Grand Rapids Institute for Information Democracy

Analysis:

This article is about how the Kent County Republican Party will be bringing author and columnist Ann Coulter to Grand Rapids to keynote their annual Lincoln Day Dinner this March. In the article two people are quoted, Carol Van Andel and John Van Fossen, who are the co-finance chairpersons for the Kent County Republicans. They describe her as “Edgy” and say that “she’ll inspire and excite people.” No other people are interviewed in the piece about Coulter. The article describes Coulter as a “firebrand conservative” and that she “rips liberals at every opportunity.” It is noted in the article that Coulter once stated that “I think we ought to nuke North Korea right now just to give the rest of the world a warning. Boom! … thay’re a major threat. I think it would be fun to nuke them and have it be a warning to … the world”.

This style of rhetoric is typical for Coulter, who has a history of making statements calling for the physical destruction or imprisonment of people she disagrees with. She recently wrote in a column that “I think the government should be spying on all Arabs, engaging in torture as a televised spectator sport, dropping daisy cutters wantonly throughout the Middle East and sending liberals to Guantanamo.” Shortly after the attacks on Sept. 11 2001 she gained notoriety for saying “We should invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity.” She was also reported saying that “We need to execute people like John Walker in order to physically intimidate liberals, by making them realize that they can be killed, too. Otherwise, they will turn out to be outright traitors.” Readers should ask themselves that given the fact that Coulter has called for the intimidation and imprisonment of Americans she disagrees with as well as unprovoked nuclear attacks on sovereign nations, if perhaps the Grand Rapids Press was making a rather significan understatement when they referred to her in the headline as “edgy.”

Story:

‘Edgy’ speaker brings fire to local event

Saturday, January 14, 2006

By Steven Harmon

The Grand Rapids Press
GRAND RAPIDS — You don’t know what envelope Ann Coulter, firebrand conservative commentator, will push when she gets going.

But that’s the draw, Kent County Republican Party officials said Friday in announcing Coulter will keynote their Lincoln Day Dinner in March.

Described by Time magazine last year as “quite likely the most divisive figure in American politics,” Coulter is expected to attract upward of 1,500 to the annual event as Republicans gear up for an active 2006 campaign season.

“What I like about her is she stands up for what she believes and she doesn’t mince any words,” said Carol Van Andel, the party’s co-finance chairwoman who came up with the idea of bringing in Coulter. “She’s edgy. I like edgy.”

Coulter’s $30,000 speaker’s fee will be picked up by the Kent County Pachyderms, a group of GOP women whose mission is to get women involved in Republican politics. The event will be held March 16 at DeVos Place’s Steelcase Ballroom. Ticket cost has not been determined.

“She’ll inspire and excite people,” said John Van Fossen, the party’s other co-finance chairman and director of external affairs for the Van Andel Research Institute in Grand Rapids. He is a former chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Holland. “She’s going to do what Lincoln Day dinners are supposed to — attract more to the party and motivate the base.”

Previous speakers at the event in recent years were U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, and presidential adviser Karl Rove.

Plans have not been finalized, but Coulter has said she will make herself available for other events on that day, such as a book signing, GOP officials said. She has had four bestsellers on the New York Times list, including a 2003 book “Treason: Liberal Treachery from the Cold War to the War on Terrorism.”

In that book, as she does at every opportunity, she ripped liberals: “Whether they are defending the Soviet Union or bleating for Saddam Hussein, liberals are always against America. They are either traitors or idiots.”

Once, on CNN’s Lou Dobbs’ show, she said, “There are a lot of bad Republicans. There are no good Democrats.”

She aims her fire globally, too. Speaking to a New York Observer reporter, she said, “I think we ought to nuke North Korea right now just to give the rest of the world a warning. Boom! … They’re a major threat. I just think it would be fun to nuke them and have it be a warning to … the world.”

Analysis:

This story ran just before an event that the Kent County Democratic Part held that involved the statewide effort to raise the minimum wage in Michigan. Even though the reporter mentions up front that people are organizing to put the minimum wage on the ballot this year, event organizers or speakers are not interviewed for this story.

Instead, what WZZM 13 does is finds a random working person to get their feedback on a minimum wage increase. The reporter talks to a single mom who says she supports a wage increase, mostly because she is a mother of two and can’t make it off her current salary. Then the reporter talks with a representative with the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce who takes a position against any effort to raise the minimum wage in Michigan. Ask yourself, is it fair to put the comments of a working mother, who is not associated with the campaign, next to a representative of an organization that is pro business? It would have been more honest to have the event organizer’s comments followed by the GR Chamber of Commerce, which would have 2 organizational perspectives side by side.

