The Vice President and General Manager of WOFL-TV My Fox Orlando (Fox35), Allyson Meyers is the subject of controversy because of her role on Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer’s downtown task force. Meyers is the only media representative appointed by Dyer to serve on the task force of 70 people, raising serious questions about her professional role and media bias.
The clear conflict of interest should have been avoided from the start and Meyers should know better. The downtown task force created by Dyer, “Project Downtown Orlando,” will be evaluating many controversial issues including continued over-development in historic Parramore as well as major spending projects. These are issues that local residents – and viewers of Fox35 Orlando – expect to see covered without any bias or manipulation.
How can any legitimate member of the media, let alone a General Manager of one of the local TV news stations, offer the public an unbiased and in-depth analysis of proposed plans while serving as a hand-picked representative of the Mayor? Where is the transparency from Fox35 and accountability to the viewers? At the least, the public deserves a guarantee of unbiased coverage and Allyson Meyers is unable to provide that while serving Dyer’s interests on the task force.
The controversial situation demands that Meyers publicly resign immediately from the downtown task force to prevent any question of media bias in favor of Dyer or his proposed policies as well as to prevent any questions about future Fox35 coverage.
Allyson Meyers should resign immediately from the board and focus on unbiased news coverage and management at Fox35. Only her public resignation from the downtown task force would end questions about media bias and her potentially unprofessional relationship with a major elected official her company is supposed to cover as journalists, not task force members for the Mayor.
Meyers did not respond for comment before publishing. Meyers serves as VP/General Manager at WOFL-TV Fox35 Orlando, WRBW-TV My65 and WOGX-TV Fox51 Gainesville.
