City of Grudges

Journalism in the South is journalism of the possible. An independent newspaper in the South must balance its investigative reporting and thought-provoking commentary with advertising revenue, the paper’s sole income source. For the past decade, Walker Holmes has published the Pensacola Insider, a free alt-weekly that struggles to stay solvent while reporting on corruption, racism, poverty and injustice in a Florida Gulf Coast town that is probably too small to support more than one voice. Situated on the Florida Panhandle on the Florida-Alabama border, Pensacola was Spain’s first attempt to settle land that would pass through the hands of the Spanish, French, and British before it became a U.S. territory under General Andrew Jackson. For over 450 years, the coastal town has struggled to reach its potential, but progress has always been held back by grudges, many of which have spanned generations. Holmes is the paper. As publisher, he is the one that holds it all together. But when he publishes an article revealing that Bo Hines, his friend and one of Pensacola’s most beloved leaders, has stolen funds from an arts council he might have gone too far. When the police arrest Hines, the town attacks the publisher for “falsely” accusing Hines, costing the newspaper ad sales and possibly his control of the Insider. The trial is Holmes’ only chance at redemption. It doesn’t help when Hines’ wife is found dead, and the corrupt sheriff, daily newspaper, and a wealth of enemies blame Holmes. With his young staff, a few loyal friends, and his chocolate lab-mix, Big Boy, Holmes fights back, uncovering secrets and grudges that may cost him much more than his reputation.