Deerfield-News.com-Deerfield Beach,Fl- I do not think the city should be in the business of favoring one newspaper over another form of media or one business over another business when it comes to free advertising on sites or digital media where links have a value.These are not sponsors for city events and I know the city might mean well,but with Websites and Facebook there is more than just the publicity at that moment.
The city if they are going to promote one they need to give all the same opportunity and explain how one obtains that opportunity.I think Andy Maurodis should take a look at this.
The Sun-Sentinel who 3 days ago ran a story about a Deerfield Beach business and then the City of Deerfield Beach tweeted it,in what seemed to be a promotion for the same story, causing us to question it. Deerfield-News.com also questioned coverage and comments published by Sun-Sentinel in regards to late Mayor Jean Robb. Deerfield-News.com also questioned late coverage by The Sun-Sentinel of Jean Robb’s life held by the citizens of Deerfield Beach. Deerfield-News.com also questioned why they failed to mention Mayor Ganz did not attend former Mayor Robb’s funeral which we learned about on Facebook timely.Sun Sentinel you also did not cover the Deerfield youth injured playing football that Bob Norman from WPLG covered or the story on former Mayor Noland’s daughter being hired as the newly created position of superintendent of recreation,timely .Which of these statements are rumors or false or are aiming to hurt the city,by reporting news?
My email to
The City-From: Howard Levy
Date: Thursday, August 31, 2017 at 8:39 AM
To: “[email protected]”
Subject: Twitter promotion of new business in Deefield Beach
Hello Rebecca,
Please let me know how this is not an ad and not unfair to every other Deerfield Beach business?
The fact that the Sun-Sentinel published at the same time if nothing else is horrible optics at best and something else at it’s worst.I respectfully ask for an explanation.
Thanks,
Howie
Deerfield-News.com
From The City Of Deerfield Beach-ubject:
Re: Twitter promotion of new business in Deefield Beach
From:
Rebecca Medina
Date: Thu, Aug 31, 2017 10:00 am
To: “[email protected]”
Howie,
The City has three social media platforms, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Each platform is used for a different purpose. Facebook is used to announce city news, events and meetings. Instagram we use as a branding tool, we share great DFB pictures, talk about the underwater camera and promote DFB swag sold out of the shop. Twitter we use for just about anything related to Deerfield Beach. On Twitter, we have mentioned new businesses, restaurants, non-profits, etc. In fact, on August 23rd we posted something about the new menu at Chanson Restaurant inside the Royal Blues Hotel on the beach. On May 7th we promoted Relay for Life, which took place at Quiet Waters Park. On April 26th we welcomed new business, A-Star Recruiting to our city, Coffee Cove and plugged the First Responders annual holiday luncheon at People’s Trust. We have tweeted content about the City Chamber, the Historical Society, food at Oceans234 and Balcon de Las Americas out west. We’ve even plugged burgers at Tucker Dukes. We tweet and retweet a lot of things that our residents and/or businesses send our way, especially if it is visually compelling and helps to promote our wonderful city.
I also retweet any news content that is positive and or business-related in order promote our City and all that is happening here. When Sun-Sentinel covered the Baywatch filming on our beautiful beach, I was more than happy to retweet that, as that was a logistics project that the City was involved in and great worldwide promotion of Deerfield Beach. I’ve also shared TV broadcasts on Twitter and Facebook about ocean rescue saves or the new bee apiary. Media stories, especially feature pieces can be great public relations wins for Deerfield Beach and there is a marketing value attached to that. We would gladly put up other articles and promos from other newspapers, however some of those shops require passcodes to log onto their sites and are not easily accessible.
It is truly disheartening that you choose to jump to sinister conclusions in an effort to increase your readership. In fact, you ran with your headline before asking the questions as a way of suggesting something sinister. Gathering and checking facts should always come first, otherwise you are merely gossiping, spreading rumors and aiming to hurt the City and every effort we make to promote it.