Lastly, the story does provide some context to what the current minimum wage is and how long it has been at the current amount, but beyond that there is no investigation into how much a worker needs to live above the federal poverty level. The GR Chamber of Commerce representative does make claims about how this will be bad for business, but the reporter never verifies those claims.

Story:

WZZM 13 Newsreader – Michigan Democrats want to raise the minimum wage and tonight they are taking their campaign to the public. The minimum wage in Michigan has been 5 dollars and fifteen cents and hour for the past ten years. Their proposal calls for it to go up to six eighty-five. WZZM 13’s Phil Dawson joins us now from the Wealthy Theatre in Grand Rapids for more.

Reporter – Juliet, instead of relying upon the federal government or the state legislature to raise the minimum wage, organizers of a rally here at the Wealthy Theatre in Grand Rapids tonight are hoping to collect enough signatures to put the pay raise question before the voters this November.

Reporter – Tanning salon employee Tammy Wade is a West Michigan working mother would get a raise if the minimum wage goes up.

Tammy Wade – Big bonus for me, big bonus. Definitely.

Reporter – Entry level workers like Tammy Wade haven’t seen an increase in the five dollar and fifteen cent minimum wage since 1997, so some Democrats want to increase the minimum in Michigan to six dollars and eighty-five cents an hour.

Tammy Wade – I do have two children, and that’s definitely going to help with that. I also do have a vehicle that I am still paying on, so that would definitely be a little bit more helpful.

Jared Rodriguez (GR Area Chamber of Commerce) – We do not support that, as a way to increase wages.

Reporter – The Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce opposes an increase in the minimum wage because they say it would increase the cost of doing business in the state, and could force companies to downsize and cut jobs.

Jared Rodriguez – If there’s less funds available to pay your workforce because of the increase, you’re going to have to shrink or streamline your workforce. Therefore there could be a net decrease or loss of entry-level jobs.

Tammy Wade – Yes it’s definitely a struggle, especially being a single parent and having children, yes.

Reporter – The minimum wage works out to be about twelve thousand dollars a year for a fulltime employee in Michigan. If the campaign that begins here tonight collects enough signatures, it will be up to the voters to decide if there will be a pay raise. In Grand Rapids Phil Dawson, WZZM 13 News.

Total Time: 2 minutes 4 seconds

Analysis:

This AP story begins by focusing on the increase in drug cultivation and drug trade in Afghanistan. The story cites Afghani General Mohammad Daud who claims that the international community isn’t doing enough to help them combat the booming opium trade, which according to the article, makes Afghanistan the number one heroin producing nation in the world, responsible for 90% of the world’s opium and heroin. The story shifts focus towards the end by looking at security issues in Afghanistan and that is the only time that other sources are cited, specifically UN and US military sources.

Gen. Daud is also cited in the story claiming that the Taliban is responsible for the drug trade as a way to “fund the rebel insurgency.” The story also says that the “international community is pumping hundreds of millions of dollars into anti-drug campaigns to train police, arrest smugglers, destroy crops and help farmers grow legal crops.” What the story did not say was that according to the UN office of Drugs and Crime “These efforts are undermined by police and government officials who profit from what is Afghanistan’s largest industry.” Even the U.S. State Department expressed similar concerns last month, “suggesting that rising corruption would fuel growth in Afghanistan’s opium trade in 2006.” One question that is not asked in this story is how is it that Afghanistan has become the largest opium and heroin producer when the US has militarily occupied and controlled most of the country since early 2002?

Story:

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The international community has been “very slow” to combat Afghanistan’s booming trade in opium and heroin, while the Taliban has forced farmers to plant poppies to fund the rebel insurgency, the country’s top anti-drug official said Monday.

The warning came as a U.S. soldier and two civilians were wounded in a suicide bombing, the latest in a series of militant attacks. About 1,600 people died in such violence last year, making it the deadliest since the Taliban was ousted in 2001.

The anti-drug czar, Gen. Mohammed Daud Daud, promised a crackdown on drug smugglers in 2006. Last year’s bumper opium crop — enough to make about 450 tons of heroin — sparked warnings the country is fast becoming a “narco-state” four years after the U.S.-led invasion ousted the Taliban for harboring al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden.

The international community is pumping hundreds of millions of dollars into anti-drug campaigns to train police units to destroy laboratories, arrest smugglers and destroy opium crops, as well as to fund projects to help farmers grow legal crops.

But Daud said the United States and other nations must do more to help eradicate narcotics in Afghanistan, the source of nearly 90 percent of the world’s opium and heroin, especially providing alternative sources of income for farmers.

“In 2005, we were not satisfied and the farmers were not satisfied,” Daud, the deputy interior minister and commander of a special anti-drugs force, said in an interview. “We need to increase alternative livelihoods for the farmers.”

