By Mike Lednovich
At Tuesday night’s city commission meeting, Fernandina Beach Mayor Bradley Bean’s unvarnished criticism of local media outlets as “fake news” brings to the forefront a debate about the state of journalism and its role in our community.
Here’s what Bean said during his staunch support of raising his and other commissioners’ salaries by 50%. Bean spoke about the hurdles facing future potential city commission candidates.
“There’s another hurdle, there’s all this fake news now. There’s fake news out there, in our community, it’s here too.” Bean said. “There’s people who are watching this meeting right now. People who are thinking about running (for office) in the future are seeing they would have to deal with this, what they try to do is constantly, being attempted to be sideswiped by different fake news outlets.”
Bean’s tirade was not only grammatically incorrect but resulted in something far worse. By spewing unsupported insults at the Fernandina Observer, Fernandina News-Leader and The Citizens-Journal, Bean tarnished the office of mayor.
Later Bean doubled down on his claims with “I wish the fake news would stop fake newsing.”
When was the last time a Fernandina Beach mayor hurled insults from the center seat? And, should the mayor – a figurehead of goodwill for the city – engage in that type of conduct?
At the heart of Mayor Bean’s attacks is his frustration with the way his actions and decisions are reported in the media. Bean’s use of the label “fake news” has become a catch-all phrase, used by politicians to dismiss any news story that doesn’t align with their preferences.
Bean failed to provide any examples of “fake news” by local media. Perhaps that’s because local reporters – and I know them all — are committed to journalistic integrity and strive to present the facts accurately.
Bean’s voting to raise his salary on the commission by 50% is fact. Reporting that he voted for the raise is not fake news, it remains fact.
Journalists act as watchdogs, questioning decisions, investigating matters of public interest and ensuring that Fernandina Beach citizens are well-informed to make educated decisions. When Mayor Bean attacks the media as a whole, he undermines this important function and erodes public trust in credible journalism. Perhaps that is Bean’s intention.
But Mayor Bean’s attack of the news media as “fake news” should serve as a wake-up call for our entire community. Only through a collective commitment to the principles of accountability, accuracy and transparency will Fernandina Beach remain a place where open discourse and informed citizenry prevail.
Look at the pot making the calls. I stopped making comments long ago because this trash doesn’t deserve my attention. But, I couldn’t help myself this time. This is just another attempt to taint the views of those left reading this rag. Fake news is just that that. Just like journalism is always looking for their truth. You would not know journalistic integrity if it slapped in the face. Now I’ll wait to see if this gets the approval of the editing overlords.
Like Bean, you also fail to cite any examples of so-called “fake news.”
Tom S, do you have any evidence to support your opinion?
So why do you need evidence to support your opinion?
Opinions should have a factual basis, otherwise you could just be making it up.
Are you asking seriously? or is this a sarcastic comment?
We’ll stated Tom!
Sounds about Right! That’s not a typo. Looks like laying the groundwork for his next stop the Florida State House. My question is why is it only “fake” when you don’t like what they’re saying?
this is the Democratic party county chairperson?
Yes. When I’m speaking on behalf of the organization, I’ll say so. The rest of the time is as a citizen. I’m also not hiding behind a screen name.
oops I triggered Shelia – sorry
Not triggered. Just stating facts.
pretty nasty for not triggered, just sayin
Why do you see her response as “pretty nasty”? I read her comment as a statement of facts. You asked her a question and she answered with facts about herself, clearly and succinctly stated. What is “pretty nasty” about her speaking about herself????
lol now the liberal keyboard tough guys are after me, that is why you use a scree name around these freaks.
I can’t even… this guy needs to go. Who in the good lords name voted for this CIC (clown in charge)
“Fake news” it’s just another cliché that conservatives can throw out there to defend their unethical actions without having to provide any evidence. What is really fake is the conservative commissioners’ portrayal of a major change in regulations to increase building density, and call it only a “clarification,” as recently occurred.
