DSC and Stetson deny us venues for debates
NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- We're processing the videos along with a story for the second of our eight debates Saturday at the Brannon Center, this one being the race for Volusia County Council dist. 3 between Deb Denys, Jim Hathaway and Justin Kennedy.
Following that, we'll have presentations for Volusia County chair, supervisor of elections, two county judgeships, clerk of the circuit court and state attorney. The county chair and state attorney debates, in particular, were pretty intense. We have been working virtually around the clock in producing these videos along with stories since our marathon series of debates Saturday at the Brannon Center.
Headline Surfer is the only media outlet to provide media-style debates for the candidates in the two judgeships, supervisor of elections, clerk of the circuit court and state attorney. Aside from the judgeships, the other three races involve three incumbents.
We wanted to have a second debate at Daytona State College and requested a venue there earlier this month, but we were told the college has an exclusive partnership with the News-Journal. The college also is an advertiser for the daily paper. We sought a third debate at Stetson University in DeLand at the same time, but again, we were told the private college and the News-Journal have an exclusive partnership, which both institutions are promoting through their marketing departments.
Stetson officials, however, say there is no advertising tied to the debate with the Daytona newspaper. Headline Surfer wants to hold a debate in the Daytona Beach area for the county council seats representing greater Ormond and Daytona as well as the race for Daytona Beach mayor.
The venue at Stetson was sought to hold debates for the two West Volusia County Council seats. It's very disappointing the public college, in particular has denied our request, but then again who wants to hear a media outlet asking the politicians about the lessons learned from the American Music Festival fiasco that led to the ouster of the DSC president and a $1.5 million shortfall that was never repaid.
Perhaps it's sour grapes on our part, but that is exactly what this 2012 election is about -- accountability to the taxpayer, transparency and a critical look at the issues at hand. Then again, politics and big business being what they are, the college bailed out the Daytona paper by acquiring the News-Journal Center after the former owners lost a court battle with their minor shareholder, Cox Enterprises. As a result, 400 employees of the newspaper lost their jobs with the paper changing hands in a court-supervised firesale.
We are continually frustrated with how the colleges, the hospitals, the county and city governments have such cozy "partnerships" with the print media, specially those involving taxpayer dollars with CRAs, advertising authorities and hospital taxing districts.
When higher institutions are encouraging young people to get out and vote, whole scores of races in Volusia County are going uncovered.
It's very disheartening that we have been denied access, but one way or another, we'll do our best to locate a venue in greater Daytona that we can afford. Even if it's on the eve of the Aug. 14 primary. Then again, the print newspaper's debates exclude the citizens from asking direct questions of the candidates. So much for openness.
It's one thing to be on the outside looking in when it comes to advertisings, it's quite another when public institutions limit access.