He added that despite promises of help to curb poppy cultivation, the international community’s “action has been very slow,” and accused the Taliban of forcing farmers to grow opium. “They used to fund themselves through drug sales and they are now doing their best to continue this,” Daud said. The general said 1,300 police officers would be deployed this month from Kabul to provinces where help is needed to enforce the anti-poppy campaign. Speaking to reporters earlier Monday, Daud said 2006 “will be the year when we will arrest all smugglers, especially those working with the government.”

Afghanistan’s drug trade is blamed for fighting in some poppy-growing areas, especially southern provinces.
The suicide attack Monday that wounded a U.S. soldier and two Afghan civilians occurred in the main southern Afghan city of Kandahar. The assailant detonated explosives packed in a car near a U.S. convoy.

Meanwhile, in a move that has raised fears of further attacks on foreigners, the government ordered the U.S. Embassy, the U.N. and other organizations to remove security barriers blocking streets in the capital and causing traffic jams.

Kabul’s streets are dotted with large concrete barriers aimed at protecting offices and homes. Many organizations have closed off whole streets.

U.N. spokesman Adrian Edwards said the barricades are necessary “security provisions for doing our work here.” U.S. military spokesman Lt. Col. Laurent Fox said many international groups have “voiced their concerns regarding the government’s proposal.”

Analysis:

This Associated Press story is an attempt at assessing the US economy for 2005, based on new Labor Department figures. The story also includes the Bush administration’s take on what he calls “job growth” even though there is no verification of the numbers or what kind of jobs were created in 2005. The only dissenting point of view is from the Democratic Party, but no person is ever cited and their claims that the tax policy has only benefited the wealthy is also not verified.

There was a substantial amount of the story that was cut from the GR Press version as you can see. There are additional quotes from the President, a quote from House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, as well as additional comments from representatives of Bank of America and an economist with Global Insight. Even with these additional sources in the original AP story, the perspectives tend to me fairly positive and one-sided. Looking at a few other economic policy sources and there is conflicting information about the 2005 economy. According to the Economic Policy Institute which says that the job growth is actually small for a recovery period, compared to other years and that the news jobs created may not be full time positions that can support many employees.

Story:

President touts economy’s rebound

He credits tax cuts, urges Congress to make them permanent.

Businesses boosted payrolls modestly in December, and the unemployment rate dropped to 4.9 percent — evidence, President Bush said, of the economy’s resiliency in the face of last year’s hurricanes and high energy costs. For all of 2005, employers added 2 million new jobs.

The employment report released by the Labor Department on Friday suggested that the job market headed into the new year in pretty good shape, analysts said. On Wall Street, the Dow Jones industrials closed up 77.16 points.
December’s jobless rate was down from November’s 5 percent rate. Payrolls grew by 108,000 last month a figure that was restrained by job losses in construction, which were blamed on bad weather in some parts of the country, as well as job cuts in retailing.

Employers, however, ended up adding 71,000 more jobs in October and November combined than previously reported. That took the sting out of December’s figure, which was about half of what had been expected.

In 2005, the economy added 2 million jobs an amount that economists described as solid and in line with the 2.2 million jobs created the year before. The economy lost jobs in 2001 and 2002 but saw a small gain in 2003. The unemployment rate averaged 5.1 percent last year, an improvement from the 5.5 percent average registered in 2004.
`We have a sturdy job market,” said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Economy.com. He expects another 2 million jobs will be created this year and the average unemployment rate for all of 2006 will drop to 4.9 percent.

Bush, whose standing with the public has improved but still remains relatively low, has shifted into a campaign-like mode to shine a spotlight on the economy’s good points in speeches around the country, including an appearance in Chicago on Friday. His economics team also fanned out to talk about the economy.

`The American economy heads into 2006 with a full head of steam,’ Bush declared. `We’ve been through a lot,” he said, referring to the 2001 recession, terror attacks, corporate accounting scandals, high energy prices and the Gulf Coast hurricanes that have punctuated the economic landscape over the last five years. Bush credited his tax cuts with helping the economy and called on Congress to make them permanent.

Democrats contend that the tax cuts mostly helped the wealthy and thrust the nation’s balance sheets into red ink. The middle class, they say, is getting squeezed by high health-care and energy costs.
In other economics news, consumer confidence sank in early January.

The RBC CASH Index, based on polling by Ipsos, showed that consumer confidence dropped to 78.2 this month from 85.5 in December. The decline mostly reflected Americans’ anxiety over the economy’s prospects and their own financial positions in the coming months. But they also felt less confident about the jobs climate.

Text from the original article ommitted from the Grand Rapids Press version:

`The Bush administration’s call for another round of tax cuts for the wealthy few when middle-class families are struggling to pay their bills is another example of misplaced Republican priorities,’said House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco.

