The Grand Rapids Institute for Information Democracy (GRIID) has issued a media alert regarding a story on military recruiting that ran on West Michigan’s WOOD TV 8:
On November 12, WOOD TV 8 ran a story on a local man who has been trying to join the military but has been unable to because of his criminal record. In light of recruiting shortages, the military has been relaxing its rules to allow people to enlist if they have a criminal record. Despite this, the local man in the story has been unable to join the military because of a domestic violence charge against his girlfriend. The story only spoke with the man and two military representatives and failed to get an alternative perspective on the issue. Such a story could have placed the issue of domestic violence into the larger context of sexual assault in the military.
Send a Letter Telling WOOD TV you are Disappointed with the Story:
http://citizenspeak.org/node/1170
View the Story (includes video and transcript):
http://www.mediamouse.org/griid/dissecting.php?artId=343
For additional news analysis, visit the Grand Rapids Institute for Information Democracy’s (GRIID) “Dissecting the Local News Feature” at:
http://www.mediamouse.org/griid/dissecting.php
For additional media literacy resources, including studies of local news coverage, visit:
MediaMouse 