Just like anyone who disagrees with a liberal is now a “right wing extremist”
” erodes public trust in credible journalism. “
Sorry that ship sailed a long time ago.
“credible journalism” is certainly not Op Ed hit pieces….
Whenever you have a recently ousted Mayor now writing hit pieces for the local “news” constantly posting critical Op Eds (like this article) against the.current Commission (except for Mr, Ross of course) you have exactly that….fake news! Op Eds are not news or did that get missed somehow in the liberal schools of journalism? So to call Mayor Bean’s words inaccurate is also “fake news”. The local Conservatives (the majority of Citizens) are now well informed and and will turn out to vote! Shout out to the Observer, Mr. Lednovich, and Ms. Minshew for tipping the scales so far left that people finally woke up and took notice.
Well stated Mr.Cain!
I don’t have the time to attend the City Commission meetings. I’m grateful that the Observer points out the far too many shenanigans of some of the current members of the City Commission. Issues like the Commissioners voting for their own 50% pay raise transcend “right” or “left” politics. The issue is whether our elected officials are representing our interests or their own interests.
I think this commission represents the interests of the majority of The City of Fernandina Beach. They are governing exactly as the people who elected them have asked for. Lower taxes, less government, less red tape, shaking up the building department to get permits approved in a timely matter, and appointing people to Boards that are helpful to the public instead of overbearing and unpleasant to stand before and I speak from experience representing many customers over the years. I’m not educated enough on the pay raise situation but I do know whatever they make is not enough or worth their time and efforts and the negative press they receive. I know and call friends 4 of those Commissioners and they are all good honest hardworking people with no personal agenda but to be successful businessmen and public servants that protect our Island and the City of Fernandina Beach to the best of their ability.
That is BS, Richard. Yes, there have been examples of journalists misdeeds, but that is the exception. Most journalists do a good job presenting the facts without bias. Armchair critics only express their own biased opinions.
Mr. Weintraub, Do you mean like the fake news of the New York Times and Washington Post? They have knowingly and willfully time and time again printed false information and then later a back page redaction. That’s not journalism, that’s propaganda. I don’t feel the Observer does this (that’s why I’m still a subscriber). What many of us don’t like is the incessant Op Ed attacks on this Commission that don’t give all the information or are in the very least one sided. That is the fake news I believe Mr. Bean is speaking of! The top contributor for the Observer (at least as of the last election) has an ax to grind and the steel is almost gone! That is my definition of an armchair critic, not a reporter.
Uh we’re talking about a specific fact. He voted himself a pay raise. It got reported. Where’s the beef?
Whaaaaaat? 🙂
The exception??!! Do you read anything other than the NYT or the WaPo? The majority of the American public no longer believes virtually anything published by a media outlet. THAT IS FACT!! And why would that be? Because they aren’t retired journalists who are apologists for the industry and they can read and understand the issues for themselves. MANY MANY examples of journalist misdeeds. But keep drinking the KoolAid and convincing yourself that journalism is a respectable profession … because it isn’t. Not any more. Oh yes … “you don’t have any evidence to support that!!” they scream. Right. Same BS they scream about the Biden Crime Syndicate. Open your eyes!!!!!
Isn’t this discussion concerning LOCAL media? Was Mr. Bean’s comment referring to LOCAL media? I can’t imagine any national media would be reporting on the FB city commission.
Media is media. Local or national … no one trusts or believes any of it anymore. And this site is pretty liberal and very anti-anything City Commission. I wonder why? Like having Hillary Clinton working as a nonpartial “journalist” on anything GOP. Seriously. A losing candidate for City Commission has no business posing as a journalist on City Commission business.
Mr. Cain get your facts right. Thirty years as a professional journalist for the Ft. Lauderdale News/Sun-Sentinel, Miami Herald, Orange County Register, Skagit Valley Herald and Sapulpa Daily News is not posing as a journalist. Facts matter sir.
