FPA Members Have Free Access to Fresh Take Florida, UF Journalism College’s New Research Service

We wanted to remind FPA members that they can obtain free access to a new University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications research service built using public records. Please let  your journalists know about this resource. The College can set up individual trainings, or there is a recorded session that was completed in July.

Here are the details:

• Fresh Take Florida news service at UF’s Journalism College for the past three years has been developing Florida Data, a set of internal data tools to help reporters break news, conduct research and quickly find contact information for Floridians for interviews. This is part of their effort to help sustain local journalism.
• Fresh Take Florida and its editor, Ted Bridis, recently announced that after a six-month trial with more than 20 news organizations around the state, Fresh Take is now offering complimentary access to all Florida-based news organizations and journalists.

This is a free and more-frequently updated alternative to costly background search subscription services.

These tools include:

• A comprehensive search allowing users to quickly locate phone numbers, emails and home addresses for most Florida residents including voters, drivers, anglers and hunters, teachers and political candidates and officeholders.
• Address search to help identify residents of a home, apartment buildings and neighborhoods (eg, start calling people who live nearby a plane crash, major fire, crime scene or natural disaster).
• Recent arrests and court filings for select Florida counties including booking photos and charges.
• Traffic, accident and parking citations. This includes the ability to search records by license plate and driver’s license numbers.
• Keyword-searchable statewide disciplinary reports for healthcare workers and educators.
• The latest preliminary and final accident reports for accidents in Florida investigated by the NTSB.
• Political data including rosters, campaign finance trackers and campaign documents.

If your newsroom is interested in access to Florida Data, email Brandon Meyer at brandon.meyer@ufl.edu

Fresh Take can set up individual training or there is a recorded session that they did via Zoom on July 12.

If you have any other questions, you can contact Ted at Phone: 352-294-1543, tbridis@freshtakeflorida.com.