News-Leader: On Pride Silence is a Statement

Commentary

News-Leader publisher Todd Frantz is using silence as his weapon choice in his decision not to publish events of the local Pride organization.

Frantz won't explain why the local newspaper has turned its back on part of the Fernandina community. And he fails to recognize that by doing so, the News Leader ceases to be a community newspaper.

In a quiet but deliberate move, Frantz had dictated that the paper will no longer cover anything related to the local Pride group. Not a photo, not a quote, not a listing in the calendar section, not even a mention. Just silence.

And make no mistake: silence is a statement. It says, “You don’t matter here.”

Frantz made that decision on Monday. But after it was disclosed to the public Tuesday, the newspaper took full measures to reverse its course running Pride parade photos on its website and on the back page in Wednesday's printed edition. But it would not publish a press release about the event from Pride president Jordan Morris.

This editorial blackout marks a sharp turn from recent years. In 2023 and 2024, the News-Leader ran slideshows of the Fernandina Beach Pride Parade — joyful, visible celebrations of inclusion and equality. Now, even that minimal recognition has been erased.

The message Frantz is delivering to Fernandina Beach is this - the lives and stories of LGBTQ+ residents are no longer newsworthy in their own hometown. The support of 3,000 locals in an event don't merit recognition.

Editor Tracy Dishman saw this for what it is: a betrayal of journalistic integrity. Her recent resignation speaks volumes. When an editor feels they can no longer do their job ethically because of top-down censorship, it’s a red flag for everyone who values a free press.

Frantz’s decision isn’t about journalistic priorities. It’s about ideology. This isn’t a question of news space or relevance. It’s about pushing the News-Leader into the orbit of an ultra-conservative agenda that treats Pride not as a civic event but as a threat.

The publisher, who arrived in March, won't explain his decision to ban coverage of Pride.

But here’s the truth: local media outlets have a duty to reflect the communities they serve. Fernandina Beach is home to LGBTQ+ people — taxpayers, business owners, parents, students, public servants. They are part of our social fabric. Erasing them from coverage is not neutrality. It’s exclusion.

No newspaper gets to claim it represents the public while deciding which parts of the public are acceptable.

This has already alienated readers. It has eroded trust. It will shrink the definition of “community” down to whoever passes the new political litmus test. And it will leave a stain on the News-Leader’s credibility that’s hard to wash out.

If the News-Leader won’t cover Pride, maybe it’s time the community turned to a news outlet that will. Because visibility matters. Representation matters. And in times like these, silence isn’t just disappointing — it’s dangerous.