How our journalism impacted Brevard in 2022
Know what’s going on? Thank a journalist.
So goes the gist of a sticker I’ve seen around newsrooms.
Whether it's providing life-saving information during Hurricane Nicole and Ian, offering the scoop on a new restaurant or giving you insight into political maneuvering, our journalists work hard to keep you informed about news that matters.
For us at FLORIDA TODAY, journalism is a calling.
We take seriously our responsibility to hold the powerful to account, expose injustice, share essential information and celebrate Brevard's achievements. We seek to give voice to those who feel powerless and add perspective to what’s happening around us.
We dig through public records, press decision-makers for answers, attend long public meetings and knock on doors.
As my colleague, photojournalist Craig Bailey, put it: "We’re here to report on issues that affect the county. That’s our job. We’re not anybody’s good news-only mouthpiece."
We hope our journalism not only informs but also, at times, inspires and motivates.
As our newsroom embarks on another year, we're reflecting on how our journalism made a difference in Brevard in 2022. But how do we know if something had an impact?
We can tally how many people read a story online, shared it or commented. We can count how many new subscribers we gained each week.
All of that speaks to impact.
Impact also can be measured by policy changes and informed voters. Often when our stories feature a cause or issue, we hear how it triggered a fresh wave of donations and offers of help.
Many times we learn about our impact from you: you write or call us. Just this week in response to a story about the status of the manatees after the recent cold snap, environment reporter Jim Waymer received an email thanking him: "You made clear the challenges and future outlook for this species. For those of us with only a passing awareness of manatees, your story helped me to better understand why we should care and what is being done now to support these animals in their natural habitat. Thanks again for your clear reporting on this."
Often, we’ve asked you to join us in our work, whether in voting for the best-performing student-athletes, passing along tips or nominating volunteers who make a difference as part our Volunteer Recognition Awards, which returned this year.
We’re grateful to all of our subscribers who support our journalism. You have a stake in our future and the future of this community, and we want you to know we take your trust in us seriously.
Here are some examples from the past year of our team's impactful journalism.
Need-to-know information as Brevard faced Hurricanes Ian, Nicole
When Hurricane Ian barreled across the state, exiting through Brevard County, and Hurricane Nicole made landfall near Vero Beach, our staff kept you informed on projected paths, closures, shelter availability, flooding, etc. We staffed overnight at the county's Emergency Operations Center and ran a live update article that included the latest information, photographs and videos from reporters, photographers and editors who fanned out across Brevard to assess damage.
In the aftermath, we looked at some of the larger issues the storms exposed from sewage overflows to beachside erosion and the cost and risk of rebuilding.
Raw sewage spills: Florida's aging infrastructure unleashed untold gallons of raw sewage during Ian
Cocoa Beach's secret:How was Cocoa Beach spared the worst of Hurricane Nicole? Could it be because of a lawsuit?
Election meddling, partisan politicking and anti-Semitism
We wrote dozens of stories and hosted multiple candidate forums, in partnership with the League of Women Voters of the Space Coast, as part of our Election 2022 coverage. Our singular aim: help our community make informed decisions about the candidates and issues on the ballot.
Key takeaways: School Board shift, Democratic stumbles: 5 takeaways from the Brevard midterm elections
Take, for example, our dives into the Environmentally Endangered Lands program that was again before voters. We fleshed out the arguments for and against so the community had all the facts available when voting. The measure passed overwhelmingly.
Our primary responsibility is a watchdog on power and there is nothing more powerful in our nation than elections. Our dogged reporting uncovered allegations that Sheriff Wayne Ivey in three separate races had attempted to persuade potential political candidates to drop out of the race in favor of someone else – raising the prospect of a different job or future support in exchange.
Ivey declined to address the allegations. None of the three candidates let Ivey sway them. One later won office.
Meddling?:Judge candidate says Ivey offered to help secure appointment if she dropped out of race
We also exposed how candidates in heavily partisan counties like Brevard can game Florida's primary system to stack the deck for favored candidates. These so-called "ghost candidates" are candidates who have no intention of truly seeking office but instead register as a candidate to help close the primary to all but one party's voters.
Ghost candidate:'Ghost candidate' in Brevard Commission race locks out 54,000 voters
We dug into anti-Semitic emails and social media posts by an Indialantic candidate, who, ultimately, lost his bid for office.
Watchdogging elected officials in Brevard
In 2022, our efforts to watch the actions of elected officials took many forms.
There was our coverage of how one county commissioner decided to spend $5 million in CARES Act Funds. There had already been grumbling over the County Commission's decision to allocate $5 million of this COVID-19 support money to each commissioner to spend as they saw fit.
But then came revelations that former Commissioner Bryan Lober bought nearly $40,000 worth of technology and office equipment. Among the more controversial purchases was a $750 office chair that had gone missing.
The County Clerk of Courts office launched an investigation, the commissioners changed the rules on how they report use of government credit cards and Lober resigned. He cited family reasons and said it had nothing to do with the investigation and controversy. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement had started its own investigation into the matter.
Spending: Sadoff: No audit results of Brevard Commissioners' p-card use as FDLE probes the issue too
Another example of watching elected officials was a story that drew attention statewide. We reported on state Rep. Randy Fine's text message threats to pull funding for the Special Olympics after school board member Jennifer Jenkins was invited to participate in a fundraising effort for the group via the West Melbourne Police Department.
