(http://i.imgur.com/cAxBmBt.jpg)Certainly we the voters have learned that negative ads play big with "some" voters. In this case we have an add created by Curry supporters going after Brown and the ad includes clips of News 4 Jax reports and anchors. This did not go down well with News 4 who are not endorsing any particular candidate.
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The first attack ad to air in the race is aimed at Mayor Alvin Brown, a Democrat, and comes from Republican Lenny Curry's camp. The ad uses excerpts from Channel 4 newscasts, but Channel 4 is not endorsing any candidate.
The ad agency that created the ad did not have permission to use the newscast clips, but because of federal election laws, that permission isn't required.
WJXT general manager Bob Ellis was traveling Friday, but issued a statement regarding the ad:
"We expressed our displeasure to the advertising agency that produced the spot. We asked them to consider changing it. To be clear, News4Jax does not endorse any political candidates."
The ad attacks Brown, saying the mayor says one thing and does another. It cites property taxes going up 14 percent and then uses excerpts from Channel 4 broadcasts referring to that fact.
The ad goes on to talk about city waste and debt and again uses a small snippet on a News4Jax story from last summer.
Brown's deputy campaign manager Fabien Levy issued this statement about the ad:
"Party boss Lenny Curry is continuing the same sort of negative, partisan attacks he pushed as State Party Chair and is now lying to Jacksonville voters by covering up his support of the politicians that fought Mayor Brown to raise taxes on their own. Mayor Brown has never supported a tax increase and is the only one in this race that has looked for bipartisan solutions to solve Jacksonville's fiscal issues."
The ad is being paid for by a political action committee supporting Lenny Curry. Because it's from a PAC, Channel 4 can choose not to run it.
But the campaign is thinking of switching how it's paying for the commercial and may form another type of committee made up of several political candidates. If that happens and the committee meets federal law, News4Jax would be required to run the ad.
Political observers said this is just the beginning and voters should expect to see many more ads like this in the future.
CLick link for full story. http://www.news4jax.com/news/attack-ads-begin-in-jacksonville-mayoral-race/31016470
(http://i.imgur.com/05064uX.jpg)While those with sizable campaign "war chests" go after each other with campaign ads and no plans the third important candidate in the race for mayor is using his support of the arts to reach out to and connect with the citizens of Jacksonville.
Here Bill Bishop had the privilege of speaking at Lavilla School of the Arts this morning at the 2015 Scholastic Art Awards. As an architect I was able to give insight on the importance of art in a growing city. This is important for voters who support the arts and know the value the arts bring to a community and the great financial value they are to any thriving community and urban core. No dust up with news stations required.
The dust from the Curry campaign commercial featuring some News4Jax anchors has not settled. Jennifer Waugh posted this message on FB today. This Curry PAC took a sizable misstep to my view.
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Hi FB friends....just wanted to clarify something some of you may have seen airing during commercial breaks on Ch.4. Clips of me from one of our newscasts are being used in a political ad paid for and approved by mayoral candidate Lenny Curry. Our station management has asked the ad agency that produced the commercial to remove the clips. To date they have refused. Because this is a candidate ad, by Federal law our station is required to run this commercial. To be clear, no one at Channel 4 endorses any political candidate of any kind. I hope all of you know, as a journalist, I am committed to bringing you NONpartisan, fair and balanced coverage of the day's news, politics included. For 16 years, I've taken very seriously the responsibility I have to report the news in my hometown and will continue to do so. WJXT4 Jennifer Waugh