Beach Gazette is an independent, nonprofit, community-owned publication. It launched in June 2026 to ensure those who live, work, and play in the Beaches community have access to local news to stay engaged and informed.
If you become a member today, you'll get full access to the website and an email when new weekly content is available. Your support makes this site possible and allows Beach Gazette to continue. Thank you!
Editorial Independence Policy
The Beach Gazette is a community-owned, nonprofit newsroom serving Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach, Atlantic Beach, Ponte Vedra Beach, and Mayport. We exist to produce independent, factual journalism on matters of local civic concern. Our independence is not a preference. It is written into the bylaws that govern our organization, and this policy explains how it works.
Who decides what we publish
Every editorial decision, including what we cover, how we cover it, and when we publish, is made by our Editor and editorial staff. Those decisions follow the ethical standards and editorial policies the Editor adopts. The Editor reports to the Board of Directors on operational matters but takes no direction from the Board, the Publisher, or any donor on editorial matters.
The role of our Board
Our Board of Directors oversees the organization's finances, legal compliance, and mission. The Board does not direct, supervise, or interfere with editorial decisions.
The role of our Publisher
The Publisher runs the business side: revenue, community relationships, and strategic communications. The Publisher has no authority to direct, override, or suppress the Editor's decisions. The current Publisher serves on the Board, and as such, the Publisher recuses herself from any Board discussion or vote that directly concerns an editorial matter.
Donors and funders
We gratefully accept gifts, grants, and contributions from individuals, foundations, and other organizations. No gift gives a donor any right to direct, approve, veto, or influence our reporting, editorial content, or staffing. We do not accept contributions that are conditioned on publishing, withholding, or changing any news content, and we decline or return any gift offered on those terms.
Advertisers and other stakeholders
No director, officer, donor, advertiser, or other stakeholder may use their position or influence to interfere with editorial decisions.
The editorial firewall and how we enforce it
Our Board maintains a clear separation between the business operations of Beaches News, Inc. and the editorial operations of the Beach Gazette. The Board investigates any reported violation of this firewall. Consequences can include removal of a director or officer, termination of a contributor agreement, or return of a donation.
Conflicts of interest
Directors and officers sign an acknowledgment of our Conflict of Interest Policy every year, and anyone with a material financial interest in a matter before the Board discloses it and steps out of the deliberation and vote.
About the Founders
Jennifer Ashley (editor) and Georgette Dumont (publisher) co-founded the Beach Gazette when they learned The Beaches Leader was shutting down. Both passionate about their community - the governance and the individual connections between individuals that make communities thrive - they decided to start a nonprofit news outlet to ensure the Beaches would continue to have coverage of what was happening in their own neighborhoods.
Ashley and Dumont bring decades of experience in public and nonprofit organizations. Currently, Ashley is the Director of Health Promotions for Feeding Northeast Florida and Dumont is an Associate Professor and Director of the Master of Public Administration program at the University of North Florida.