Some thoughts on Fake News
According to Wikipedia:
Fake news is false or misleading information presented as news. Fake news often has the aim of damaging the reputation of a person or entity, or making money through advertising revenue.
This definition seems fair in my opinion…
While this term seems to have been used a lot lately, the term has been around since the 1890s….so it’s not “new”
What appears to be markedly “new”, is the ease with which we have come to dismiss items we find questionable or disagreeable – and instead seek out sources that confirm our way of thinking (confirmation bias)
We tend to conflate opinion with reporting (or just don’t try to distinguish between the two) so the lines between summarizing facts (news) and coloring facts with personal perspectives (Opinion) are more blurry than ever.
And the explosion of social media conduits has given everyone with a phone or internet connection a microphone to broadcast at will
So discriminating between opinion, news, and truly “fake news” (intentioanlly misleading or incorrect information – we used to call these lies) is difficult and time-consuming – so we often don’t bother trying
Any person that broadly claims reports are “fake news” should, in my opinion, be prepared to back up those statements with examples and evidence – and use more accurate language – like “the report is incorrect about xyz…you can see the truth here…). If one disagrees with conclusions others draw, then that can be easily stated and backed up. Any other behavior is, again, in my opinion, insincere and lazy.
Opinions can be unpopular, uninformed, misguided, prejudicial, and just plain hateful – but they cannot be “wrong” in the same way “fake news” can be
Again, per wikipedia, an opinion is a thought, viewpoint, or decision statement that is not conclusive, rather than facts, which are true statements.
So Mayor Bean’s proclamation that “There’s another hurdle, there’s all this fake news now. There’s fake news out there, in our community, it’s here too.” – appears to be something he believes – he would likely be more persuasive in his arguments and prompt less agressive reactions from the writing community if he included examples where media has gotten it WRONG vs. just being confrontational.
We still have free speech in this country AND freedom of the press..both give all people the right to speak their minds..if you don’t agree..so be it..just because someone reports an event that you don’t agree with does not make them wrong or fake nor does it make you right and authentic. The facts are the facts..the journalist has a responsibility to report the facts as they stand..if they don’t they are irresponsible and not doing their job…do more research before you immediately label them fake because you’re on the other side. Unfortunately in today’s climate many are too quick to pull the label lever.
Most politicians don’t like it when the media reports that they upped their salaries. Bean and the others would have been better off not bringing attention to it. As a financial conservative, I have trouble with the fact that the Commission increased its salary and gave developers an almost free ride on the water and sewer connections (the City tax payers will have to take a tax hike in the very near future to replace the aged system that the taxpayers already paid for). Sticking to the facts, they upped their salaries, and passed the cost of development onto the taxpayers.
I have always had the impression (with no idea of where from) that the proper way to adjust pay for public servants who vote on their own renumeration was to have the increase effective after the next election cycle.
I have mostly stopped reading this since Mike Lendovich took over the Fernandina Observer but this is just too funny – I mean how ironic is it that the former Mayor who was so unpopular he was voted out after only one term is whining about the current Mayor. All Mike ever publishes is hit pieces on the current commission (except Chip Ross) but this one is too juvenile for words.
” …. a debate about the state of journalism…”
Just think about the following people and how they affected the journalism industry:
Mike Wallace
Dan Rather
Matt lauer
Brian Williams
Laura Logan
Bill O’Reilly
Rachel Maddow
Bob Woodward.
Many others…..
They were all caught lying and forced to resign. Their lack of integrity has helped to shape the current state of the journalism industry. Is it any wonder people cry out “fake news”?
We demand better of each other….. But we have to start with ourselves first. Be a role model. Be a Christian.
