JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – If you've been watching any TV station in town over the past week, you've no doubt noticed the political ads regarding the upcoming election for the office of Mayor. At least one ad is using clips from newscasts from News4JAX reports that imply support for a candidate. I’d like to address this subject directly with you.
WJXT and News4JAX do not endorse any candidate, ballot proposal, or referendum of any kind. We never have. We never will. The clips lifted from our news reports are being used without our permission. And while we've alerted those that produced the commercials we’d like them to stop using our newscasts, campaign candidate laws allow this to happen.
This isn’t the first time this has happened. And we get why they use them. As Jacksonville's most trusted news source, they hope by using clips from our newscasts you'll vote their side. So let me be clear. We take our jobs as unbiased reporters very seriously. Do not misrepresent any political piece you see, hear or read now or in the future as somehow implying our endorsement of a candidate or an issue. As I said earlier, we don't endorse anything. Never have. Never will.
If you have any questions on this subject, I'd be happy to answer them directly. Please email me at bellis@wjxt.com.