Media Watchdog Alert: WZZM 13 does a Copaganda story featuring the Pro-Police group iCI Nation

On Monday night, the day before it was announcement which GRPD officer was responsible for shooting and killing Patrick Lyoya, WZZM 13 reported on an event about how the community can heal.

The problem with the story was that WZZM 13 never questioned nor provided accurate context for which group actually organized the event.

The so-called community healing event was organized by the group known as iCI Nation, which is a pro-police/police apologist group. 

We reported on iCI Nation last November, after they produced a short video about a “unity walk” on the southeast side of Grand Rapids, which involved pastors and cops.

The WZZM 13 story provides none of the information we reported, and it doesn’t question what it would mean to have real healing after a GRPD officer shot Patrick Lyoya in the back of the head. As if the channel 13 story wasn’t already bad enough, at the end of the story, the news reader announces that the Acts Gospel Ministries, along with iCI Nation, will be hosting a first responders lunch on May 18 in their parking lot. The last sentence states, “The community is welcome to continue conversations with first responders, including police officers.” 

What good could possibly come from having a conversation with members of an institution that will not take responsibility for murdering Patrick Lyoya, and continues to demonstrate that they protect power and order.

It is also worth noting, that iCI Nation hasn’t made a formal apology to Patrick Lyoya’s family on their Facebook page, even though it has been more than three weeks since the GRPD cop killed him. In fact, the only mention of Patrick Lyoya’s death was from the WZZM 13 story that they posted. 

GRIID is asking for people to contact WZZM 13 and hold them accountable for this story, which provides no information on iCI Nation, that iCI Nation is a pro-police organization, and that their story just ends up being a form of copaganda. 

Phone: (616) 559-1300

E-mail – news@wzzm13.com