WSLR+Fogartyville is a training ground for young creatives, emerging journalists, and anyone ready to find their voice
By Jesse Coleman
From the July-September 2025 issue of Critical Times. Print versions are available for free at WSLR+Fogartyville and other community gathering spaces in Sarasota and Manatee counties.
What if your local radio station didn’t just talk to you, but invited you in?
Walk into the WSLR station on any given weekday morning and you’ll hear a mix of sound and voices: a volunteer DJ spinning records in one studio, a community leader being interviewed down the hall, a new volunteer learning how to cue up the next track. It’s radio, but it’s also something more. It’s an open invitation to create, to participate, and to belong.
Sophia Brown, program coordinator, Olivia D’Amico and Zander Moricz appearing on Talk of the Town with Carrie Seidman.
WSLR began as part of the low-power FM movement, which aimed to bring localism back to the airwaves and democratize content creation. In Sarasota, we filled a gap. This community needed a space where people could tell their own stories and speak to the issues that mattered to them. Volunteers made the programming. Listeners heard their neighbors on the air. It was grassroots, accessible, and built on trust.
That mission continues today. And while many media outlets now promote themselves as “local,” there is a difference between sounding local and actually being rooted in a place. What we offer isn’t just content about the community. It’s content from the community. Our shows are created by students, activists, elders, musicians and everyday neighbors.
With that vision in mind, we’ve been hard at work expanding our training programs and engagement opportunities, because access to media, music and art should never be out of reach.
This summer, thanks to support from the Rotary Club of Sarasota Bay, we’re hosting Youth Radio Camps for students ages 12 to 17. These weeklong sessions teach students how to DJ, produce a radio show, and contribute to a full WSLR News broadcast. They get hands-on experience in the studio and learn skills in interviewing, editing and storytelling. But even more important than technical training, they walk away with confidence, connection and a deeper sense of belonging.
Our journalism work has always been rooted in participation. Our original news program, “The Jumping Mullet Report,” set the tone for a model that values collaboration and community input. Today, our internship program, supported by the Olson Family Foundation and Florida Veterans for Common Sense, builds on that legacy. Students and volunteers work alongside our News Director to produce real, relevant stories that reflect the concerns and perspectives of our region.
Last year, we added a new layer with the launch of our Public Newsroom series. Funded by Florida Humanities, we created a space for everyday people to explore the role of citizen journalism in a changing media landscape. The series included conversations with reporters, editors and media lawyers, followed by hands-on workshops in interviewing, sourcing and ethics. The response was overwhelming.
Tamara Solum.
Tamara Solum was one of the participants. A graduate student and community advocate, Solum became more active after the political upheaval at New College. She missed the first workshop round but stayed in touch and joined the next session as soon as it opened.
“I hesitated because I had just started graduate school,” she told us. “But it was on Saturdays, and I figured it would be a good opportunity for me to learn some new skills and also become involved in bringing local news issues that I’m particularly interested in and passionate about to our community.”
Johannes Werner, our News and Public Affairs director, says the program aims to bring a wider range of voices to our local news ecosystem. “Our workshops combine hands-on training with the chance to learn from experienced reporters and fellow citizen journalists,” he said. “It’s about building skills and building community while asking the questions that matter to working people in Sarasota and Manatee Counties.
Solum is relishing this new way of participating in public life. “Letting members of the community know I’m now a reporter for WSLR has opened up a sort of fearlessness in me,” she said. “I have become more confident in approaching people and engaging with both local citizens and elected officials. There is something that creates cooperation when you say, ‘I’m doing a story,’ and ask to speak. I really like the responses and feedback I’ve received from friends and community members.”
This fall, we’re building on that momentum. WSLR News is preparing to update its formats and expand live programming. We’re currently looking for community members to join us as on-air citizen anchors. If you’ve ever been told you have a voice for radio, or if you’ve just always wanted to be part of the magic, this is your chance. We want voices that reflect the full spectrum of Sarasota and Manatee counties.
And of course, storytelling doesn’t stop with the airwaves.
Fogartyville, our community arts and events space, plays a central role in shaping the creative life of Sarasota. It’s where concerts, open mics, documentary screenings and workshops bring people together, not just as audience members but as contributors.
We’ve continued our commitment to artist development through programs like Creative Nexus, in partnership with Mosaic Movements and funded by the Live Music Society. This initiative brought LGBTQ+ and BIPOC artists together for skill-building in branding, business strategy and media production. Gatherings culminated in the Creative Nexus Summit, a vibrant celebration of mentorship and community connection, much of which was broadcast live from the Fogartyville stage.
We’ve also expanded our programming to support young and emerging musicians through partnerships like EveryOneRocks, which brings youth bands and solo performers to the Fogartyville stage to share their talents in a welcoming, professional environment.
The Sandbox, our open mic bonanza, offers one of the most inclusive and eclectic performance platforms in the region. It is a space for storytelling, poetry, original music and surprise collaborations. And through our Fogartyville Songwriter Series, made possible by support from the Watts Family Foundation, we continue to lift up homegrown talent and bring neighbors together through song.
Drink & Draw Sarasota. Photo by Kathleen Murray.
And our newest monthly offering, Drink & Draw Sarasota, brings artists of all skill levels together to sketch dynamic models in costume and to socialize.
All of this speaks to our core belief: access to the arts, to storytelling, to a public platform, should never be limited to those with money, influence or connections. We’ve worked hard to keep these programs accessible, but to grow this work and make it sustainable, we need support. Philanthropic investment is what makes it possible to train young journalists, host emerging musicians, and give neighbors a mic when they have something to say.
There’s a place for everyone in this vision. Whether you want to help tell stories, support the work, perform on stage, or just show up and be part of the crowd, we’re building this together.
And we’re just getting started.
Jesse Coleman is general manager and executive director of WSLR+Fogartyville.