John Bartosek, Anders Gyllenhaal and Earl Maucker, the editors of the Palm Beach Post, Miami Herald and Sun Sentinel, respectively, issued a joint comment on the creation of the South Florida News Service, which will establish a partnership between the three papers and FIU’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication.  "We are delighted and very excited about this venture, which will serve both the university and our newspapers with a new approach to covering the community -- in stories, in video, in audio, in both English and Spanish. At a time when the news business is evolving every day, we can think of no better partners than the college students who will shape the media of the future.''
 
Allan Richards, SJMC interim associate dean, and Teresa Ponte, SJMC interim chair of the Department of Journalism and Broadcasting, will oversee the SJMC’s    participation in this partnership.  Richards and Ponte commented that this union of the journalism school and the three newspapers will provide FIU students with an unparalleled education in print, video  and multimedia journalism and further enhance the SJMC’s standing as the powerhouse journalism and mass communication school in Florida.
 
“Students will enroll in our courses, work as reporters for the South Florida News Service and publish in The Herald, The Sun-Sentinel and The Palm Beach Post and on their Web sites,” said Ponte. “It’s an unheard of opportunity for students. It doesn’t get any edgier than this,” said Richards.
 
SJMC Dean Lillian Lodge Kopenhaver said, “At a time when media are facing tremendous challenges to better cover their communities and reach their audiences, this innovative partnership can provide a new model in the evolution of these media.”
 
Students began work on these projects at the beginning of the spring 2009 semester under direct supervision from SJMC faculty, who have integrated the demands of the new partnership into existing curriculum.
 
Student-produced stories will soon be appearing in all three papers, and online.

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