Vision
The Florida Student News Watch is committed to promoting the development of young writers as environmentally-conscious journalists and researchers.
The News Watch is committed to emboldening younger writers to value their work and respect the rigor of journalistic efforts, including fact-checking, accountability and transparency.
Writers may be matched with mentors - professional journalists and nonfiction writers - who assist with navigating the requirements of a story and the publishing landscape when placing a polished piece. The focus of News Watch stories include education, sustainability, social justice, and community health in an environmental context.
All student members of the News Watch are paid for their work, ranging in rate from $0.10/word to $0.20/ word depending on tenure with the News Watch.
A program of the 501(c)3 Sunshine State Biodiversity Group, the News Watch maintains editorial control of its content and works independently from other programs sponsored by the SSBG.
Meet the Masthead
Casey Chapter
Managing Editor
Casey is a graduate student at Florida State University and serves as the Managing Editor of the News Watch, overseeing the journalistic efforts of four students per semester. She has bylines at the Tallahassee Democrat/ USAToday and elsewhere.
Founder & Director
CD is a journalist and creative writer based in North Florida. She has a background as a K12 education and COVID-19 state data journalist and her work has appeared at the Bitter Southerner, Flamingo Magazine, USAToday, The Nation and elsewhere.
CD Davidson-Hiers