On the jobs front, employees’ average hourly earnings climbed to $16.34 in December, up 0.3 percent from November slightly more than economists anticipated. Compared with a year ago, hourly earnings were up 3.1 percent. `Wages weren’t keeping pace with inflation last year,’ which is estimated to be around 3.8 percent, said Lynn Reaser, chief economist at Bank of America’s Investment Strategies Group. So workers are feeling pinched, analysts said.

To keep inflation in check, the Federal Reserve is expected to boost short-term rates at its next meeting on Jan. 31. That will mark the last session for chairman Alan Greenspan, who will retire that day after 18-plus years at the helm.

Another rate increase could come at the following meeting on March 28 the first one to be presided over by incoming Fed chief Ben Bernanke. Either way, many economists believe the Fed’s nearly two-year credit-tightening campaign will be winding down this year.

The employment report also showed that the average time the unemployed spent searching for work in December was 17.3 weeks, an improvement from the 17.6 weeks in November. Most private economists predict the economy will grow respectably this year topping 3 percent. Friday’s jobs report `suggests decent but not stellar economic growth,’ said Nigel Gault, economist at Global Insight.

Analysis:

There have been several stories lately about heating costs going up. This News 8 piece was one of the longer ones at over two and half minutes. This particular story starts with the reporter noting that DTE energy has been getting calls form consumers distraught over high gas bills. The reporter gives the reason for high gas bills as a combination of “Higher prices and weather” but then spends the entire story only talking about weather as the reason for larger gas bills. The reporter then goes into a long explanation of how unseasonably cold temperatures led to people’s gas consumption going up and there for their gas bill going up. The Reporter then gives DTE’s equation for computing gas usage. Next the reporter states that bills should be less for the next month due to an increase in temperatures and includes footage of the DTE spokesperson who says that “Peoples usage will be down, which will mean that their bills will be less.” Viewers could ask themselves, of what value is a story reporting on the fact that cold weather causes increased gas bills. Another question people could ask themselves is would the public have been better served by a story asking why prices for natural gas have gone up by 51 percent form last year and what people can do who are having trouble paying their bill.

Story:

WOOD 8 Newsreader #1 – Well at DTE’s Grand Rapids Customer service center, a flood of calls from home owners coming in asking if there’s been some sort of billing error.

WOOD 8 Newsreader #2 – Unfortunately there are few mistakes. The reality December gas bills are up, way up. Higher prices and weather have much to do with it. 24 hour News 8 Consumer reporter Patrick Center joins us with an explanation of all this, Patrick.

Reporter – Well Sue and Brian, remember in early December how bitterly cold it was, temperatures reminiscent of mid-January had West Michigan furnaces running round the clock, December bills reflecting the effort. But if the early December cold snap helped drive up usage, 24 hour news 8 wanted to know if the recent winter warm up will help bring down the cost of your next heating bill, the simple answer, yes.

Roger Royer (DTE Energy Regional Manager) – Peoples usage will be down, which will mean that their bills will be less than what it might have been if it had been a regular two week period.

Reporter – DTE charts temperature and gas usage to find out just how much gas you use and pay for is based on an equation called a normal heating degree day. Let’s use December first as our example. On that day the average actual temperature is 28 degrees. To arrive at the normal heating degree day, we subtract the exterior temperature 28, from what is considered the average interior temperature 65 degrees to arrive at a normal heating degree day temperature of 37 degrees. That number is important because it signifies how many degrees it will take for your furnace to get your home warmed to 65 degrees. The colder the exterior, the more you’ll pay. From December 1st to December 21st, DTE estimates it was 20 percent colder than normal thus the average household used 2.7 thousand cubic feet of gas. At eleven dollars and thirty-eight cents per thousand cubic feet, we all paid approximately thirty dollars and 43 cents more. But from December twenty second through January third, temperatures were twenty five percent warmer. Therefore we didn’t use as much gas so we’ll all pay about twenty six dollars and fifty-five cents less.

Royer – Hopefully you know we are going to have more of that, and everyday that goes by that we have a day like this helps everyone’s pocketbook.

Reporter – DTE and storm team 8 meteorologists are both forecasting average temperatures for the rest of the winter season. With the price of natural gas increasing over fifty-one percent from this time last year, enjoy the brief winter weather reprieve.

