Staff Reports
Florida Politics
Bobby Block, the current managing editor for Florida Today, will take on a new role as Executive Director for the Florida First Amendment Foundation.
Block will succeed Pamela Marsh, who accepted a position with the Levin College of Law at the University of Florida.
Block has had a four-decade career in journalism, including contributing to the Wall Street Journal’s coverage of 9/11, which earned a Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News in 2002.
He co-authored the book “Disaster: Hurricane Katrina and the Failure of Homeland Security,” and has reported on various conflicts across the globe, including Rwandan genocide in 1994, and the executions of more than 8,000 men and boys by Serbian forces in a Bosnian village in 1995.
Block will assume his leading role with the Florida First Amendment Foundation on Feb. 1. In a press release announcing his hire, the foundation points to a “callous disregard for the law” in the erosion of First Amendment rights in Florida.
“Robert Block’s stellar career of fighting for truth and accountability made him the perfect choice to lead the Foundation into the future. We are excited to see him bring to life his innovative ideas to empower citizens and journalists alike, as well as pull back attempts to cloak the public’s right to know what’s happening in our government,” Foundation Board of Trustees Vice Chair Trimmel Gomes said.
Under Block’s new leadership, the foundation plans to focus on expanding its educational offerings and partnerships with institutions and organizations that share the foundation’s passion for First Amendment rights. The group seeks to further government accountability and access to public information.
“I have fought for truth and accountability my entire professional life, first overseas, then in Washington and now in my home state,” Block added.