Herald editor defends report after FPL criticism

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FPL has increased its solar power capacity, notably with this panel farm in Manatee County. The utility helped craft a bill that could significantly curb the growth of a practice known as “net metering,” which allows homeowners and businesses with rooftop solar panels to resell the excess. of electricity to FPL. Bradenton Herald File Photo

Florida Power & Light launched an unusual public attack on the Miami Herald and its senior reporter in Tallahassee over the utility company’s lobbying coverage of solar energy policy – criticizes the newspaper’s senior editor qualified as “unfair”.

FPL posted an article on its own website this week criticizing the news agency for failing to publish an entire opinion piece written in response to a December 20 Miami Herald article co-authored by the Capitol Bureau chief, Mary Ellen Klas, on the company’s role in preparing rooftop solar power legislation in Florida. FPL’s post was titled, “Truth Matters: Why Is The Miami Herald Afraid To Let Its Readers Hear Dissenting Voices?” “

Herald editor-in-chief Monica Richardson in a statement released Wednesday defended Klas and the newspaper’s information and said the state’s largest utility company “crossed the line of an unfair attack” .

“Klas has been a highly regarded member of the Tallahassee press for over 20 years. She makes uncompromising accountability reports on the FPL, the legislature, the governors and many other people and institutions, ”Richardson wrote. “Some of its coverage of the state’s and nation’s largest electric utility was critical when significant issues were raised regarding solar power, tariffs charged to consumers, political influence and more. . She is a reporter who does her job on behalf of Herald readers and the Florida community.

The FPL issued its criticism of the Herald as it faces increasing media scrutiny over the roles of its leaders in the so-called “black money” groups that have been used to attack enemies policies and attempt to influence elections.

Last month, the Orlando Sentinel published an article describing FPL executives directing money to consultants who run the Grow United organization, which promoted “ghost candidates” designed to confuse people. voters in key races. FPL insisted that there had been no wrongdoing related to political campaigns.

The use of ghost candidates and black money has led to an expanding criminal investigation in Miami-Dade, the Herald reported this week.

The Herald’s story on solar panels was written by Klas, the longtime bureau chief of the Herald Tallahassee, and Mario Alejandro Ariza, a reporter at Floodlight, a news organization that explores how corporate interests hamper efforts to stop climate change.

Klas’s story, titled “Documents Show FPL Drafted Bill to Slow Growth of Rooftop Solar Power by Impeding Net Metering,” detailed how the company drafted and forwarded a bill to state lawmakers, at least one of whom has benefited from an FPL grant. The bill could significantly curb the growth of a practice known as “net metering,” which allows homeowners and businesses with rooftop solar panels to sell excess electricity back to FPL.

The solar industry has criticized the bill as a way for utility companies to keep their grip on electricity markets. FPL argues that customers with a solar roof are subsidized by other customers who continue to purchase electricity and pay to maintain the electricity grid.

Three days later, FPL asked the Herald to run an op-ed by David Reuter, the company’s communications director, calling the story “bad service, emphasizing misinformation and petty anti-utility biases.” on the facts ”, denigrating the sources used in the article and criticizing Klas.

The Herald published most of the opinion piece as a letter to the editor after suppressing the baseless attacks on Klas. The move prompted FPL to publish a blog post of over 1,000 words, which included a timeline of his correspondence with the editors and his frustration with the pace of responses. “The Miami Herald’s lack of journalistic balance and determination to keep opposing views out of publication is why FPL has taken our own extraordinary step to expose its actions,” the post said.

In a public response Wednesday, Richardson said: “The letter was edited by the editorial board of The Herald to stick to the facts of the net metering problem and published.

“Letters to the editor are regularly edited by the editorial board before publication. Editors and journalists play no role in the process. The Editorial Board is independent of the Herald Newsroom, with a separate mandate but the same de facto standards. “

In an email responding to a request for comment Thursday, Reuter said FPL still wanted a response as to why the newspaper published “an incomplete representation of what was submitted” in editorial form.

FPL also published a letter on an unrelated matter, sent to the Herald leadership on Nov. 22 by Florida President of the Senate Wilton Simpson, a candidate for agriculture commissioner.

He accused Klas of “trying to influence” Democratic Senator Randolph Bracy on issues of minority representation and redistribution of legislative seats. The letter cited a recording – made by one of Simpson’s assistants standing near Klas and Bracy following a Senate redistribution subcommittee meeting on November 17 – and accused him of having crossed the line from journalism to “standing up for organizations that sue the legislature.”

The letter, however, misquotes key elements of the exchange between Klas and Bracy, according to audio released by Florida Politics.

For example, Simpson alleged that Klas “encouraged” Bracy to ask certain questions at a subcommittee meeting because “we should hear about it before the courts get it.” Florida Politics audio reveals that Klas actually said “we should hear about this in public forums like this.”

In a section not mentioned in Simpson’s letter, Klas adds, “As a reporter, the more questions you ask, the better we can explain it to the public.”

A Simpson employee did not immediately respond to requests for comment Thursday.

Richardson, editor of the Herald, responded in a November 30 letter to Simpson, explaining that Klas “was just doing the job our readers expect.” FPL did not publish its response to Simpson on its website.

Richardson reiterated his points in his statement Wednesday.

“Simpson alleges that Klas’ comments and questions were inappropriate for a reporter. As I told the honorable senator in my written response, the Herald disagrees. Klas, who covered the latest redistribution process that was a legal quagmire for the Senate, was using his experience in that coverage to inform his work this time around. And his conversation with Bracy reflects that.

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David Ovalle covers crime and the courts in Miami. Originally from San Diego, he graduated from the University of Southern California and joined the Herald in 2002 as a sports reporter.

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