Jessica Meszaros
Reporter/HostI’ve been a voice on public radio stations across Florida since 2012, working for stations in Miami, Fort Myers and now Tampa.
My main role for WUSF is to report on climate change and the environment, while taking part in NPR’s High-Impact Climate Change Team. I’m also a participant of the Florida Climate Change Reporting Network.
I enjoy giving the audience an immersive sensory experience by using active sounds and descriptive writing.
Over the years, my work has been recognized by the Radio Television Digital News Association, Sunshine State Awards, Florida Association of Broadcast Journalists, Public Media Journalists Association, Green Eyeshade Awards, and Climate Adaptation Center.
I’ve also been a recipient of a few fellowships: Natl. Science, Health, Environment Reporting Fellow; RTDNA N.S. Bienstock Fellow; and Kopenhaver Center Fellow.
Some of my hobbies, like camping, hiking and kayaking, have coincided with my beat to continue giving me a fresh take of the human experience within the natural world.
Born and raised in South Florida, I’m a second-generation immigrant. My mom and dad both escaped communist countries — Cuba and what was then known as Czechoslovakia, respectively. I feel that my family’s unique background gives me a deeper understanding of the complexities each person brings to a story.
If you have a story idea about the environment or sustainability, you can contact me at jmmeszaros@wusf.org.
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The measure's sponsor says "net-zero" policies drive up costs, while one city commissioner says destructive weather intensified by climate change is actually doing so. -
They say they're satisfied with the zoning applicant's environmental strategy. The county has not officially approved the rezoning. -
Rising temperatures, increasing nutrients, and changing currents could all be factors in the algae expansion. -
The county is leasing its Lithia landfill to a company that will turn landfill gas, the natural byproduct of decomposing organic material, into "renewable natural gas." -
The Affordable Energy Reform Act would make electricity rate hike cases more transparent, cap utility returns on equity and tie company profits to efficiency. -
The shopping and dining district was hit by three major storms in 2024, and will now be able to upgrade its stormwater pumps, piping and backup generators. -
To find common ground, University of Florida students investigate the point where topics get split: People's values — what's most important to them. -
One Eckerd College student was recognized for her study on how the 2024 hurricanes impacted sand distribution in Tampa Bay. -
The state Attorney General's Office sent a letter in response to a squabble over Orange and Seminole counties' voter-approved boundaries. Some fear this could pave the way for preemptive legislation. -
A South Florida man claims long-term use of the herbicide led to his diagnosis with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He is suing the product's Germany-based manufactuer, Bayer.