Respectfully,
Rebecca Medina Stewart
***
I will be waiting for the story I just did on both Deerfield Beach Wawa’s under construction or Joseph’s Pastry shop just as an example I must have missed those.Rebecca’s Quote
“I also retweet any news content that is positive and or business-related in order promote our City and all that is happening here”
Deerfield-News.com Response Email-bject:
RE: Twitter promotion of new business in Deefield Beach
From:
Date: Thu, Aug 31, 2017 12:06 pm
To: “Rebecca Medina”
Rebecca,
I know you have shared Sun-Sentinel material before,that is the point. The City and your favoritism toward the Sun-Sentinel speaks for itself .The fact you freely promote other Deerfield Beach or South Florida media and businesses and give them back links is what I was questioning these have a value,not sure it is governments job to do randomly without every other business getting the same chance and opportunity.
I also ask you to show me where I spread rumors.My story about a “Rust” problem at the water treatment plant I called you, you did not return my call my posts were accurate and factual as evidenced by photo and State of Florida report.
Questioning your government is a constitutional right as well as freedom of the press.While the President may use the words “Fake Media”.I caution you and any other city official about stating I spread rumors and I am aiming to hurt the City and every effort we make to promote it.You and The City of Deerfield Beach are walking a fine line of Defamation and Libel.As my attorney always taught me “The Truth Is An Absolute Defense”.
Respectfully,
Howie
I also caution the city to watch their language when they talk about,infer it may be me or outright say I or Deerfield-News.com stated anything that is false and or rumors or anything the city might not think is favorable.You can say what you want about my spell check,syntax and grammar,but I am not the Deerfield Beach newspaper that got caught red handed killing a corruption story about a government official in Hallandale.
My headline my humble opinion based on my dealings with the City of Deerfield Beach.
This also was from Mayor Ganz Facebook page here local Blogger Chaz Stevens seems to be signaling Sun -Sentinel reporter Anne Geggis- “Chaz Stevens Anne Geggis”. Coincidence?
Some have called Chaz Stevens the Mayor’s pitbull,if I was the Mayor I would dispell that if not a fact.
I could personally care less if they are friends,or not but it does seem from emails I was sent they are.
From My Post on Mayor Ganz Facebook page 9-03-2017
Howard Levy- Nothing sinister Rebecca you tweeted a story written by Sun -Sentinel and promoted a new Deerfield Beach business.I have every right to question if that is legal ,how it get’s determined which business get’s promoted and free links to digital media that have a value that all citizens and taxpayers paid for.Also the same goes for when you give away swag,use paid digital media marketing and buy Likes on Facebook.The citizens have a right to know this information and that the city has a great online presence and when it is going to be used to promote a business, all other businesses should know how they too can obtain.
Here is our story from the other day.
Deerfield-New.com-Deerield Beach,Fl-The Sun-Sentinel who yesterday ran a story about a Deerfield Beach business and then the City of Deerfield Beach tweeted it,in what seemed to be a promotion for the same story, causing us to question it.Deerfield-News.com also questioned coverage and comments published by Sun-Sentinel in regards to late Mayor Jean Robb. Deerfield-News.com also questioned late coverage by The Sun-Sentinel of Jean Robb’s life held by the citizens of Deerfield Beach. Deerfield-News.com also questioned why they failed to mention Mayor Ganz did not attend former Mayor Robb’s funeral which we learned about on Facebook.Sun Sentinel you also did not cover the Deerfield youth injured playing football that Bob Norman from WPLG covered or the story on former Mayor Noland’s daughter being hired as the newly created position of superintendent of recreation .
We could not agree more with the last sentence from Politco.com. “Journalists are supposed to report the news, not suppress it,” Lazarow said. “The Sun Sentinel needs to stop protecting the mayor and her allies and do their job.” Deerfield-News.com can say the same for the coverage in the City of Deerfield Beach from The Sun-Sentinel stop protecting the Mayor and his allies and do your job.
Here is our story from the other day and the story Politico.com caught them killing along with WPLG’s Bob Norman.
Deerfield-News.com can say the same for the coverage in the City of Deerfield Beach from The Sun-Sentinel stop protecting the Mayor and his allies and do your job.
