Grand Rapids Institute for Information Democracy

Analysis:

There are less than two weeks until the August 2nd primary vote, and WZZM has yet to give viewers any substantive information about any of the candidates. This piece is a good example of this trend. In the piece it is reported that the Mayor is endorsing candidate Rosalynn Bliss. What was not reported are Mayor Heartwell’s reasons for endorsing Bliss. Nor was Bliss interviewed or any part of her platform or issue positions explored. This is true of WZZM’s coverage of all the candidates for the upcoming primary election, whether they be Grand Rapids City commission, library board, or Wyoming Mayor.

While the newsreader lists the names of the candidates for the second ward, the candidates for the first and third wards are not even mentioned as, according to the newsreader, these races may not “hotly contested.” The piece seems to imply that since there is an incumbent running in the third and first wards, that somehow these races will not be competitive and therefore do not merit reporting. It is worth asking if this sort of attitude toward races involving incumbents serves to help the viewer become and informed voter.

As with the handful of other election related stories aired on WZZM 13, this piece ends with the newsreader noting that if viewers want to learn more about the candidates, to visit the links provided on http://www.wzzm.org. In the online version of this story, a link is provided that goes to a Kent County page that lists the candidates name. This page provides no other information about the candidates, nor is any information provided on WZZM’s website.

Story:

WZZM 13 Newsreader – the political season is heating up in Grand Rapids with primary elections right around the corner. Now this year the vote in August includes several races in city government. This morning Mayor George Heatwell endorsed a city commission candidate in Ward 2. the Mayor lives in that district and says that he has chosen to endorse Rosalynn Bliss. She is running for an open seat currently held by Lynn Rabaut who has chosen not to run again. In the Aug 2nd primary election Bliss will be up against Shaula Johnston and Arthur Croon. In addition to that race, wards one and three have multiple candidates, but both have incumbents seeking reelection, so those may not be as hotly contested as ward two should be.

And on a related note, something that will be new for those going to the polls in August; no more punch cards in Grand Rapids. Today poll volunteers learned how to use the new optical scanning machines. They were paid for with federal money from the Help America Vote Act. If you want to see all the candidates who are running in the primary, just go to news links at WZZM13.com

Total Time: 59 seconds

Analysis:

This article is a rather lengthy piece by newspaper standards and does contain quite a bit of information. The article points out various purchases made by state representatives with money from their campaigns for things such as football tickets, travel, car leases, and even livestock. The bulk of the article is devoted to mentioning specific cases of this type of spending behavior, quoting several state reps about these expenses as well as donors on their thoughts on the issue. Of all these cases mentioned, the most money involved in any of them is 2600 dollars and the article does point out that none of them are actually illegal, or unethical in any official sense of the word. The only critical voice mentioned in the article is Rich Robinson from the Michigan Campaign Finance Network, who calls the expenditures “questionable”.

One thing worth noting is that this article was accompanied by several charts, one listing who much money various state reps raised and how much came from PACs, another chart of the largest state PACs and how much they give, and a third box about how State Rep Kooiman has proposed a bill doubling the amount of money an individual may donate to a candidate. None of the issues raised by these charts were addressed by the article as the article was about how candidates spend money, the charts about how they get their money. This question of how they get there money, when juxtaposed with information such as how they voted, is very important information that readers should know if they are to be informed voters. One other thing worth noting that was not addressed in this article is the fact that Michigan is, according to the Center for Public integrity, one of three states that does not have a disclosure law. That means that in Michigan, State reps are not required to disclose their personal finances or investments in order to ensure against any possible conflict of interests.

Story:

Political cash buys trips, tickets, giveaways
Sunday, July 17, 2005By Steven Harmon

The Grand Rapids Press

GRAND RAPIDS — For a third straight year, University of Michigan football games will be on the house for some supporters of state Rep. Jerry Kooiman.

Kooiman and Rep. Bill Huizenga, for his second straight year, plan to dole out tickets they will pay for with money from their political action committees.

But Rep. Michael Sak, D-Grand Rapids, says he is getting out of the perk business. He bought two U-M season tickets for $570 in 2004 but now says he has repaid his campaign committee for them.

Sak also bought $36 hockey tickets for volunteers and an $11 ticket to a Tigers game for a volunteer, according to campaign finance documents covering 2003-2004.

“I’ve reconsidered my decision and reimbursed my campaign account with personal funds,” Sak said. “Just to close the books on the entire issue.”

Football isn’t every legislator’s bag. Others use their campaign funds for conferences — one West Michigan lawmaker traveled to Alaska last year — car leases, golf outings, even 4-H pigs.