Total Time: 2 minutes 36 seconds

Analysis:

The story is basically saying that many things will cost more due to the increase in heating gas costs. The story is broken into 3 main parts. First, there is one home owner and then a series of business owners who talk about the impact that rising heating costs will have. Some businesses have responded by passing the costs onto customers and some are looking at was to be more energy efficient. Next, readers get DTE Energy’s perspective on the rising costs. The company’s spokesperson says that they have “no control of over the wholesale prices of gas, but we can recommend consumers do everything they can to reduce gas consumption.” At the end of the story there is mention of the impact this will have on low-income populations and that both Kent and Ottawa County will try to have support available for people unable to pay their bills.

The reporter then quotes DTE as saying the increase is due to “soaring world crude-oil prices, depleted supplies, high demand and falling U.S. production made worse by last fall’s hurricanes.” No where in the article are these reasons verified. The article also quotes the DTE representative as saying “The utility companies aren’t reaping big profits. Under state law, Michigan’s natural gas utilities are allowed only to recover the cost of natural gas they purchase, but without any mark-up.” Readers should ask themselves if this means that DTE doesn’t or can’t make a profit off of the natural gas it sells in Michigan? If they do make a profit then that statement couldn’t be true. Also worth looking at is what kind of lobbying does the company engage in with Federal and State legislators. A couple of examples we found were that 1) According to the Center for Responsive Politics ranking member to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Rep. John Dingell has been a major recipient of campaign money from DTE and that 2) according to the Institute for Money in State Politics DTE contributed over $285,000 to state candidates in Michigan in 2004. In other words, there seems to be more to heating costs than hurricanes and production cost changes.

Story:

Bundle up and brace yourself: Economy expected to take hit from heating prices
By Mary Radigan

Shari Goodwin was so stunned, she called DTE Energy to make sure there was no mistake.
The new homeowner found out, yes, her $125 heating bill was for real, even if it was triple her October bill.
Like the rest of us, she was shocked.

“I called DTE Energy to say this was impossible,” said Goodwin, who keeps the thermostat at 69 in her single-wide mobile home in Gaines Township. “Now I’m almost sorry I jumped into home ownership, because I’m paying so much for heating,” Goodwin, 59, lamented.

It’s not just homeowners who are turning pale. Hefty bills are landing with a thud at the doorsteps of merchants, manufacturers, hospitals, office buildings and restaurants.

Dan Gendler, owner of San Chez restaurant and the Mezze Cafe, 38 W. Fulton St., has already raised menu prices to cover rising costs. Gendler, who pays between $1,200 and $1,500 a month to heat his restaurants, expects his annual costs to soar another $15,000 to $20,000 in 2006. He is fighting back by installing programmable thermostats and automatic turn-off water valves on restroom sinks. Ovens are left off until needed.
“I already increased prices by 3 percent to bear the brunt of increased raw materials and energy costs in 2005,” Gendler said. “We may be forced to pass on more.”

Centerpointe Mall’s owners are thankful they installed a more efficient heating system last year. “But in our last bill we went from paying 92 cents to $1.44 per hundred cubic feet of natural gas,” said Deb Smith, marketing director. “That’s more than a 50 percent increase, so our first quarter (in 2006) could be a shocker.” The owners of the shopping center at East Beltline Avenue and 28th Street SE already paid $36,000 from January through Nov. 18 to heat about 900,000 square feet. That is the mall’s common space, but not space leased by stores.

Small merchants worry, too.

Meagan Andres, owner of Lynch’s Lair at 2055 28th St. SE, in the Grand Central Plaza, said her November gas bill jumped $100 and she fears she will face bills exceeding $200 a month for the small Irish and Celtic gift store she opened a year ago. “I’m only heating 900 square feet because I keep the storage room closed and it’s freezing in there,” Andres said. “The sun through the front windows of the store helps — when there’s any sun — and I put on sweaters and dial down to 60 degrees at night.”

The impact of the higher costs is expected to be felt throughout the already-struggling Michigan economy.
Manufacturers, some of the largest users of energy, also are concerned that double-digit increases could have a dramatic impact on production.

General Motors Corp. says it is trying to put the brakes on those costs. “Energy costs actually started going up in 2003 and 2004,” said Tom Neelands, director of GM’s energy and utility services group. That’s why GM has focused on efficiency and conservation. Processes are as simple as turning off machines and switching to more energy-efficient light bulbs and as complex as converting from natural gas to landfill or methane gas to operate plants.

DTE Energy says its natural-gas customers should expect an average 57 percent hike over last year’s bills. That is thanks to soaring world crude-oil prices, depleted supplies, high demand and falling U.S. production made worse by last fall’s hurricanes.

The average home paid $150 a month between November and March last year, but this winter, the average bill is expected to shoot up to $235, said Len Singer, a spokesman for DTE Energy, this area’s largest natural-gas provider.
The utility companies aren’t reaping big profits, he said. Under state law, Michigan’s natural gas utilities are allowed only to recover the cost of natural gas they purchase, but without any mark-up.