From Politico .com The South Florida Sun Sentinel killed a news story on its website about Hallandale Beach Vice Mayor Bill Julian admitting on tape that he sought developer favors in return for his vote — a move by the newspaper’s leadership that appears to be part of a pattern of censoring controversial stories, according to multiple sources inside and outside the Fort Lauderdale newsroom.Bison/pacar
The story concerning Julian’s alleged bribe-taking was first reported by WPLG-10, where investigative reporter Bob Norman obtained a voice message that the commissioner mistakenly left after he failed to properly hang up a phone. Julian discussed voting favorably for the $450 million Diplomat Golf & Tennis Club and linked it to alleged pledges from the developer’s attorneys who allegedly promised campaign contributions and campaign volunteers as well as a new van for his favorite city charity.
In a second report by Norman, Julian admitted it was his voice on the recording. Diplomat representatives deny wrongdoing. But Julian didn’t sound so sure in his interview with Norman.
“I don’t know if it’s illegal,” Julian told the reporter. “I don’t know.”
Through it all, the Sun Sentinel refused to cover the issue in their backyard. It started on Wednesday evening, when editors quickly pulled down its story with the headline “Hallandale commissioner accused of taking possible bribe in exchange for vote.”
POLITICO Florida obtained frame grabs of the clip ( available here) before the newspaper removed the story from its website.
The story never made the paper the next morning, Thursday. And sources say that editors forbid the reporter who covers Hallandale Beach from attending a city budget hearing Thursday when two city commissioners were removed by police because they wanted to discuss the corruption allegations against Julian. The reporter, Susannah Bryan, could not be reached for comment.
ADVERTISING
Political insiders and newsroom staffers say the decision to kill the reporting was made by editor and publisher Howard Saltz, who did not return a POLITICO Florida email for comment Thursday.
“Saltz kills stories in the classic way: He nitpicks them to death,” said one source familiar with the newsroom discussions of the story. “So here he was saying, ‘oh, this is just an allegation. We don’t have all the facts. It’s not responsible to put this out there. We don’t have comment from Julian.’ And then what happens? They stop Susannah from covering the meeting the next day and getting comment from Julian.”
After the original version of this article posted, a source familiar with the story and the paper’s discussions said that Bryan wasn’t prohibited from going to the meeting, but was just told by her editor that she was not allowed to report the bribery allegations.
Some reporters are frustrated, said Buddy Nevins, a former Sun Sentinel political writer who covered the contentious Thursday meeting on his Broward Beat blog.
“I keep hearing that stories are being killed from time to time and no one knows why,” Nevins said. “The reporters feel they shouldn’t rock the boat.”
Said another newsroom source: “Look, there’s a climate of fear. Newspapers are dying. If Howard wants something, no one asks why. People want to keep their jobs.” Asked why this story would be censored, the source said that “it’s just a guess, but this is a big development. It’s what the chamber of commerce-types want. So Howard wants it.”
The Sun Sentinel’s leadership has also been implicated in spiking other edgy stories.
Last week, sources said, a reporter was dissuaded from writing about controversial Zika-awareness billboards that featured giant condoms. The signs were removed after protests from local leaders. And, in 2014, editors quickly killed an online story about a woman who accused Hallandale Beach City Commissioner Leo Grachow of exposing himself — a charge he denied.
“That story was up for about 20 minutes and then it was gone,” a reporter said. “Everybody else covered it.”
The story about the alleged bribery in Hallandale Beach, however, was more concerning for City Commissioner Michele Lazarow, who was removed Thursday from the budget hearing along with fellow Commissioner Keith London when they wanted to discuss the bribery allegations against Julian. Lazarow faulted Mayor Joy Cooper, who cut the audio and video recording of the meeting when London and Lazarow began protesting.
The previous night, when the Sun Sentinel killed its story about Julian, Lazarow pointed it out on Facebook, saying “The Sun Sentinel editor is working for the Mayor. Rips down every negative story that hurts [the mayor’s] ‘boys.’”
Lazarow subsequently removed the message. But to her surprise, the Sun Sentinel didn’t follow up the next day. Lazarow faults the leadership for abandoning the paper’s watchdog role, which had earned it a Pulitzer Prize in 2013 for reporting about how off-duty police officers were abusing their power by speeding and endangering the public. Saltz, incidentally, was an editor credited for working on the project.
“Journalists are supposed to report the news, not suppress it,” Lazarow said. “The Sun Sentinel needs to stop protecting the mayor and her allies and do their job
