OAK HILL -- It wasn't quite the 1948 "Dewey defeats Truman" headline election gaffe, but well into the 21st century, the Daytona Beach News-Journal had given its readers the impression Wednesday morning that Linda Hyatt had beaten fellow commissioner Douglas Gibson in the general election race for mayor of Volusia County's smallest city.
So much for print journalism. Hyatt was not amused by the congratulations on her Facebook page based on what her supporters had read in the Daytona daily.
One friend wrote: "Congratulations on your win! You will be a great mayor!" That led Hyatt to respond with embarrassment, "No win yet - papers are all wrong."
The newspaper had given readers the impression Hyatt had won by writing in part: "Hyatt was leading Gibson by just three votes Tuesday night in unofficial returns, putting the contest within range for a machine recount required by state law whenever the margin is less than one-half of 1 percent of the votes cast. Hyatt had 381 votes compared to 378 for Gibson, according to unofficial results."
But in Thursday's paper, the News-Journal had it just the opposite, declaring "Gibson scores Oak Hill mayoral win" without making it clear it had told readers just the opposite while pointing out there would be no recount.
What the newspaper failed to do was tell the readers altogether how Gibson won the race in the wake of a scandal that led to the city's police force being disbanded in August 2011.
What the newspaper failed to do was tell the readers altogether how Gibson won the race in the wake of a scandal that led to the city's police force being disbanded in August 2011.
Headline Surfer had chronicled the situation with more than a year's worth of coverage in its continuing series series: "Oak Hill: Cocaine, Chaos and Corruption."
The series reported allegations supported by public records and statements to outside investigators detailing a department gone amok under the leadership of embattled Police Chief Diane Young.
Headline Surfer stood alone as the media outlet in Volusia County in breaking numerous aspects of the deteriorating situation with the OHPD, including an exclusive story revealing that the police chief had not only used cocaine, but did other drugs before her employment with the city, her first job as a cop.
That May 6, 2011, story, headlined, "Ex-Oak Hill Mayor: Embattled Police Chief Diane Young not only snorted coke and smoked pot, but also popped ludes," was recognized with an award for "Public Safety" reporting in the 2012 Florida Press Club competition. In addition to the Oak Hill coverage, Headline Surfer received four awards altogether for five stories, three blogs and the website itself.
Gibson made Hyatt's friendship with the police chief the main focal point in his campaign for mayor. Gibson tried to have Young fired, but when Hyatt and another commissioner and personal friend of the chief, Kathy Bittle balked, Commissioner Ron Engele moved for the department to be disbanded and he got the support of Gibson and retiring Mayor Mary Lee Cook to make that happen.
At a public candidate debate for mayor held six weeks ago in the Oak Hill City Hall commission chambers sponsored and moderated by Headline Surfer, Hyatt was a no-show, claiming she was sick, just days after expressing reluctance in participating because of the police issue. Hyatt later conceded made a mistake by not showing up for the debate that was videotaped and showed Gibson by himself with an empty name tag next to him bearing her name.
At a public candidate debate for mayor held six weeks ago in the Oak Hill City Hall commission chambers sponsored and moderated by Headline Surfer, Hyatt was a no-show, claiming she was sick, just days after expressing reluctance in participating because of the police issue. Hyatt later conceded made a mistake by not showing up for the debate that was videotaped and showed Gibson by himself with an empty name tag next to him bearing her name.
Headline Surfer did not endorse either candidate in the election because of its ongoing coverage into continued fallout from the scandal even since the department was dissolved 15 months ago in favor of policing by the Volusia County Sheriff's Office.
Gibson said Hyatt lost the election because she "put her personal friendship with the police chief, Diane Young, ahead of what needed to be done to clean up the mess." Hyatt could not be reached for comment.