NORTH FORT MYERS, Fla. — Southwest Florida residents brought questions, concerns and personal stories to the WINK News team Wednesday during a WINK Listens event in North Fort Myers.
Held from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Celebration Barn at Blossom & Brie, the event gave community members an opportunity to speak one-on-one with WINK News journalists, share their experiences and seek help bringing attention to issues affecting them.
WINK LISTENS
For some, it’s a problem they haven’t been able to solve.
For others, it’s a question they don’t know who to ask.
And sometimes, it’s simply a story they want someone to hear.
That’s why people across Southwest Florida continue to show up for WINK Listens.
Lights. Cameras. Action.
But the most important part isn’t the camera — it’s the conversation.
WINK Listens gives community members an opportunity to sit down one-on-one with a member of the WINK News team, explain what’s happening in their lives, ask questions and bring issues directly to the newsroom.
The process is simple.
Check in. Tell us why you came. Then sit down with a member of our team.
“What I’ll have you do is sit right here,” reporter Maddie Herron tells one community member as the conversation begins.
People bring documents, photographs, videos and questions.
“Is there a way you could figure out to send us that video?” Chorus Nylander, Chief WINK Investigates reporter, asked.
The issues are as varied as the people who bring them.
Some involve problems the WINK News team may be able to help investigate.
One resident described questionable billing. “The bills were up over $2,000,” she said.
Other conversations take more time. Some questions fall outside the station’s expertise.
But every person gets a chance to be heard.
During one conversation, WINK News Anchor Corey Lazar worked through a slightly different question.
“Let’s actually start with number three. It says, ‘Make the world a little brighter.’ What you mean by that?”
That’s part of what makes WINK Listens different.
Not every conversation ends with an immediate answer. Not every problem has a simple solution.
But every story gets an ear.
And sometimes, the people who come to WINK Listens want to make sure the station knows just how much that means to them.
“We were the ones, ‘We love you WINK News,'” one woman said.
There are serious conversations. There are questions that require follow-up. And there are moments that simply make people smile.
“Reporting live, Caleb, WINK News.”
“Reporting live, Christopher, WINK News.”
At its heart, WINK Listens is about making a connection between the people who live in Southwest Florida and the journalists who serve them.
Bring your story.
Bring your questions.
Bring your concerns.
We’ll bring the questions, too.
And most importantly, we’ll listen.