About The Florida Current

The Florida Current is a non partisan media organization dedicated to covering the policy, people and politics of Florida government.

A dedicated staff of research assistants and skilled veteran reporters ensures The Florida Current covers the stories that matter and help make government more transparent.

Our Staff

Bill Prescott
Editor, News Producer

Bill Prescott made the move to online journalism after 35 years in newspapers. He's made a full circle back to Florida's capital after starting his career at the Tallahassee Democrat. He has been a government reporter in south Georgia and Pinellas County, and a bureau chief and senior copy editor at The Tampa Tribune, where he worked for 25 years. During his time at the Tribune, he supervised its bureau in Clearwater, the county seat of the state's most densely populated county, during the opening round of the Trib's newspaper war with the St. Pete Times. In his off time, he likes to hike the trails at Birdsong Nature Center near Thomasville, Ga.

Office: 850-915-0100, ext. 108
Cell: 727-692-6439
[email protected]

James Call
Reporter

For more than 20 years, James Call has covered North Florida and state government news via a diverse career in print and radio journalism. Call, 56, has focused on state government news in and out of the Capitol for the past six years as Florida Public Radio's chief legislative news producer. In 2005 he was the managing editor of the Apalachee Tortoise, a Tallahassee community newspaper that encouraged citizen involvement in public policy decisions. From 2001 to 2005 he was a section editor with Research in Review Magazine, which explained scientific research for a mass audience. Prior to that, Call was an associate editor at Florida Wildlife Magazine and was executive producer at WTXL-TV in Tallahassee. Call's work has won awards from The Associated Press, the Society of Professional Journalists, and the Pew Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism. He earned a master's degree in public affairs journalism from The Ohio State University while a 1996 Kiplinger Fellow.
Office: 850-915-0100, ext. 115
[email protected]

Bill Cotterell
Reporter

Cotterell brings 45 years of reporting experience to The Florida Current. His insight into Florida politics stems from a career that spans the terms of Florida governors from Claude Kirk to Rick Scott. His first fulltime reporting was with United Press International starting in 1967. That led to more than 18 years working in several state capitals and large cities in the Southeast. He worked in Tallahassee from 1969 until 1974, when he moved to Atlanta to cover Jimmy Carter's presidential campaign for UPI. As a roving Southern political reporter for the wire service, he covered legislative sessions, elections and other major stories in Tallahassee. UPI moved Cotterell back to Tallahassee fulltime in 1984. He went to the Tallahassee Democrat the next year to cover Capitol news. He retired from the Democrat in April as its senior Capitol correspondent. He'll continue his Capitol reporting with The Florida Current, where he'll write about state worker and political issues.
Office: 850-915-0100, ext. 115
Cell: 727-566-4313
[email protected]

Bruce Ritchie
Reporter

Bruce Ritchie, editor of FloridaEnvironments.com, has 25 years of newspaper and news wire reporting experience. He previously was growth and environment reporter for The Tallahassee Democrat from 2000 to 2008. His articles on pollution threats to springs, water use from the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint river system and on growth management in Florida have won statewide awards. He also is a former reporter for The Gainesville (Fla.) Sun, The Florida Times-Union, the Montgomery (Ala.) Advertiser and United Press International.

Office: 850-915-0100, ext. 114
Cell: 850-566-4518
[email protected]

Gray Rohrer
Reporter

Gray Rohrer covers gaming, property insurance, transportation and economic development for The Florida Current. He grew up on the Space Coast and graduated from the University of Central Florida, and lives and breathes Florida politics. He covered local government and politics for the Ponte Vedra Leader and the Cape Coral Daily Breeze, where he covered the housing crisis, before coming to Tallahassee in 2010 to write for Sunshine State News. An avid sports fan, he enjoys following soccer, football and basketball, especially the #1 ranked UNC Tarheels.

Office: 850-915-0100, ext. 112
Cell: 321-759-3152
[email protected]