our impact
Since 1884, the Times and its subsidiaries have positively impacted the communities of the Tampa Bay area by being a relentless beacon of truth.
here's how we're helping:
Journalism
The Work: In 2015, the Times published Failure Factories, an investigation that uncovered that five of the lowest-performing elementary schools in the state of Florida were clustered in St. Petersburg’s historically Black neighborhoods.
The Results: Pinellas County school board members voted to revamp discipline policies that unfairly targeted Black students for harsh punishments. State lawmakers put more money into those schools, and the local school board revamped discipline policies that fell most heavily on Black students.
The Work: Heartbroken, an investigation into the pediatric cardiac care unit at All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, uncovered a series of botched surgeries and shoddy procedures after the unit was taken over by Johns Hopkins University.
The Results: Top administrators and the chief heart surgeon at the hospital resigned. Families of children who died or were hurt received $43 million in settlements from the hospital. Lawmakers created legislation to increase oversight of pediatric heart surgery programs. The hospital committed to sweeping change.
The Work: The Commission reversed itself after a yearlong fracas and reintroduced fluoride to the water supply in 2013. At the Times’ urging, voters elected new county commissioners, and the new majority promptly put fluoride back into the water supply.
The Results: The commission reversed itself after a yearlong fracas and reintroduced fluoride to the water supply in 2013.
community involvement
Through its events sponsorship program and corporate volunteer efforts, the Times has helped hundreds of bay area nonprofits reach wider audiences to promote their mission and causes.
PHILANTHROPY & SCHOLARSHIPS
Through the Tampa Bay Times Fund, the Times has supported local nonprofits through grants that promote the arts, education and social services. Organizations that have received funding from the Times include: Ruth Eckerd Hall, The Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Duke University, the Glazer Children's Museum, Great Explorations Children's Museum, the Salvador Dali Museum, the Florida Orchestra, the Tampa Theatre and the Hillsborough Education Foundation. Arc Nature Coast, Seniors in Service and Empath Health also have received grants from the Times Fund.
The Fund’s signature investments are its scholarships. The Times has awarded dozens of scholarships to support college students at universities around the country. Notable Times scholars include the company's former Chairman and CEO Paul Tash, who received a scholarship in the 1970s when he was an intern.