Random thoughts: the media and PBSO

Last November there was a protest in Lake Worth against PBSO and many from the media were there. The protest details were kept from the public until only a few hours prior; a reader of my blog stumbled on news of the protest and sent me the details. I posted the information on my blog at about 10:00 a.m., 7 hours prior to the event.

From memory, here are the media I recall that day at the protest:

• Palm Beach Post reporter John Lantigua
• NBC5/WPTV's Katie LaGrone
• CBS12/WPEC (don't recall reporter)
• A Spanish TV station reporter
• A reporter from the Broward New Times
• Various photographers and independent reporters

Now contrast that with last Sunday's Crime Walk with PBSO, an event by the community in support of PBSO, what media showed up?

• The Lake Worth Herald

The media was given notice of the Crime Walk at least 5 days prior to the event. How do I know that? Because I let them know and so did others. And none of them showed up.

If former Lake Worth Commissioner Cara Jennings calls the media on any given day at 10:00 in the morning and tells them of a protest at 5:00 p.m. in Lake Worth AGAINST PBSO you know a WPTV news van will be there and so will a Palm Beach Post reporter. It's a given.

What are we to conclude from this? Draw your own conclusions. What I do know is this: Tammy Pansa and others worked so incredibly hard to make this Crime Walk happen and the "mainstream media" in Palm Beach County couldn't give a damn. But get a handful of malcontents with a grudge against PBSO and the media can't get to the scene fast enough. They'll leave vapor trails.

Is it different in other areas in Palm Beach County or is this just a 'Lake Worth thing'? Don't know. Thankfully our City has The Lake Worth Herald; were it not for them in the media's eyes it's like the Crime Walk with PBSO never happened.