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F’ville mayor halts meeting to chastise reporter for taping speaker

By CAL BEVERLY
editor@TheCitizenNews.com

Fayetteville Mayor Kenneth Steele halted a public meeting last week to object to The Citizen’s reporter, Ben Nelms, tape-recording a speaker appearing before the City Council. Steele called the reporter’s taping “tacky” and “unprofessional.”

The following is the transcript of a portion of the reporter’s tape-recording of the council meeting July 21. The reporter had placed a hand-held tape recorder on a front table while City Planner Eldridge Gunn was making a presentation, then repositioned it closer to the speaker’s podium. That’s when Steele broke into the city planner’s presentation.

- Steele to reporter: “Would you mind just putting that in your pocket? We’ll take care of the recording ...”

- Reporter: “I can’t hear. This recorder’s not going to pick it up over there.”

- Steele: (inaudible)

Gunn begins speaking again, while reporter leaves the recorder where it is and sits down at the front table next to the podium.

- Steele interrupts: “(inaudible) Put it away. We’ll take care of the recording. (Inaudible). If you want to record what’s said, listen to what’s said, take your notes.”

- Reporter: “I don’t think Georgia ... we’re not prohibited from taping.”

- Steele: “I think it’s rather tacky and presumptuous on your part. I’ve been (inaudible) for 30 years and I’ve never had a reporter walking down (or around) the room sticking tape recorders out. I don’t care for it.”

- Reporter: “I don’t believe...”

- Steele: “If you can’t do your job without the help, just listen...”

- Reporter: “I don’t believe there is anything that prohibits me from using the tape.”

— Steele: “Okay, we’ll address it later. (Inaudible) ... this is presumptuous and unprofessional on your part.”

- Reporter: “I’m sorry you think that, Kenneth, I really am. I’m still going to run the tape though.”

The Georgia Open Meetings law (50-14-1(c)) says, “(c) The public at all times shall be afforded access to meetings declared open to the public pursuant to subsection (b) of this Code section. Visual, sound, and visual and sound recording during open meetings shall be permitted.” This law has been in effect for at least 25 years.

For an opinion about this incident, see Page A4.