If City Council Member Ju’Coby Pittman were playing in a football game she probably would be called by a referee for taunting.
The local media is a pawn for the local politicians and bureaucrats, having lost much of its ability to get information from local government over the past 50 years.
But Pittman has introduced a resolution praising the local media – except for Eye on Jacksonville – for being an “invaluable source of trusted information.”
“Local reporters immerse themselves into the fabric of a city, become local experts about crime, weather, business, sports and politics, and act as a reliable conduit of information to keep the public rightfully informed.” Pittman’s resolution says.
She doesn’t mention that reporters have been reduced to using press releases and must beg (and pay) for information via public records requests.
Reporters once had free access to public buildings, including City Hall, police headquarters, and the school building, and could call any employee.
Reporters simply would call or go to the person who had the information needed and get it, asking questions as needed and getting answers directly, not filtered through gatekeepers.
You cannot conduct a dialogue using public records requests.
“The City Council hereby commends all local media organizations, journalists, reporters, editors and staff for their dedication to keeping the public informed. Our city is made stronger through the information gathered and conveyed by Jacksonville’s local media,” Pittman’s proposed resolution says.
There is no reason to praise the media for doing its job, and when you praise reporters as controlled as they are in Jacksonville, it is tantamount to taunting them.
