By Justin Prisendorf
Mr. Prisendorf is the publisher of the Coral Gables Gazette.
Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago has every right to criticize the Coral Gables Gazette. In fact, I welcome it. This publication exists to serve the residents of the city—and that includes engaging with objections. And when they come from a sitting mayor, I take them seriously.
Through his political action committee, Coral Gables First, Mayor Lago recently circulated an email titled “Dodging Bullets, and AI-Generated Political Propaganda,” which included pointed accusations about the Gazette’s independence, ethics, and editorial standards. The email also linked to a lengthy post—on an anonymous blog—echoing those same themes in even more colorful terms.
That said, the mayor misses the mark on the main points.
Let me begin here: the Gazette exists to inform, to engage, and to serve the people of Coral Gables. We focus on the issues that matter to residents and report with fairness, consistency, and care.
We strive to be objective in our news coverage and thoughtful and constructive in our editorials. The work of journalism is continuous: we aim to improve with every story, always focused on the people we serve.
One of the criticisms cited—a fair one—concerns our first article following the Gazette’s relaunch in February. In hindsight, that piece carried a tone more appropriate to an editorial than a news story. It should have been labeled as such, and perhaps should not have run in its original form at all. I own that mistake. If it put the mayor and his supporters on the defensive, that’s understandable—and I accept that. But I also encourage readers to judge the Gazette not by one article, but by the more than 300 we’ve published since. I stand by the full body of work.
Let me address another fair point.
Yes, the Gazette uses AI. So do nearly all modern newsrooms. We use it to support the work of real journalism—formatting, transcribing, clarifying—but only to complement the hours of reporting, interviewing, and fact-checking that go into every article. Our staff has spent hundreds of hours covering Coral Gables with care and depth. If the mayor—or his blog of choice—believes otherwise, I invite them to spend a week doing what we do.
And now to some points that require more imagination than evidence.
The blog also points to a $500 donation I made to Felix Pardo as evidence of collusion. That contribution came before the Gazette resumed publishing. Felix is a dear friend of more than 25 years and a respected figure in Coral Gables civic life. In addition to serving on city boards, he’s a past Rotary Club president and someone who has contributed to this community for decades. After thanking me for the donation, he urged me to consider bringing the Gazette back—because, in his view, the city lacked steady, independent local news. Publishing the Gazette is something I know, something I enjoy, and something I do well. I hadn’t planned to relaunch it. But that conversation made me reconsider—and I chose to step forward.
To be clear: the Gazette is independent. No candidate, special interest or faction determines what we cover or how we cover it. That responsibility lies with the editorial staff alone. We’ve praised and criticized public officials based solely on their actions.
If the mayor’s supporters choose to dismiss the Gazette as partisan, they’re welcome to that view. But for those reading with a clear eye, the integrity of our work speaks for itself. I stand by the reporting we’ve done—and I’m committed to raising our standards with every edition.
The truth is, media in Coral Gables has undergone a transition in recent years. Some outlets operate openly as opinion blogs. Others have disappeared altogether. We’ve chosen a different path: a return to something more traditional. A civic-minded, professional publication that reports, contextualizes, and engages. We do not claim to be perfect—but we do claim to be earnest. And that matters.
For those unfamiliar with my media credentials: I served for years as a director of the Florida Press Association and spent more than 15 years covering Coral Gables, publishing over 600 printed issues of the Gazette—copies of which I donated to the Coral Gables Museum. The Gazette earned numerous state journalism awards during that time. And I remain in daily conversation with many of Coral Gables’ business, civic, and political leaders.
The Gazette has only been back for six months, and already thousands upon thousands of readers have returned to us. That trust is humbling. And it’s something we work to earn each and every day.
Mayor Lago, for his part, has declined every request we’ve made for an interview or comment. Following his re-election, he briefly agreed to sit down with one of our reporters—only to later laugh off the idea. That is his prerogative. But in a city that values openness and accountability, it’s a missed opportunity.
I understand that media criticism takes a toll. The mayor has been under sustained scrutiny from a variety of sources. At recent commission meetings, he’s aired grievances not just about us, but about multiple media outlets, political blogs, union leaders—even residents. That’s a lot of windmills to tilt at.
Mr. Mayor, I want you to succeed. The residents of Coral Gables want you to succeed. And success requires viewing criticism as a tool for reflection.
The Gazette returned because the city needed it—and I intend to keep it here.
This publication is here to inform, to engage, and to serve. That’s the work. And I’m proud to do it.
This Post Has 45 Comments
Lucifer Lago.
Well stated. I’ve enjoyed reading the Gazette since its return and look forward to continuing to be informed by it.
Thanks for clarifying some important issues of credibility. Greater transparency on all accounts is best for readers and citizens and local businesses. We appreciate the work the Gazette has done in the past and look forward to more insightful coverage of important events in the Gables. Perhaps in the historical cycles of heated political verbiage, we’re entering a more reasonable era of less wholesale accusations and more deliberate positive interaction and constructive feedback.
Who is the actual publisher/force behind this Gazette?
The Linked In for the publisher, Justin Prisendorf shows him working elsewhere, not in the 305!
If that is the case, where & who is providing him the info he writes on??
We have good, competent reporters on the ground. I never gave up my “305” number!
Who is behind Aesop’s Gables? Anyone have any ideas?
Might be your long lost high school girlfriend (she doesn’t think about you anymore). Might be your mom. Either way, seems like Aesop lives in your head rent free. Huh, maybe that was the point.
i think that there is an obvious bias in the editor and publisher and his preferred candidates lost int he last election…do not male Coral gables a NYC .
Thank you for your valued journalism. As witnessed throughout the country, anyone who stands up for the truth verus the distorted realities our government, both local & national, trys to get us to believe, gets bullied and ridiculed. It is very important to read unbiased & truthful news regardless if we agree with it or not. Only those who don’t value freedom for everyone, oppose other points of view not in line with theirs. I have grown up in Coral Gables and understand its history and feel that we are losing some of our appeal with concentration on projects that don’t support our city beautiful. We all should be allowed to state this. Coral Gables “used” to be a community where we all pulled together for a common goal. We are being pulled apart and against each other based on differences of opinions which were at one time embraced but seem to be a crime now. Just read Nextdoor and you will experience so much hate amongst neighbors in our community. An app that should bring neighbors together has turned into a forum to release hate and prejudice against just about everyone. In contrast, the Gables Gazette, provides unbiased information about our community. Please keep doing what you’re doing and don’t be intimidated by anyone trying to shut you up.
Wow Patti. Thank you for this comment. These are wise words and you write so eloquently. Want a job?
Unfortunately, the mayor has gone off the deep end and only wants to settle past scores. He is beyond fixing at this point, as seen by his call for an investigation based on his own blog – Aesop – and then uses Coral Gables First like it was not just him spewing his nonsense. I appreciate the Gazette’s stories and look forward to more. As for Lago and his criticism of others, he should look deep in a mirror into his own eyes. It’s very dark in there.
Thank you Nick. The Gazette and I will show the mayor the deference that the office deserves, while maintaining our independent duty to hold its occupant accountable.
Back to the future~~ You’ve been gone from this area for many years. Is your brother still with you? Your Gazette then was exceptional, and I trust that you will continue to be the publication that you were from those many years ago: fair and focused on issues, not personalities. Good wishes.
Thank you Dorothy! Your service to this city is a lesson to us all.
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