COMMENTARY
MARK SCHUMANN
Since its founding in 2008, the “John’s Island” shiny sheet, also known as Vero Beach 32963, has been an example of just how low a newspaper can go in its practice of advocacy journalism. Unfortunately for the Vero Beach community, advocacy journalism 32963-style is little more than slanted and selective coverage of the news.
For example, the paper has yet to report on email correspondence between Indian River Shores Town Council members, correspondence that is in clear violation of the Florida Sunshine Law. Presumably, the island weekly continues to ignore this story because it supports the Indian River Shores Town Council’s decision to sue the City of Vero Beach. It is a move sure to cost the taxpayer of Indian River Shores and the customers of Vero Electric millions of dollars in higher taxes and higher rates.
The elitist “newspaper” focuses on pandering to wealthy barrier island readers, the majority of whom do not live in Vero Beach. Vero Beach 32963 continues to publish as “news” one biased report after another, many of them written by Lisa Zahner, perhaps the most mean-spirited and biased “journalist” ever to work in Indian River County. Anyone who doubts Zahner’s ability to burden her stories with snark, sarcasm, animus, and her own limited, warped opinion should read the story she posted today: State audit: FMPA staff extremely well paid
In her typically sarcastic style, Zahner referred to newly elected Councilman Randy Old as a “newbie.” The island weekly’s attack dog journalist also wrote, “Who might Old ask for help? Perhaps he might seek guidance from Florida Municipal Electric Association Executive Director Barry Moline, the FMPA’s foremost front man and propaganda-meister.”
Describing Florida Municipal Electric Association Executive Director Barry Moline as a “villain” and a “propaganda-meister” in a story not labeled as opinion or commentary, Zahner and her editors stooped to a new low, even for the “John’s Island” weekly.
Indian River Guardian 
When Lisa Zahner says,”Pilar Turner meted out a steady drumbeat of pointed questions” Zahner does not know what she is talking about. Look at the facts(1) Turner missed many FMPA meetings (2)Turner was a failure at getting Vero out of FMPA leases (3) Turner and her friends Wilson and Heran are still trying to convince people that ratepayers would save any where from $90,000,000 to $150,000,000 when we all know these are phony figures designed to get herself and Wilson elected to the city council. In reality ,Turner’s drumbeats were nothing more than hollow thuds.
I am extremely disappointed that one-sided media views are becoming the ‘norm’ here in Indian River County. There are exceptions – thank you very much, Mark Schumann and contributors. Mr. Old may be new to the job of City Council, but his approach to matters (get the facts, consult with whom needed) sounds reassuring to me. The catty comment by Ms Zahner about Mr. Old leaves a really bad taste in my mouth. That was uncalled for and in my opinion quite unprofessional.