We have had two back to back editorial whoppers from our
local newspaper—slamming public servants.
The theme of last
week’s crack offering from the two person PNJ editorial board: Activists good—ALL elected officials bad
(especially the locally-elected conservative Republican ones)—and nothing gets
done if not for activists. And elected
officials everywhere can do nothing right…
Okay-I will say that I admire folks that become active and
engaged in their communities for good causes. But what that cynical piece leaves out is
that often it is a super-motivated ACTIVIST that ends up running for office in
to make changes! And the other important
thing the PNJ article misses is that sometimes the mob gets it wrong—and it
takes an elected statesman to make a tough vote---despite the vocal activist
mob’s protestations-to get an issue right for the WHOLE community.
When I served on the school board, we voted to close schools
and loud groups of protesting citizens packed rooms and screamed in our faces
calling us terrible names—but by 3-2 votes we did what was required and
necessary in those instances—not what was politically expedient.
The county commission vacated a roadway two years ago for a
very beneficial purpose---by 3-2 vote and despite the protestations of many activist
citizens. But it was the right thing to
do and took intestinal fortitude from 3 of 5 to make that vote—despite pushback
from some citizens. The PNJ would have criticized
that decision no matter which way it would have gone. Because it is easy to throw rocks from the sidelines and play Monday Morning Quarterback when you are in the peanut gallery and not in the game.
And to say NO President has made any difference locally? Are you kidding me PNJ?
What about Lincoln’s Emancipation proclamation that changed
America for good forever—Including Pensacola?
What about JFK’s “Ask not what your country can do for you,
ask what you can do for your country”
Or Ronald Reagan’s “Tear down this wall” speech that led to
the end of the cold war?
How can PNJ be so myopic?
And now comes this
week’s piece—where conveniently once again several of the locally elected,
conservative Republicans are targeted by PNJ as unworthy of the offices we hold.
“These guys should be run out of office, and people WE LIKE
BETTER should replace them!” would have been an honest title for this week’s
PNJ editorial.
The op-ed conflates the serious criminal wrongdoings of two
high-profile former officials with artificially imagined “outrageous” behavior
by several currently elected republicans locally. Thrown
into the hopper by PNJ is the tale of
the recently elected mayor of Gulf Breeze who abruptly resigned amid
allegations of marital infidelity.
It is not right to lump multiple officials together and
throw out bits and pieces of anecdotes from each that appear unflattering—with the
subtle insinuation that all are guilty of “all of the above.”
We each, as elected representatives, stand or fall every election
cycle on our own individual records—we don’t need PNJ broad-brushing all of us
as “BAD!” It’s BS.
And in most of these “cases” PNJ throws out as some kind of “impropriety”
on the part of elected officials—there are substantive facts that explain the
actions—the context if you will—but PNJ ignores this and with actual malice
they instead deliberately frame many locally elected officials in a false light
with the intent to inflict damage on the credibility and reputations of these
men.
Funny how it is the conservatives only that get this
treatment from the PNJ though.
Stigmatizing and stereotyping elected officials is
dangerous; who will ever serve if they are constantly berated unfairly?
I’ve had more than one person thank me for serving in one
breath-then say “there’s NO WAY I’d EVER do that!” in another-- while
describing unflattering media portrayals on elected officials they’ve seen over
and over in the PNJ.
It is disgusting and reprehensible what the local print media
has devolved into.
We’re held to high standards as elected officials and we
should be—but how come the media isn’t?
I remember one local columnist was vitriolic in his
criticism of me in 2007. Attack piece
after attack piece. A few years later,
that same individual was caught plagiarizing—and quietly ushered out the back
door of PNJ with little fanfare. Where
were the cartoons for that guy? The
attack editorials—where were they? Oh, wait, he was in the club.
Or what about the other print “journalist” locally that runs
his opinion weekly as if it is the NY Times—when it is an open secret that he
has a list of prominent citizens and advertisers that will never receive any
unflattering coverage—no matter what they do.
They are his patrons and financially support his operations so he will
never say a negative word about them.
But is that Journalism though? Of course not.
We are lucky locally that we have WEAR ABC channel three,
NorthEscambia.com, and NW Florida Daily News out of Ft. Walton Beach. Add to this a few honest web sites that just
give the who, what, why and where—and we get what we need in terms of news.
Because we do not get it from the PNJ.
True it is also noted the facebook page ECW banned and muted a group of out spoken citizen that disagree with their propaganda and famed commissioner, then bring in one of those pieces and are going on and on about civility, apparently unaware their actions caused the incivility and problems in the first place. Talk about groupthink, there's the epitome.
ReplyDeleteHypocrisy knows no bounds.
We see through the PNJ also.
Hope other voters do as well.
Mr. Studer does seem to have some good articles on leadership on PNJ. though, chew up the meat spit out the bones.
Plus one can go to an incognito tab and read it for free, don't pay for it but for the discerning mind, it's still noteworthy to watch the lack of meta cognition and/or spin that goes on.
Relax
We know you are a great public servant. Thank You!
You hit the nail on the head. I refuse to support the PNJ because of what they do. You are doing a great job. Keep up the good work.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely agree that the PNJ is biased, and their editorial board is frequently irresponsible.
ReplyDeleteFor example; Andy and the board completely misrepresented the Pensacola Beach fee simple movement. He frightened and confused our citizens into believing that the Gulf beaches were in jeopardy of being privatized.
How can we govern by referendum when the local newspaper deliberately misinforms our citizens?
Here’s my problem Sir-
ReplyDeleteStuder controls the media around town, mainly the PNJ, with the partnerships and advertising buys, that should make anyone concerned, that he is getting a pass on ANYTHING he does, without any investigative or micro-scoping the business deals he has done in the past 10-13 years.
And the editorial cartoonist’s wife works for one of the Studer companies, which should be a BIG RED FLAG in its self, that Studer WIIL never be ridiculed, besmirched or have any negative press written about him.