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| Kevin Settembrino Photo by Muriel Smith • The Monmouth Journal |
According to the article, Middletown's appointed mayor, Kevin Settembrino (who made it very clear that he was the man in charge) called for a, "friendly session with local media personnel as a means of getting to know reporters better, as well as a way to introduce the township’s Public Information Officers, Tara Berson and Jessi Ticino, to the media. Township administrator Tony Mercantante was also present along with editors and journalists from local media outlets." Settembrino went on to state that, " he wanted a good working relationship with the media, he also said requests from reporters working on a tight deadline for quotes or information is a pet peeve of his. What’s more, he doesn’t like surprises and discourages reporters from seeking information from other members of the Township Committee." ... " “I don’t want to be reading information you got from a member of the Township Committee,” he said. “I’m not happy about that.” "
Can you believe that statement? The audacity and arrogance that it takes to make such a statement is astonishing. Middletown's appointed mayor doesn't like reporters who ask questions or are working on deadlines, it's a "pet peeve" of his? You've got to be kidding me, it's like he's Middletown's own little version of Donald Trump! There will be no 'fake' news in Middletown, all questions must be submitted in writing and given directly to the public information officers first! Oh, and by the way don't speak to anyone but me!
Oh my God, that's a new level of chutzpah even for me!
Back in the day of lazy reporting of Township Committee meetings, former Public Information Officer Cindy Herrschaft, use to hand press releases with statements from the Committee, to reporters with highlighted talking points addressing things that were going to be spoken about during meetings. For those that attended meetings back in the day, if you picked up a newspaper several days after a the fact, it was as if the meeting you were present at didn't happen. It was a crazy alternate universe that we seemed to live in.
Does Settembrino's statements above also mean that because he wants to be the ultimate control freak, that he is officially putting a muzzle on Tony Fiore? We all know that Tony Fiore has quite the presence on social media and likes to bait, chastise and insult people that have an issue with what is happening in and around Middletown. Fiore speaks on behalf of the township all the time when he is not authorized to do so and as a result creates some of his own 'fake' news with gross mischaracterizations and exaggerations on events both past and present. He seems to think that people are misinformed and ignorant of facts, so they will unquestionably believe what he says.
This town is long over do for change on it's governing body. Middletown doesn't need arrogant 'A'holes like this, who think that the public is ignorant and doesn't know what's best for themselves or the town. November can't come soon enough!
2 comments:
Is this the new Czar of Monmouth County journalists? I thought each newspaper had it's own editors to oversee their reporters?
Settembrino is used to taking his orders from one person, so he feels that this should trickle down to the press. Since he is controlled, so should the press. Therefore the other Township Committee members are also excluded in the process of voicing their own views.
The strings are being held very tight so direction can be easily controlled. Middletown needs free thinkers that can communicate with the community, not communicate what they are told to communicate.
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