John Davis
Host, Reporter, Assistant News Directorjrdavis@wgcu.org
John Davis has been a Reporter/Producer for WGCU since 2007. For more than a decade he served as the local host for NPR’s Morning Edition. He currently serves as producer and host of WGCU’s radio talk program Gulf Coast Life Arts Edition with John Davis. Prior to joining WGCU, he worked at WDUQ-FM in Pittsburgh, PA (now WESA) covering local government and general assignments. John studied journalism at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, before earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication from Florida Gulf Coast University. His work has garnered awards from the Press Club of Western Pennsylvania, the Radio Television Digital News Association, and a first-place award and “Best in Show” from the Florida Associated Press for his investigative work in 2011. Davis helped lead news team coverage around the clock during Hurricane Irma in 2017, which won a National Edward R. Morrow Award. More recently, his election and political coverage has garnered awards from the Florida Association of Broadcast Journalists.
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Wood Storks are one of Florida’s most iconic wading birds. After downgrading the birds’ protection status from “endangered” to “threatened” in 2014, now federal officials are considering de-listing the species altogether.We hear from Shawn Clem, Ph.D., Conservation Director at the National Audubon Society’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, which is home to the historically most significant rookery of wood storks in North America. -
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and state Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo recommend healthy children and adults under 65 avoid receiving the newest COVID-19 vaccine, which contradicts guidance from federal health officials that anyone six months or older should get the shot. Meanwhile, Lee Health plans to proceed by continuing to follow CDC guidance. -
The Alliance for the Arts in Fort Myers is marking one-year since Hurricane Ian with an juried exhibition titled “Storm Stories.” In cooperation with the Gulf Coast Writers Association, a book chronicling local experiences with the storm is now also available, and the Alliance is featuring a related exhibition of photography by Kinfay Moroti. We’ll explore the Alliance’s “September to Remember” offerings in a conversation with Executive Director Molly Deckart. -
The Southwest Florida Symphony’s upcoming performance season features performances by violinists Robert McDuffie and Charles Yang, cellist Sterling Elliot, the Marcus Roberts Jazz Trio, and R.E.M. founding member Mike Mills. We get a preview of the full season in a conversation with Maestro Radu Paponiu and the symphony’s Community Outreach Ambassador Robert Van Winkle. -
An exhibition titled “Prison Nation,” is now at the Baker Museum at Artis-Naples. Through photography, the exhibition creates a visual record of the national crisis of mass incarceration. We talk with the exhibition’s co-curator Nicole Fleetwood, Ph.D., who will deliver a lecture about the exhibition Aug. 31 at the Baker Museum. -
The Florida Wildlife Corridor Act is helping create new opportunities to help the endangered Florida panther, but the species is facing some new and emerging threats including a neurological disorder called feline leukomyelopathy and a number of proposed new developments in Lee and Collier counties. We take a closer look in a conversation with Amber Crooks from the Conservancy of Southwest Florida. -
Southwest Florida-based artist Brian Weaver now has a solo exhibition titled “A New Beginning” in the Grand Atrium at the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center in Fort Myers. We’ll talk with Weaver about the inspirations behind his vibrant and intricate works, his work with Artsemble Underground, and his ongoing mission of making art accessible to all. -
Theatre Conspiracy at the Alliance for the Arts in Fort Myers is mounting a production of Pulitzer-winning playwright Martyna Majok’s drama “Sanctuary City” exploring friendship and the plight of DACA DREAMers. -
Florida Repertory Theatre in downtown Fort Myers recently announced plans for an exciting 26th season including drama, heartfelt comedy and three iconic musicals. We’ll get a preview in a conversation with the company’s Producing Artistic Director Greg Longenhagen. -
In July Artis-Naples announced full plans for the coming 2023-24 visual and performing arts season. The unifying theme this year is “Artistic Senses – See, Hear, Taste,” and seeks to transcend the boundaries between artistic disciples in a way that engages the senses on multiple levels.
