In the beginning, there was Sayfie Review.
For Floridians, the site started by Justin Sayfie in 2002 has long been the premier online destination for local political news. In fact, Sayfie’s brand has become so synonymous with Sunshine State political coverage that Twitter users regularly hashtag their discussions with his last name.
In a 2009 interview with Esquire, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R), a likely 2016 presidential candidate, described Sayfie Review as the only local outlet in his media diet. “I read the New York Times. I read the Wall Street Journal. I read the Sayfie Review,” Bush said.
However, after more than a decade of dominating Florida’s digital political media landscape, Sayfie is facing some serious new competition.
However, after more than a decade of dominating Florida’s digital political media landscape, Sayfie is facing some serious new competition.
In February, Politico, a national political news brand published by the deep-pocketed Allbritton Communications hired veteran reporter Marc Caputo away from the Miami Herald to lead the site’s Florida coverage. Two months later Politico announced its intention to launch a full-fledged expansion into Florida.
Local insiders say snagging Caputo, who has more than 20 years experience covering the Sunshine State, gave Politico instant credibility in Florida.