Julio Ochoa
Editorial DirectorNewspapers were my first love, but public radio stole my heart from the moment I tuned in during college.
We made it official in 2016 when WUSF came calling for a Health News Florida editor. Since then, I’ve worked hard to figure out what makes some radio stories sound so great — and how to produce stories about complicated health care subjects that sound that good.
It isn’t always easy but we know to do it right, we need to talk to real people, like you. For years, you’ve been telling us you want the system to work well for everyone but also not cost an arm and a leg. We’ve tried to focus our coverage on topics that matter most to you.
Before joining WUSF, I worked at the Tampa Tribune where I started as a web producer and held several editing roles, including my final stint as Deputy Metro Editor. I made the switch to radio just one week before the paper was sold and permanently shut down.
I’ve also reported and edited at papers in Naples and Greeley, Colorado.
Other than the seven years that I spent in Colorado after my undergrad — first as a ski bum and then earning my master’s degree from the University of Colorado — I’ve lived in Florida. I was born and raised in south St. Petersburg and received a bachelor’s degree from Florida State University.
As a native, I know a thing or two about the natural spaces that make this state great, and you can usually find me there when I’m not working. I love the salt water and spend lots of time on it with my wife and three kids, usually holding a paddle, a fishing pole or a cold beer in my hand.
If you have a story idea, give me a call at 813-974-8633, email me at julioochoa@wusf.org or find me on Twitter @julioochoa.
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If Milton brings heavy winds and a powerful storm surge to the area, the debris from Helene could become hazardous to people, homes and the environment. -
The 270 evacuees who landed in Tampa were part of a mission by Project Dynamo and Florida officials to rescue Americans from the war zone. Another seven people landed in Orlando. -
The discount is part of the Great Outdoors Initiative, which also provides half price Gold Sportsman’s licenses for Florida residents. -
A report Friday from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission shows researchers found a bloom about 11 miles west of Bunces Pass, which runs between Fort DeSoto and Shell Key. -
Oklahoma-based Carter Healthcare is accused of overbilling Medicare and billing for therapy that patients didn’t need between 2014 and 2016. -
As Hurricane Ian makes its way toward Florida, county officials in the greater Tampa Bay region are preparing and asking residents to do the same. -
The designation would help preserve and protect the river from intrusive development, from its source in southern Hillsborough County to its mouth where it enters Tampa Bay. -
Though the margin of defeat for the referendum narrowed a bit since election night, it still failed to pass by 590 votes, or .26%. -
The city is asking developers to include accommodations for affordable housing and a new baseball stadium, and would like them to find ways to honor the history and legacy of the African-American Gas Plant community. -
The Florida Department of Health reported on its website Thursday that the county has four cases of the rare disease.