“We have no control over the wholesale price of gas, but we can recommend consumers do everything they can to reduce gas consumption,” Singer said. “Every degree you dial down on the thermostat will save you 3 percent on the bill.”

Goodwin, who bought her mobile home in Gaines Township’s Brookside Estates last summer, is worried about keeping up with costs. She cut back on her cable TV package and reduced her phone service. Goodwin also just turned to DTE’s budget payment plan, which still will cost her about $100 a month, year-round. The amount is adjusted annually and any shortfall is paid before the next year.
Some people can’t cover their bills.

Kent County service agencies have seen requests for utility assistance increase by 50 percent over last year. But funding can’t meet the need, with $250,000 less to work with this winter, according to agency officials.

In Ottawa County, where Semco Energy Co. is the primary provider, calls to the Community Action Agency for heating assistance are up 45 percent since October, but fewer residents are being helped because of a $78,000 loss in funding, said Susan Cervantes, program supervisor.

“Even though people knew this was coming, they didn’t go into sticker shock until the first bill arrived and the money wasn’t there,” Cervantes said. Cervantes said families should call if they receive shut-off notices, since the agency hopes to receive a funding grant in the next few weeks.

As a result of the budget shortfalls, Community Action Agencies in Kent, Ottawa and Muskegon are holding a West Michigan Walk For Warmth fundraiser in each county on Feb. 25. For information, call (616) 336-4113.

DTE’s Singer said customers should contact the utility to work out a payment plan if they expect problems.
“We can customize a payment plan for anyone,” he said.

Analysis:

This story was about how starting with the New Year, credit card companies would raise the minimum monthly payment from 2 percent of the total balance to 4 percent. The story features a young woman who says that she can barely afford her current credit card payments and also two financial counselors. These counselors give some very general advise on how to avoid credit card debt such as “You got to spend less than what you make” and “if you have a credit card debt, pay much more, as much as you can beyond the minimum payment due.” Later in the piece the financial counselor advises “Extra jobs, sell stuff, sell that brand new car, by a smaller used car.” Other than that, the only other useful information a viewer would learn from this piece is that, to quote the reporter: “If you are unable to afford the larger minimum payments, contact the credit card companies and try to negotiate a lower payment of interest rate.”

One piece of information not included in the story is who is responsible for making the decision to raise the minimum payment percentage. This change is being enacted by MBNA, Citibank and Bank of America, and the rest of the industry is expected to follow suit. This change is being enacted in response to pressure from the Government, specifically the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, which claims that this change will help people reduce credit card debt. Also not mentioned in this piece is the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005. This legislation, passed last year, with much financial backing from the credit card industry, makes it harder for people in debt to declare bankruptcy. A reasonable question from a reporter might be what is the effect on consumers who are now faced with higher monthly payments and fewer options in terms of personal bankruptcy when they can’t make these payments? Another question the reporter could ask is what are the responsibilities of the credit card companies in making sure that they are not extending or marketing credit excessively or irresponsibly to consumers?

Story:

WZZM 13 newsreader – minimum payments customers must make on a major credit card balance will double after January first. It may help some people get out of debt sooner, but others wonder how they will afford those bigger payments. WZZM 13’s Phil Dawson joins us now with details.

Reporter – Well Juliet, under the previous policy the minimum payment on a credit card was 2 percent of the balance. It’s going up to 4 percent and all of a sudden it means many people will need another few hundred dollars a month to pay toward their credit card debt.

Reporter – Doubling the minimum credit card payment from 2 to 4 percent of the balance is going to put pressure on many people with unpaid debt.

Allison Huffman (credit card user) – Because I already pay almost three hundred dollars a month, just for one credit card, and I have like five.

John Kremer (financial counselor) – There is going to be a lot of hardship out there, as payments double. A lot of them are just living paycheck to paycheck. And now it’s just…it’s going to be tough.

Reporter – At Thornwood Baptist Church in Ada, a dozen couples are learning how to reduce debt and build wealth with video lessons from financial expert Dave Ramsey. Class leaders say lesson one is stop using credit cards.

Kremer – You have to change the way you think. You got to change the ways you do things. You got to spend less than what you make.

Don Michael (financial counselor) Now the key is if you have a credit card debt, pay much more, as much as you can beyond the minimum payment due, get out from underneath that Albatross as soon as you can.

Reporter – Making the now mandatory 4 percent payment on a ten thousand dollar credit card balance, will pay off the debt in fifteen years, instead of fifty and save 20,000 dollars in interest. There is benefit to the consumer, they just need to find a way to make the payments.

Huffman – I’ll have to work more to make more money. I already live by my paychecks so I’ll have to work a whole lot more.