I agree with Bradley Bean and with commenter Tom S! This ‘article’ by X -Mayor Lednovich is laughable. Lednovich is a purveyor of Fernandina Fake News… along with another woman reporter in town who works for the NewsLeader… and others. I’ll give you one perfect example of their Fake news! All the Pride Festival Fake News articles written as if someone actually spoke the words…. Which they did not! All those fake news commentaries ripping someone for something they never said! All the fake name calling…and even X-Mayor Mike’s cute little article dissing Anita Bryant ( you have to be a Boomer to know who she is!) and comparing her to someone locally. X-Mayor Mike and others…wear your fake news badges proudly… because we all know what you are! And yes, Mayor Bradley Bean has every right to assign you this label…and I’m glad he put it in official record! (*and X-mayor…don’t lump Citizens Journal into your fake news pile!). Have a great day!
Wow. Perhaps a few hundred pounds of intellectual dishonesty? A point, I’m not a fan of either Bean or our former Mayor. I will always defend your ability to state whatever you choose. I swore an oath to that point where it actually meant something. But, if you are being honest with yourself, you would have first illustrated why you wrote an attempted hatchet job directed at Bean. A more honest appraisal of Bean, you would have interviewed him, on the record and made an effort to find the foundation of his comments/concerns. It doesn’t appear you did that. It appears your evaluation is based upon your feelings not findings. With respect to evaluating our former mayor, if you want an honest evaluation of your intellectual honesty or integrity while serving, it should come from his adversaries. Your adversaries will tell you the truth, often painful but more accurate. It doesn’t come from self-appraisal or group think. You are making an attack and often a defense in a fish-bowl of thought. It’s almost as old as time itself, your adversary will give you an honest appraisal. Just because you don’t like the appraisal or opinion doesn’t make it incorrect. You are not being honest or transparent (your word choice) with your readers.
The Oberver’s opinion is based on Mayor Bean’s recorded comments Oct. 3 in support of raising his salary 50% and making the claim that fake news is in our community. Watch the video.
Fun Facts – It is a FACT that the mayor and other commissioners want to give themselves a 50% increase in salary. It is a FACT the mayor and 3 other commissioners voted to allow a bridge between hotels through a section of the Greenway and over a dune in the city. It is a FACT that the mayor and other commissioners (including one who could potentially benefit financially from the changes) want changes in the LDC that may vastly increase density in various spots around the city. Accusing the press of publishing “fake news” is a tactic designed to create distraction, breed division and get us voters off track. Based on comments here today, I fear it may be working. Good folks are fighting with each other here when they should be calling the commissioners with their concerns. It is a FACT you do not ever have to rely on reports of others concerning meetings to see how the city commission & boards operate. If you have any doubts about the facts of what transpired or the context & content of the discussions around agenda items, do what many folks do. Go sit in the room. If you cannot attend, you can watch meetings on the Fernandina channel the day after or call it up on the city website and watch. Do not rely on the opinions of others (including mine ) Roll the tape! Short on time? (Me too!) Skip around to the topics that concern or will affect you most. Do your own homework from the comfort of your own home and become more fully informed about the issues and who said what. You will be 1000% glad you did.
As one who often sits in the room I agree with your advice to be present in the room rather than relying on the interpretations of others.
It’s not necessary to be in the room. The meetings are available by video. The result is the same.
i agree with you on something!!!!!!!!
My three-year-old granddaughter has opinions, but that doesn’t make them worthy of a civil discussion. To cite freedom of speech and the ability to have any opinion one wants is just irresponsible citizenry. An opinion expressed here should be based on facts and able to be backed up with evidence. Otherwise, you’re just wasting our time.
Opinions based on fact. That rules out 50% of the population that think with their feelings.
Don’t leave us hanging, what did she think of the article?
Ok I am going to guess she said Mr. Lendovich is a poopy pants. 🙂
This is getting ridiculous……I’m not a fan of the Mayor, but I could care less that he vented about “fake news”. I can’t believe this is a story.
Suanne, I miss your City reporting!
How ignorant. This is the best we have?