The Issue

We, the undersigned community members, ask organizational partners, advertisers, and community institutions associated with Steven Harmeyer and The 812 News—including the Batesville Area Resource Center (BARC)—to review documented concerns regarding editorial oversight, professional boundaries, and community engagement practices. We urge these partners to independently assess whether continuing media access, financial sponsorships, or professional affiliations align with their respective organizational standards and values.

Local news organizations play a vital role in informing the public, shaping civic discourse, and holding public figures accountable. Because of this trusted position, publishers and newsroom leaders are reasonably expected to adhere to standard journalistic codes of ethics, maintain clear professional boundaries, and welcome public commentary and criticism without engaging in retaliatory or boundary-crossing outreach.

Several community members have raised concerns regarding outreach and private messaging received from Mr. Harmeyer following public commentary on or criticism of The 812 News's reporting. Reported experiences describe repeated electronic communications continuing after expressions of discomfort, as well as unprofessional personal remarks from a local media representative.

These reports raise important public questions regarding whether The 812 News operates under recognized editorial standards and neutral oversight, or whether its operational model prioritizes social media engagement and high-comment debate over standard media ethics.

We encourage all community members, institutional sponsors, and affiliated organizations to independently review available documentation, contextual information, and official communications before arriving at their own conclusions.

Call to Action for Affiliated Organizations

We invite organizations affiliated with, sponsoring, or advertising through The 812 News to:

1. Independently Review: Examine reported concerns, documented communications, and editorial practices in light of your organization's mission and ethics.

2. Evaluate Partnerships: Assess existing media, advertising, and sponsorship policies to ensure institutional resources support media practices that serve the public interest.

3. Promote Standards: Encourage local media representatives to adopt transparent oversight mechanisms and maintain clear professional boundaries during all community interactions.

Our Demands

To ensure fair, transparent, and ethical local media coverage, we ask that The 812 News:

 Adopt and publicly publish a formal Journalistic Code of Ethics governing newsroom conduct, editorial oversight, and reader interactions.

 Establish a clear, neutral mechanism for community feedback, corrections, and standards review.

 Commit to respecting community members' right to criticize, question, or discuss local media coverage without receiving personal pressure or non-editorial outreach.

Documented Communications

The following images represent documented electronic communications shared directly with the petitioner. Excerpts are provided for public review and context. Third-party identifying information has been redacted solely to protect private individuals' personal privacy and safety. These images are presented as authentic, unedited records of the messages received.

Disclosure & Statement of Integrity

This petition constitutes protected commentary and public inquiry on a matter of community concern regarding local media practices and journalistic integrity. All statements herein express the opinions and concerns of the undersigned constituents based on disclosed records and firsthand community accounts. The petitioner declares that all attached documentation has been provided in good faith and reproduced accurately without material alteration.

Bullying in the comments section:

EVIDENCE OF BIAS:

1. Charlie Kirk Post

Direct Agreement with Religious Framing:

 User (Blaine Ward): "One of God's greatest men put here on our planet to serve Him."

 The 812 Response: "Well said Blaine and we completely agree with you"

 Significance: Instead of maintaining editorial distance or using neutral moderation (e.g., thanking readers for commenting or letting public comments stand on their own), the page's administrator explicitly adopts a subjective, personal stance ("we completely agree with you"), declaring a controversial national political figure to be "one of God's greatest men."

 Direct Agreement with Character Judgments:

 User (Wayne Brandt): "A good man, husband, and father. The reaction from people about his death is a reflection of their content of their character."

 The 812 Response: "We agree"

 Significance: The outlet's administrator again responds in the first-person plural ("We agree"), explicitly endorsing the comment's assertion regarding public reaction and character judgments.

Contextual Implications

1. Explicit Editorial Positioning: These exchanges demonstrate that The 812 does not maintain strict non-partisan neutrality in its social media management. By using the collective "we" to agree with user statements, the account administrators directly align the publication with specific religious and political perspectives.

2. Community Reaction and Engagement: Rather than remaining a neutral host for public discussion, the page actively participates in shaping the tone of the comment section by validating pro-figure commentary.

(Screenshots below)

2. “legal immigrant” passed away in headline of story, name not mentioned 

The post framing and user responses demonstrate hallmarks of sensationalized framing and engagement-driven design (often termed "rage bait"), alongside underlying editorial bias.

1. Language Choice and Othering

 Omission of Identity: Standard journalistic practice for a local obituary or fundraiser coverage prioritizes the deceased individual's full name in the headline or primary social caption to honor their identity and inform the community.

 Reduction to Legal Status: Leading the caption with "a legal immigrant passed away" rather than the person's name centers immigration status as his primary defining trait. Inserting the modifier "legal" preemptively signals to readers that immigration status is a relevant condition for sympathy, which invites public division over immigration policy rather than focusing on a local tragic death.

2. Rage Bait Mechanics and Audience Reaction

 Exploiting Sensitive Flashpoints: Immigration is one of the most polarizing national and local political issues. Introducing immigration status into a local tragedy creates an immediate clash in the comment section between readers arguing over legal status and those calling for basic human empathy.

 Public Pushback in Comments: The public reactions in the screenshots directly highlight this tension:

 Family/Community Perspective: A relative notes, "his status doesn't matter. What matters is getting him home to his family..."

 Critique of Dignity: Readers point out that omitting his name is "incredibly dehumanizing" and reduces a person to an "other."

 Frustration with Framing: Other commenters question why the outlet felt compelled to highlight his legal status in the first place ("Why did they want you to know he's a 'legal immigrant' !!").

3. Editorial Implications

By choosing a headline structure that foregrounds a politically charged demographic label over the deceased individual's name, The 812 uses framing techniques that predictably generate high-conflict comment threads, driving social media engagement through outrage and debate rather than neutral, respectful local reporting.

Screenshots: