect, a bipartisan initiative advancing five interrelated democracy goals, one of which is Access to Trusted News and Information. Press Forward operates under the fiscal sponsorship of The Miami Foundation. 

The Community Foundation of NorthFlorida is a non-profit established in 1995 To enhance the quality of life in the North Florida community through the promotion and support of charitable giving. The Foundation acts as an illuminator of community needs while connecting donors to charitable causes they care most to support.

Counties we serve:

Marianna, Calhoun, Gulf, Franklin, Liberty, Gadsden, Wakulla, Jefferson, Madison, Taylor.

Publication Partners: If you’re interested in running stories from the Rural News Service, please email lynn@wfsu.org