By Tatyanna McCray/SJGCMEDIA.COM
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (March 11, 2026) —Florida A&M University School of Journalism & Graphic Communication (FAMU SJGC) students have produced a special program highlighting Florida’s 2026 Legislative Session. The program airs on Comcast channel 20 on March 11 at 5 p.m. It will also be streamed live on the TV-20 webpage, located here.
The project includes stories, podcasts, and social media posts designed to raise awareness and inform Floridians about the health care, education, immigration, housing, and voting rights bills currently being discussed by legislators.
A collaborative production between journalism and public relations students, the program will explain the state’s active bills and provide essential information to help viewers better understand the process. Public relations students Shayla Jones, a junior, and Tatyanna McCray, a senior, served as PR coordinators. Journalism students Alicia Adams, a senior; Elijah Lott, a junior; and Valdemar Carnegie, a senior, produced the live stream of the program.
The production serves as an experiential learning tool for the students involved, which also included anchoring, reporting, and PR services opportunities. SJGC professors Kenneth Jones and Ottavia Spaggiari guided lessons on the legislative process while also mentoring and coaching the students as they produced the program.
“We saw an opportunity for students to be able to learn about the legislative process, and about the impacts of public policy within the state through the various classes we teach,” said Jones. “They are learning about the bills, budgeting, and all other aspects of the legislative process.”
During the program, the students cover several major bills, including HB 133, which seeks to lower the age requirement for purchasing longarm firearms, and SB 368, which, if passed and signed, will expand faster access to Medicaid coverage for pregnant women in Florida. Additionally, reports on other bills, ranging from sexual offenders to nurse practitioners prescribing medication, are included to better inform citizens locally and statewide.
Adams said she was pleased to be able to “work as a producer, collaborating with my team to make sure that we inform our audience about what’s going on in the world around them.”
Lott added, “I hope it informs people about what’s going on and the decisions being made about their lives. I also hope they watch, go out to the polls, and make a difference. They need to make their voices heard.”
Media Contact:
Professor Kenneth.Jones@famu.edu
