It may be a mans world, but thats no excuse for a guy who buys ink by the barrel to splatter it on the reputations of three esteemed women in Florida journalism.
I refer to Tallahassee Democrat editor Bob Gabordi, who took to the Internet and print last week to pitch a fit about well, you decide.
The story begins last December when 850 -- The Business Magazine of North Florida -- published a piece called "The Shrinking Capitol Press Corps." The story, written by Audrey Post, is an informative look at how news of statewide significance is and is not covered.
Post interviewed practically everybody in and around statehouse news, including Gabordi. Although he was quoted at some length, apparently he didnt know the story had been in living rooms and cyberspace for weeks before it was republished in 850s sister publication, Tallahassee Magazine, at which time he blew up like the Hindenburg.
For the benefit of news junkies and political insiders who missed it in December ... and January ... and February ... and so far in March ... heres Post's story.
And heres Gabordis response, in which he defends the honor of his newspaper, which didnt need defending because as far as anyone other than Gabordi can tell, the Democrats honor was not attacked.
Gabordi did flag one actual, factual error, which the magazines have since corrected on their websites and have promised to address in a correction in upcoming print editions: The corporation for which Gabordi works is Gannett Co., not, as the story said, Gannett Corp.
People who read the Democrat daily were surprised to learn that its editor feels he is in a position to be sanctimonious about anyones fact-checking. Nobodys copy desk is what it used to be, or what it should be, but as I learned, 850s story was reviewed ahead of its original December publication by a number of experienced hands including Florida Current reporter and Florida Voices columnist Bill Cotterell, a longtime Capitol veteran and senior writer for the Democrat, whose syndicated column runs regularly on Gabordis editorial page.
Tallahassee Magazine and 850 are owned by Rowland Publishing, which has bragging rights to a very deep bench. Editorial Director Linda Kleindienst covered her first legislative session in 1978, by which time she was already a highly regarded veteran of daily newspapering in South Florida, then the most competitive media market south of New York.
Tallahassee Magazine, which Gabordi disdains as a lifestyle publication, has won a number of prestigious awards under the leadership of University of Florida journalism school graduate Rosanne Dunkelberger, who has forgotten more about things that matter to Floridians than Gabordi -- who arrived in Tallahassee seven years ago -- will ever know. In her mommy track years, Dunkelberger served on the Florida Bars communications staff. Thanks in no small measure to her, the Media Law Conference used to attract speakers of national stature and paid attendance that filled hotel ballrooms. She helped to invent the Reporters Workshop, which, in the post-Dunkelberger era, has devolved into a self-congratulatory infomercial for an increasingly out-of-touch Bar.
Post has been a reporter and/or editor since 1981 and has worked for The Palm Beach Post, Miami Herald, Tampa Tribune, and Macon Telegraph. Like a lot of Florida journalists, Post, and also Dunkelberger, once worked for the Democrat. Both were respected before, during and after their years there, and it is beneath contempt, though sadly not beneath Gabordi's dignity, to paint them as disgruntled former employees with axes to grind.
Gabordi has the distinction of being the first and only person who has ever trashed the competence or character of Kleindienst, Dunkelberger and Post, who have together served Florida readers well for well over a century. An apology would be in order, but nobody is holding his or her breath.
Reach Nancy Smith at nsmith@sunshinestatenews or at (850) 727-0859.
