In refusing to publish a paid advertisement announcing a roundtable discussion for candidates running the Vero Beach City Council, Debbie Vickers. Indian River County Advertising Manager for Scripps Treasure Coast Newspaper, wrote, “We are not going to accept this ad for publication.”
No further explanation was given by Scripps management.
The advertisement was to be placed in the Indian River Press Journal, formerly the Vero Beach Press Journal, next Sunday through Thursday to increase public awareness for the roundtable to be held Oct. 3 from 6:00 to 8:00 at the Heritage Center in downtown Vero Beach.
All six candidates running for two seats on the City Council have been invited to participate in a roundtable discussion to be moderated by Inside Vero editor and publisher, Mark Schumann, and by associate editor, Milt Thomas.
Amelia Graves, Warren Winchester and Richard Wingers have an accepted the invitation to participate. Joseph Guffanti will be out of town on a prior commitment he said he made several months ago. Tracy Carroll and Brian Heady have yet to agree to participate in the roundtable discussion, which will focus on quality of life issues.
“At least two traditional forums are planned at which the candidates will likely debate the sale of Vero Electric. We have chosen to invite the candidates to join in a thoughtful discussion about other matters that will continue to be important to the community well after Vero Beach is out of the electric power business,” said Inside Vero publisher Mark Schumann.
“Beyond the sale of the electric system, voters want to know what each candidate believes is important about the quality of life in our community, and they want to know what the candidates think local government can and should do to preserve quality of life,” Schumann added.
Indian River Guardian 
I guess they didn’t want to take a competitor’s money…..or promote that competitor’s event. But this event is a non-partisan, public service to the COMMUNITY! . No wonder so many have stopped giving Press Journal the time of day.
I once fashioned a “report card” on Congressman Dave Weldon’s legislative record in the U. S. House of Representatives. The Vero Press Journal would not publish the paid advertisement nor would they give me a reason for their decision. However, a short time later they endorsed Congressman Weldon for re-election.
They have just lost another subscriber.
Hey, did you advertise the one at Costa d’Este held by 32963? Just wondering.
Questions: Did the ad mention INSIDE VERO? Is that the picture of the ad?
And what would be the reason for doing that?
The ad, intentionally, was written not to include any mention Inside Vero,
Perhaps just asking them to post the information for free would have worked better.
Sure.
Mark, that is an ambiguous response to my first question. My first question required a simple “yes or no” response. Intentions are not facts.
I will ask again:
Questions: Did the ad mention INSIDE VERO? Is that the picture of the ad?
Actually, your first questions was really two questions. Yes, that is the exact ad copy submitted.
AS NEWSMEN, DON’T YOU UNDERSTAND THE MEANING OF “FREEDOM OF THE PRESS’ ?
Mark when one is emphatic about details and facts they are open to criticism.
The Press Journal is afraid of you and the power of the truth. They want to control the news and elections inorder to get Tracy Carroll re-elected and make Amy happy. A once proud newspaper has hit rock bottom
I cancelled my home delivery months ago…so I will also cancel my on-line subscription too. There should be a law against allowing monopolies such as FPL control of “free press” newspapers.