Florida Democracy Crisis: Holly Baltz on When Local News Dies, So Do Races

Holly Baltz, editor and reporter at Stet News and former Palm Beach Post investigative editor, joins Michael Williams and Brian Crowley to examine the possible connection between disappearing local news coverage and the too frequent disappearance of competitive democracy in Florida. With 50 plus unopposed races in Palm Beach County alone the conversation reveals how the absence of accountability journalism leaves voters uninformed and discourages candidates from running.Holly discusses her transition from decades at the Post to nonprofit journalism, the challenges facing credible reporting in the social media age, and why Stet News represents a sustainable model for community coverage. The discussion covers media business failures, the toxicity driving people from public service, innovative programs like Community Voices training high school students to cover city government, and a sobering reality: hundreds of Florida cities operate with zero news coverage and no one watching how tax dollars are spent.Essential listening for anyone concerned about informed citizenship, government transparency, and the future of local accountability in Florida. New episodes every Sunday at 9 AM.