Kremer – Extra jobs, sell stuff, sell that brand new car, by a smaller used car. There are a lot of things they can do, but do they want to do it?

Reporter – If you are unable to afford the larger minimum payments, contact the credit card companies and try to negotiate a lower payment of interest rate. Juliet, most credit card companies would prefer less than the minimum than no payment at all.

Newsreader – Makes sense, thank you Phil.

Total Time: 2 minutes 24 seconds

Analysis:

All three stations did report on this public hearing on the late broadcasts. Channel 17 provided the longest story and the best coverage of the 3 stations. Channel 8 & 13 only provided comments from the Wal-Mart representative, while WXMI 17 also ran an excerpt from one of the Alpine Planning Commissioners and an area resident who spoke at the Public Hearing. There was mention on the channel 8 & 17 coverage about traffic and water runoff concerns and only channel 17 reported that the expansion proposal would conflict with an existing master plan for the area. Other than that, the only other information provided was some data by channel 17 on how many stores Wal-Mart owns locally, statewide and nationally.

There are several things elements missing from this story. First, considering all the attention that critics of Wal-Mart policies and practices have been getting lately that the local TV stations could have noted the criticism or sought out a local person who is organizing against Wal-Mart. Secondly, there is no mention of what impact the existing Wal-Mart has had in Alpine Township nor what the super store impact might be. Questions like how many jobs were created and what tax breaks did the company get are both reasonable issues to look at. The reporters could have obtained that information from the township Clerk and they could have looked online to see the economic impact in other communities across the country. These are important question since the Wal-Mart representative made claims that the store is “doing well” and that it “is a good fit” for Alpine. Lastly, there was no look into how the existing or new store has impacted local business competitors, or comparative impact in other communities, even though that information should be readily available. This is the important function of journalists, to take the time to investigate issues relevant in stories that gives the public enough information in order to make a decision on what the public will or will not support.

Story:

WXMI 17

WXMI 17 News reader – There’s talk of big box expansion on one of the busiest roads in West Michigan. Wal-Mart wants to tear down its store on Alpine Avenue and build a new Supercenter right behind it, but Alpine Township planners and neighbors are saying not so fast.

The issue discussed at a planning commission meeting Thursday night. Wal-Mart wants to open the new Supercenter in 2007. Nothing has been decided yet, but the plans are on the table.

Wal-Mart’s goal is to almost double the size of the current store to a 200 thousand square foot Supercenter. The retail giant is asking the planning commission to rezone five acres behind the store from agricultural to commercial property.

Wal-Mart would keep the current store open during construction then demolish it to make a parking lot. On Thursday night, the commission says the rezoning request doesn’t fit with the master plan because the land was intended for residential development.

“There has been no discussion of moving this line further west-the commercial line, which divides the section. Therefore Wal-Mart does not comply with our draft plan,” planning director Brendie Vega said.

Commissioners and people who live nearby are concerned about traffic and the need to expand an entrance road to accommodate a new store.

“I think it’s going to crowd the area for one, we’ve got enough growth out here and already got a store, we don’t need a bigger store,” concerned resident Steven Dolphin told FOX 17 News at Ten.

Wal-Mart says the new Supercenter will bring more jobs and an attractive new store to the area.

“That’s where the building fits and that’s where we would like to be. We want more room, there will be groceries there we’ll have a clean brand new store for the township,” said Mike DeVries, a Wal-Mart representative.

There was public hearing at Thursday’s meeting and several people showed up to voice their opinions. Commissioners just focused on land use, not traffic. The Kent County road commission will get involved on the road expansion issue if plans for a new Supercenter move forward.

Commissioners decided to table the request until a meeting on Jan. 19. If the planning commission decides to approve the rezoning request, then the full township board still has to give the green light.

Wal-Mart has Supercenters all over the country, state and here in West Michigan, but this would be the first in the greater Grand Rapids area.

Right now there are 14 Supercenters in West Michigan, 39 statewide and 1,700 nationwide.

Supercenters are different than regular Wal-Mart stores mainly because they have grocery departments.

Wal-Mart has become the world’s biggest grocery chain and the world’s biggest public company.

WOOD TV 8

Reporter – A plan by Wal-mart will be up for discussion again next month. Thursday night in Kent County, residents in Alpine Township came out to hear more about a proposed Wal-mart Supercenter on Alpine.

The company wants to build a new store behind the current Wal-mart but needs re-zoning approval. There is enough space on the current property, but Wal-mart says it can’t afford to tear down the building and put up a new one, so they want to build the new one first, then tear down the old building.

Wal-Mart Rep. – If they can’t build a new supercenter there, then they have to build somewhere else. The cost to close that store down for a year, it doesn’t make business sense to tear down, wait a year and have a new store open up. With that in mind, they’d be moving.

