Palm Beach Post Columnist Flexes Facebook Muscle

Posted by Jose Lambiet , February 19, 2013 Print

The insane must be running the asylum on South Dixie!

The Palm Beach Post columnist Leslie Gray Streeter took to Facebook recently to call out a local flower shop where she felt dissed — in clear violation of the newspaper’s policy.

The Palm Beach Post Here is what Streeter, who covers entertainment for the dying daily, wrote in a Valentine’s Day entry on her fan page:

“Hey, Old Town Florists in West Palm Beach! Remember that part of ‘Pretty Woman’ where the Beverly Hills shop women were really mean to Julia Roberts, a potential paying customer, and she came back all dressed up to tell them they had messed up? That’s kind of like hanging up – twice – on a customer who just asks if you’re open, even on a busy Valentine’s Day afternoon. Especially when that customer is a Palm Beach Post columnist with a really big FB family. Big mistake. Huge.”

The HUGE mistake here was Julia Roberts‘, I mean Streeter’s.

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So happens that U.S. journalistic ethics prevent news people from using their privileged public position to settle private scores.

Eventually, Streeter pulled down her angry entry to more than 3,000 fans — but it was up there long enough to be noticed.

Later that day, Streeter thanked rival florist Extra Touch on Clematis for treating her husband right in his purchase of Valentine’s flowers for her! That entry is still up.

Old Town owner Leo Davenport called Streeter’s words a “cheap shot” since he wasn’t offered the chance to defend himself.

“Who calls a flower shop on Valentine’s Day,” said Davenport, who has co-owned the business since 1967. “Most flower shops don’t even answer the phone on Valentine’s Day. Maybe she shoulda called the store on Feb. 13, or God forbid, a couple days earlier.

“She’s not my favorite columnist anyway!”

No comment from Streeter or her bosses, who recently were pushing individual reporters and editors to use Facebook and Twitter to gain readership.

Streeter’s ethical breach comes in the wake of a story about another company columnist, Shannon Donnelly at the The Palm Beach Daily News, allegedly threatening officials at charities to withhold coverage of their fundraising events if other media were allowed in!

Featured News Palm Beach Cox Communications, ethics, Facebook, Florida, Gossip Extra, Jose Lambiet, Leslie Gray Streeter, Old Town Florist, The Palm Beach Daily News, The Palm Beach Post, West Palm Beach

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Loxahatchee Larry, 2 months ago Reply

Sounds to me like hubby forgot what day it was and had to scramble. Then he tried to bully him with Do you know who my wife is? yeah…. she’s your bitch! LOL
Bill In Glens Falls, 2 months ago Reply

Seriously?

That’s insane.

She should be fired for trying to use her position like that.
jon, 2 months ago Reply

at the risk of running agains the tide here, they were both wrong. no business person hangs up on customers because they are busy. if you really don’t want to answer calls….don’t answer or unplug the phone. Better idea: answer the phone, be courteous, and speak briefly to the CUSTOMER while working on your flower arrangement.

of course, the “society” columnist is also way out of line…laughably self important.
Gary, 2 months ago Reply

Least we forget that Ms. Roberts
Was playing the part of a Street Walking
Whore , not Cinderella .
How exactly foes Mrs Streeter claim to identify
With ???
If this is her self proclaimed self image
She’s got more problems than her
Facebook ethics
Loxahatchee Larry, 2 months ago Reply

@ jon – valid point. The situation could have been handled with a little more finesse.

It also high lights a trend in the news media that I have noticed the past few years; where the reporters/”on air personality” think THEY are the news instead of just reporting it. Katie Couric the quintessential diva.

Thoughts Jose? you deal with these people on a regular basis.
- Jose Lambiet, 2 months ago Reply
  
  Actually, Larry, I think Palm Beach County news personalities are pretty well behaved in general. It’s always those who are lower on the totem poll who take themselves seriously. But peeps like Michael Williams at WPTV and Tiffany Kenney at WPBF are pretty down to earth people.