West Orlando News Online was born in September 2005 and emerged from a print publication to a now entirely digital one. The West Orlando News has emerged as a leader in hyperlocal news, commentary and the online citizen journalism movement. Our approach to local-first news, feature stories, politics, education, crime and quality of life issues is refreshing for its honesty and accuracy, and reflects the real world here in the middle of the I-4 corridor.
With their diverse backgrounds and interests, our local writers, bloggers and other contributors have two things in common: a love for Orlando and a desire to share it with others. We encourage unique perspectives, meaningful commentary and reporting you may not find from establishment media sources.
Our readers like it like that.
The biggest contributors to the site are our readers — their active participation and support has turned West Orlando News into the logical source for local news and politics, with an independent perspective on the world we call Orlando, Florida. It is currently run by Managing Editor Mike Cantone and Publisher Keith Longmore (founded by Editor Emeritus Gillian Nanton). West Orlando News has even been featured in stories by Columbia Journalism Review. You can also find our articles on NewsBreak app, SmartNews app, and other news distributions.
We believe that Orlando is much more than a dysfunctional, good old boy town with opportunities for the well-connected and low wage jobs with subpar quality of life for everyone else. In fact, we believe that Orlando, with its surrounding communities, is actually a gigantic, vibrant melting pot with incredible people and phenomenal possibilities. As a result, the greater Central Florida community deserves a local media company such as ours, where all of our content is truly representative of this entire community. That means we celebrate the good in our community as much as possible, but we also criticize the bad while calling out the injustices that persist in Orlando. We believe in providing a voice for people who need one. We believe in holding the powerful accountable. Our passion is clear.
WON is always interested in forging relationships with various partners, big and small. Whether you are a local small business owner, a large corporation, or someone looking to share important news, we are open to partnering together to help build a stronger community. Of course, we are always interested in talking to venture capitalists seeking to invest in the hyperlocal media space.
The West Orlando News Online focuses on the greater Orlando metropolitan area and covers Central Florida news from Tampa Bay to Daytona Beach and the Space Coast, in addition to Florida state news and politics. The site receives an average of hundreds of thousands of visits monthly, serving millions of impressions.
Thank you to our readers and supporters — 2022 readership had historic high levels for West Orlando News, and that momentum has continued into 2023! We appreciate your continued trust and support.
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