Jax Journalism and DT Scaremongering at Its Finest: Kidnapping "Near the Landing

[Captain Zissou]

Violence Reported Near Landing

Safety Expert Urges People To Stay In Groups, Pay Attention To Surroundings

JACKSONVILLE, Fla.  â€" Downtown safety is being questioned after two serious crimes near the Jacksonville Landing in the past month.

Three people were shot -- one fatally -- walking home from the July 4 fireworks. While one person was charged in connection that that crime, no one has been accused of firing the shots.

About 1 a.m. Sunday, a couple leaving the Landing was kidnapped by a man with a gun while walking to their car and driven around. The gunman made the couple stop at an ATM on Edgewood Avenue and forced the woman to give him the $140 she had in her account.

The victims said the gunman then forced them to drive to a field off Prichard Road, where they threatened to shoot them before ordering them out of the car and driving away. They ran to a nearby fire station for help.

"I was praying," said kidnapping victim Alyssa Decker. "I don't think I ever prayed that hard in my life, that he wouldn't use the gun ... that we'd end up safe."

Joshua Canady said he will never walk downtown the same way again.

"I asked myself, 'Is this my last day? Am I about to die?'" Canady said.

Because he heard the carjacking storie about about the fatal shooting after the fireworks show, Landing visitor Neal Nordien told Channel 4's Kristen Cosby he won't go downtown at night.

Full Story at : http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43978453/ns/local_news-jacksonville_fl/

This is upsetting on so many levels.  First off, they don't give the location of where the crime occurred.  Based on the actual location of the other crime referenced in the article, I imagine this one was nowhere near the Landing as well.  Tony should file a serious complaint.  Secondly, the article is clearly biased towards keeping people away from downtown.  What other city our size actively encourages its citizens to avoid their downtown?  This is just asinine and as back-country and regressive as it gets. While I feel for the victims, is it too much to ask for the story to be told right??

[Jimmy]

Well, you can thank THE local station for the sensationalism.  It's the source of the MSNBC item.

http://www.news4jax.com/news/28731929/detail.html

More detail about the latest crime: http://www.news4jax.com/news/28723517/detail.html

[duvaldude08]

Dont even mention it. I was quite upset when I seen this. They say "near" the Jacksonville Landing. Where exactly did it happen? Bay Street? Laura Street? Market street? Union Street? our local media is part of the perception of our DT. To be honest, most DT in major cities are slightly dangerous at night. But our media try to make it look like a Jacksonville issue.

And let's know even get on their coverage of the Jaguars. They run stories about Blackouts and LA more than the national media does. As soon as the national media gets a hint of the stories our local media put out, its gets EVERYWHERE. I hate our local media AND the florida times union. UGH!

[Charles Hunter]

A few days ago, the School Board held workshop to help parents of magnet school students find alternative transportation - since the SB had eliminated it to save money.  The "Action News" stations coverage was nearly exclusively about how your children will be sitting next to child molesters if the parents choose JTA because it is so much cheaper than the private school bus companies.  The "reporter" must have used the term half a dozen times in the story.  Would parents trade saving money for having little Johnny or Jane molested daily on their rides to and from school!  The horror!

[ChriswUfGator]

LMAO, if kids had to use JTA to get to school, we're going to wind up with an entire illiterate generation.

I wouldn't wish JTA on my worst enemy, let alone my kid. Sheesh...

[KuroiKetsunoHana]

LMAO, if kids had to use JTA to get to school, we're going to wind up with an entire illiterate generation.

I wouldn't wish JTA on my worst enemy, let alone my kid. Sheesh...

we've already got almost an entire illiterate generation, and most ov them were my classmates.

JTA's not that bad, though.  i've used it to get to work several times over the past couple months and it's worked out just fine.

[Doctor_K]

And the comments on the story at the News4Jax site are equally as ridiculous and appalling.

People who post there truly are ignorant.