Fine and Jenkins had been locked in a bitter public feud over the past year, stemming partly over Fine's anger over Jenkins's prior support for a mask mandate in Brevard County public schools.
Fine denied he'd threatened to pull the funding despite the text message comments, which FLORIDA TODAY received thanks to a public records request. The funding stayed in.
Gifting a flag to a veteran convicted of wartime murders
Many veterans reached out to FLORIDA TODAY upset after Palm Bay Mayor Rob Medina gifted a ceremonial flag to a U.S. Army soldier during a Fourth of July public event.
The reason for their anger: the soldier had been convicted of murder in the 2007 killings of unarmed Iraqi detainees. While some defended the soldier, others argued the honor was inappropriate.
In response, the soldier returned the flag and the Palm Bay City Council voted 3-2 to adopt new criteria for its newly created flag program.
New restaurants, inspections and why is that charge on my bill?
What's that new place that opened on Merritt Island? What about that restaurant in Melbourne? Our food and dining coverage lets you know about all the cool establishments coming to Brevard — more than 80 opened last year. We also do the work compiling restaurant inspection reports so you can see how your favorite establishment fared in those spot health checks.
Our dining coverage isn't limited to lists of new places. For example, take our story about why many restaurants started charging credit card fees. We hope stories like that give you insight into some of the complicated nuances of the restaurant business, too.
Credit card fees:'Food costs have gone up.' Some restaurants add credit card fees if you don't pay with cash
Raising questions of injustice from Crosley Green to Nino Lyons
As part of our aim to shine a light, we actively followed the case of Crosley Green, who was dealt a major upset last year when the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with the state in rejecting a federal court's decision to order a new trial or free him. Green was convicted of murder in 1990 for the slaying of Chip Flynn. But there were so many problems with the case, which FLORIDA TODAY has documented throughout the years in stories and a podcast. In 2018, a court ruled that Green should be re-tried or set free. The state appealed but amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Green was freed as the court considered the appeal.
Green remains free while his lawyers , acting pro bono, try to appeal the latest decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.
We'll continue to watch that case closely and have a podcast update in the works.
We also bought you the story of Nino Lyons and his repeated efforts to secure a job coaching basketball in a Brevard high school. Lyons was arrested, tried and convicted in 2001 of drug conspiracy, dealing in counterfeit clothing and carjacking. He faced life in federal prison. But in his case, justice won and a judge did the unheard of thing of throwing out the conviction and issuing a certificate of "Actual Innocence" stating as such.
Basketball legend:Mentor, activist, exoneree, legend ... why can't Nino Lyons get a basketball coaching job in Brevard?
Lyons was also a basketball star in the county at high school and college. He has dedicated countless time to working with young players. So the fact that he's applied for 11 high school coaching jobs between 2009 and 2022 and received not one offer seems odd. Could it be that his wrongful conviction is still haunting him? Engagement Editor John A. Torres brought you this story, and, again, look for an update this year.
Celebrating volunteers making Brevard better
This year, thanks to support from presenting sponsors United Way of Brevard and Community Credit Union, we brought back the Volunteer Recognition Awards. FLORIDA TODAY has been honoring the most dedicated volunteers for more than 25 years. It's an opportunity to celebrate those individuals, businesses and groups who do so much to make Brevard a better place for all of us.
In stories, photos and videos, we shared with you what drives these volunteers. And on one very special night, we gathered with members of the community to celebrate their efforts. It was an inspiring night, and we hope people came away wanting to do more themselves.
Volunteers:Volunteers, organizations recognized at FLORIDA TODAY's VRA ceremony
Making you aware of the needs in Brevard
For Barbara Perry, the difficulties climaxed in 2019. Her trailer's roof was condemned, she was facing a breast cancer diagnosis and she was struggling to find temporary housing. She became one of Brevard's homeless. When we spotlighted her story and troubles last year, readers were moved.
One provided temporary shelter and transportation for Perry that continued long after the story ran.
That response from our stories isn't unusual. We live in a generous community and when our readers learn about neighbors who are struggling, they want to help.
Here's an example: We wrote a story about an effort to gather clothing to help victims of domestic violence. It's not unusual for domestic violence victims to flee their homes with only safety in mind; there's no time to pack a suitcase or gather belongings. Enter the "Dress for Success" event sponsored by the Brevard chapter of The Links, Incorporated, in partnership with The Women's Center of Brevard to seek donations of professional clothing that could help.
After our story ran detailing the need, one of the organizers emailed to say: "folks were lined up to give clothes in big bags at the opening time. We were so surprised and initially overwhelmed ... we regrouped and asked how they knew about the drive, EACH said they learned about it through your article in the newspaper. YOU made it such a success!!!!!" Capitalization and exclamation marks direct from the organizer.
That's impact. That's our journalism making an immediate difference.
There's so much I didn't touch on from our space coverage to our reporting on high school athletes, from our coverage of the real estate market and the environment — and the gorgeous and moving photos our photographers snap every day of the year.
Thank you again for your support and we look forward to bringing you more impactful stories this year.
If you have any questions or thoughts, please reach out to Executive Editor Mara Bellaby at mbellaby@floridatoday.com. Thank you for supporting our journalism at FLORIDA TODAY.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: FLORIDA TODAY journalism had an impact in 2022 — Here's how
