Florida Politics, a news website, has suspended a reporter for asking a question that U.S. Rep. Randy Fine did not like.
Minutes after conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot, but before his death was announced, reporter A.G. Gancarski messaged Fine: “Good afternoon − was wondering if Charlie Kirk getting shot affects your position on campus carry? If gun control had been in play could the tragedy have been avoided?”
Congressman Fine was ‘repulsed’ by the reporter’s question
Fine responded: “I learned that Charlie Kirk was shot 23 minutes ago. I am repulsed that you would even think to ask a political question when all anyone should be doing is praying for his survival. Never contact me again.”
Fine shared the exchange on X shortly thereafter with this comment: “You don’t hate the media enough.”
Fine, who represents Florida’s 6th District, stretching from Daytona Beach to St. Augustine and west to Ocala, has a history of clashing with members of the media and other politicians, ranging from Congresswoman Ilhan Omar to Gov. Ron DeSantis.
He has taken to calling himself “the Hebrew Hammer,” in reference to his Jewish faith and condemnations of Palestinians and the Muslim faith.
Peter Schorsch, publisher of Florida Politics, announced later that afternoon that he had suspended Gancarski.
Publisher of Florida Politics defends action
“I cannot be the person I am, a critic of extremism on both the left and right, if those who work with me lack the basic empathy in horrific situations,” Schorsch posted in the late afternoon of Sept. 10. “Perhaps other outlets can go immediately to the political ramifications of a tragedy like the shooting of a cultural leader, but that’s not what I am about.”
In a Sept. 11 phone interview, Schorsch said he disagreed with Gancarski’s timing and added the reporter was apologetic when they spoke.
“You don’t start talking to somebody about what kind of insurance they have on the house while it’s burning. And there’s a time and a place for all of it,” Schorsch said.
On the day after the shooting, “people can ask Randy about all of his previous positions on campus carry. But 20 minutes after an incident, where somebody is still in critical care and ends up dying, I just didn’t think that was an appropriate time.”
Florida Politics reporter won’t comment
Gancarski said in an email that he does not wish to comment.
Schorsch said he suspended Gancarski in part to de-escalate the volatile situation in the wake of Kirk’s eventual death.
“I wanted to show that I was going to shut that down. I didn’t want this going on all night. I didn’t want anybody reacting to it. I didn’t want to see any of our reporters doxed.”
Schorsch also reacted to Fine’s post, stating, “You don’t hate the media enough.”
“It’s like, is that a dare?” he said. “I’m concerned for the security of the other people I work with, genuinely. I’m coming off a day yesterday where my daughter’s school … had another threat. We had to shut down the campus.”
Schorsch also posted that he urged Gancarski to “go dark on social media for the time being while we address this situation.” But the Florida Politics publisher also said Gancarski will be allowed to return to his job as Northeast Florida correspondent, a post which Gancarski has held for 11 years.
“Like a lot of reporters, he’s been showing a lot of leg on social media on where he stands on things,” Schorsch said. “I pride myself and Florida Politics on being kind of centrist.”
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Publisher of political website suspends reporter for asking Randy Fine untimely question
Reporting by Mark Harper, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
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