Publisher to posit on future of newspapers

GADDIS Pason Gaddis, president and group publisher of Florida Weekly, will present “The Future of Media and Newspapers” from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 7, at the Broadway Palm Dinner Theater, 1380 Colonial Blvd., Fort Myers. The presentation will be featured as part of the Florida Public Relations Association’s monthly luncheon.

As readers continue to migrate to digital, Mr. Gaddis will speak about the future of media and newspapers in what he views will be a fundamental change in the content that goes into print, new subscription models and the explosion of tablet devices. Mr. Gaddis co-founded Florida Weekly with partners Jeffrey Cull and James Dickerson in 2007. The newspaper is one of the state’s largest circulation newsweeklies with a circulation of more than 75,000 in Lee, Collier, Charlotte and North Palm Beach counties, reaching more than 150,000 readers in print and online each week.

In the past several years, the newspaper has won numerous awards. It has been recognized as the best weekly newspaper in the state for the past two years by the Florida Press Association. Prior to launching Florida Weekly, Mr. Gaddis served in a variety of management capacities from 1998-2007 with Gannett Inc. while successfully launching several new newspapers and magazines. Mr. Gaddis received his bachelor’s degree from Iowa State University where he also began his newspaper career with the Iowa State Daily.

The cost to attend the luncheon meeting is $20 for members, $25 for nonmembers, and $10 for students with advance reservations. Walk-ins are welcome for an additional fee of $5. For reservations or more information, visit www.fpraswfl.org. ¦