John Sotomayor

Publisher and Editor-in-chief, Sotomayor Media Creations, LLC, dba Embrace Magazine, Ocala, Florida First job in news: ETV, entertainment news reporter What are some of the most important lessons you have learned while working in news? To be successful in the news industry, one must always remain current on the topics one covers. As the publisher and editor-in-chief of EMBRACE, an Lgbtq+-oriented publication with content that appeals to all, LGBTQ+ and straight alike, I make it a point to stay alert of the important areas we cover specifically for the LGBTQ+ community, namely — issues and politics, international news, religion news, travel, arts and culture, style and trends, activism and charity and events. It is essential to remain objective and utilize multiple points of view for well-rounded coverage your audience will respect and admire as reliable, thus establishing your coverage as the paper of record. When you reflect on your career to date, what brings you the greatest sense of accomplishment? There have been many, but perhaps the most impactful was making history through EMBRACE magazine several times. For instance, in 2021, as the first ever LGBTQ+ publication granted membership by the Associated Church Press, which was established in 1916. And, also in 2021, the firstever LGBTQ+ magazine member of the Florida Magazine Association, which was established in 1953. As members of the FMA, we have made history several times. We were the first startup magazine to win Charlie (first place) in Best New Magazine and Best Overall Magazine, then Magazine of the Year 2021 simultaneously — in our inaugural year! We won 22 awards in total that year. Many believe that record will never be duplicated. In 2023, we won Magazine of the Year again. We are the first startup to accomplish this, the second magazine in FMA history to earn MOTY twice, and the first magazine to achieve Charlie (first place) in all four Best Overall categories: Magazine, Writing, Design and Digital Innovation. These achievements led to such highly visible profiles by the Poynter Institute of Media Studies; Mr. Magazine, Samir Husni; and now, E&P Magazine. What are your predictions for where news publishing/news media is heading? I believe news publishing and media will become even more multimedia, offering intersecting print content, photography and video. That includes magazines. Embrace Magazine has evolved to Embrace Media, comprising Embrace Magazine, Embrace On-air and Embrace TV. Embrace On-air began as a radio show collaboration with WOCA 93.6 FM/1370 AM to offer supplemental content to the magazine. The idea was a 30-minute segment that seemed like the network TV program “60 Minutes,” utilizing the three features in the magazine as the content. It transitioned from a radio show to a podcast, now collaborating with Locala Podcast. Embrace TV comprises video content either produced entirely by Embrace Media or in collaboration with our feature and department content sources. All can be found on our website, www.embracemedia.us.