Reporter – The zoning commission is also concerned about traffic and water runoff.

WZZM 13

WZZM 13 News reader – New tonight executives from Wal-Mart were in West Michigan, trying to make the case for Kent County’s first super Wal-Mart. The Alpine Township Planning Commission talked about the zoning for existing property on Alpine Avenue, north of 4 Mile. Wal-Mart wants to build a new store on land behind the existing store.

Wal-Mart Rep – And what we are asking for is re-zoning, and we are asking does the Planning Commission think that a super center there? In 1992 you thought the Wal-Mart fit there, and obviously it did because they are doing well. The neighbors are shopping there, people passing on Alpine are shopping there. It is a good fit. We just want to expand it.

WZZM 13 News reader – No timelines for the project were decided on tonight. Alpine Commissioners will take the issue back up in early 2006.

Analysis:

This story looks at fraud related to the relief efforts around Hurricane Katrina. Most the story is devoted to covering fraud committed by individual actors. For example, there is footage of an older woman who is being put in a police car for falsely claiming to be a Katrina victim. Viewers are also told about Red Cross volunteers stealing debit cards intended for hurricane victims. This is reported in rather subjective language, with the reporter stating “We’ve seen the heroes, now come the villains, the petty crooks and big time thieves who have gone after the sixty plus billion dollars of federal aid and millions more donated to charities.” Interviewed in the piece is a representative from the American Red Cross and also an Assistant Attorney General from the US Justice Department. Neither of the statements by these two people provides the viewer with any concrete details about fraud of relief monies, rather they are general statements expressing disappointment that people would engage in defrauding victims.

There are several issues related to this topic that was not included in this story. One thing that was glossed over was the issue of large scale waste and fraud. In the piece there is a statement provided by Danielle Brian from the Project on Government Oversight. She is shown saying “Rather than the big picture, multi-million, ten million dollar crimes, that’s what we’re more concerned about.” The reporter then follows that quote saying “But what about the price gouging contractors, the sweetheart deals for the politically connected. Sadly it would seem the fallout from Katrina stretches from coast to battered coast”. That’s how the story ends. While the reporter raises this issue of large scale fraud perpetrated by companies and governmental agencies, no examples or details are provided. Nor is any data provided on the scale of the fraud, or how the individual examples which the story focuses on compare in terms of dollars wasted to the large scale scams alluded to but left unexplored by the reporter.

Story:

WXMI 17 News reader – Earlier this week federal investigators announced the arrests of several people in California accused of trying to cheat the Red Cross out of money intended for Hurricane Katrina victims. It’s only the latest in a string of similar revelations. National correspondent Grant Rampy joins us live from our news center in Washington tonight with more, Grant.

Reporter – Evening Rachel, we probably shouldn’t be shocked there are always creeps who come out of the woodwork to prey on those who are down on their luck. In Katrina’s wake, same story new victims.

Reporter – We’ve seen the heroes, now come the villains, the petty crooks and big time thieves who have gone after the sixty plus billion dollars of federal aid and millions more donated to charities, all of which was intended to help the displaced and the distraught. This woman’s accused of posing as an evacuee.

Woman in handcuffs – Someone set it up and I’m stupid enough to go do it, like a fool.

Reporter – In Texas a Red Cross volunteer charged with stealing debit cards meant for storm victims. In California twenty-two people contracted to work at this Red Cross call center, are accused of filing three hundred thousand dollars worth of false claims.

Laura Howe (Red Cross) – It’s terribly disappointing and disheartening that anyone would want to take something away from people who need help and need it so badly.

John Conklin (Asst. US Attorney General) – Unfortunately the fraud schemes are ever present and in this case, while we hoped nobody would be willing to take advantage of this situation, people have.

Reporter – there are the phony evacuees, phony charities, phony insurance claims, the Justice department set up a special taskforce just to deal with all the scandals.

Alberto Gonzales (US Attorney General) – What we’ve witnessed, the actions of a few.

Reporter – but one government watchdog says the feds are too focused on going after small timers.

Danielle Brian (Project on govt. oversight) – Rather than the big picture, multi-million, ten million dollar crimes, that’s what we’re more concerned about.

Reporter – The American Red Cross insists instances of fraud represent a small percentage of the overall contributions that have been made to its organization. But what about the price gouging contractors, the sweetheart deals for the politically connected. Sadly it would seem the fallout from Katrina stretches from coast to battered coast.

Reporter – And the Red Cross says it is taking a two fold approach to fighting fraud. Its expanding the search for scammers and at the same time providing new systems that make it easier to detect fraud in the future. Live in Washington, Grant Rampy, FOX 17 news at ten.

Total time: 2 minutes 23 seconds