To be sure, the expenditures are not illegal. Candidate PAC money is intended to go toward electing candidates or paying office expenses, according to Michigan campaign finance law.

But that can be broadly interpreted. Officeholders and candidates can claim that most of what they do promotes their candidacy.

“Ultimately, you’re responsible to your donors,” said Huizenga, R-Zeeland. “If people think I’m abusing their campaign donations, they’ll quit sending money. And that hasn’t happened.”

Donors don’t give so they can go to the football games, but to gain access to the power of an officeholder, said Rich Robinson of the Michigan Campaign Finance Network, a nonpartisan watchdog group in Lansing. He called the football tickets a questionable use of money intended for campaign purposes.

“It would be difficult to say expenditures like these are truly necessary as a function of being an officeholder,” Robinson said.

Former Grand Rapids state Sen. Glenn Steil, now running two businesses in Florida, said dipping into campaign chests is like the old practice of using officeholder expense accounts, which were outlawed during the 1990s, when lawmakers were found to have used them for parties, game tickets and extra staff.

“It’s nonsense,” said Steil, a vocal opponent of officeholder expenses when he was in the Legislature from 1994 to 2002. “It’s not the intention of what giving to politicians is for. To buy tickets to U-M games, which they are already assured of getting — they already have a seat when they want one — is not what campaign donors are paying to get politicians re-elected for.”

Holly Hoats, of Caledonia, contributed $250 to Kooiman last year and said she has no problems with however Kooiman uses his contributions.

“It doesn’t bother me at all (that he used contributions for football tickets),” she said. “I view it like any other business. To win people over to your ideas, you try to entertain them.”

Legislators get a base salary of $79,650, along with extra stipends for leadership posts. House members also receive office expenses: $96,500 for majority Republicans and $94,500 for minority Democrats, which largely pay for staff salaries. Senate members get office allotments of $58,425, with another Senate account paying for staff salaries.

Lawmakers further are reimbursed for one round trip a week to their districts, along with in-district travel.

Kooiman, a Grand Rapids Republican, has bought four season tickets two years in a row for a total of $2,362, at a time when he was aiming for the chairmanship of the House Appropriations Committee chairman.

“I used them to build up support within my campaign for leadership,” he said. “And to develop friendships and relationships with incoming members. And it was a way to thank supporters for their involvement.”

Kooiman was passed over for the Appropriations chair earlier this year but elected speaker pro tem, the second in line to the speaker.

Huizenga, who failed in his pursuit of the speakership last fall, bought two U-M season tickets last year for $570 out of his campaign funds. He recently bought another pair of U-M season tickets.

One politician’s reasoning

“It’s no different than if I’m buying tickets to an Ottawa County Lincoln Day dinner,” he said. “You invite supporters or volunteers.”

Last year, he said, he didn’t attend any of the games, giving tickets to volunteers, supporters, staff members and, in one case, a lobbyist.

The gift to the lobbyist, he said, was just by chance; he met the lobbyist in line at a cafe after he had difficulty giving the tickets away.

He said ticket giveaways were legal and ethical.

“Legally, I could buy clothes — suits and ties,” Huizenga said. “Do I do that? No. If it’s anything you’re doing that promotes yourself in the advancement of your political office, that’s designated as campaign-related.”

No other Grand Rapids-area lawmaker bought season football tickets.

Senate Majority Leader Kenneth Sikkema, R-Wyoming, has used his leadership PAC money to pay for a car lease for the past two years rather than take state reimbursements.

Rep. Gary Newell’s most extravagant buy was a couple of 4-H pigs last year at the Ionia County youth meat sale for $863.75.

The Saranac Republican also paid $811.15 to Western Wats, a polling company, for automated calls out of Orem, Utah.

“They were all ‘vote for me’ calls,” Newell said.

An early candidate for the speakership and then Appropriations chairman last fall, Newell said it never occurred to him to cultivate support with game tickets.

“No football days,” said Newell, who also was co-chair of the House Republican Campaign Committee. “My primary goal was to get people elected.”

Newell said former Speaker Rick Johnson never opened a leadership fund, but got elected with his personal touch.

“I voted for him because early in my campaign, he made it to a couple of my fund-raisers, one at 7 in the morning in Hastings,” Newell said. “But there wasn’t any money or perks.”

Kooiman said schmoozing at high-profile events is a way of life in the capital.

“Do I like the fact that I had to raise money to obtain a leadership position in Lansing? No,” he said. “I’d prefer to have an election simply based on who you are, your experience and your qualifications. But that is a fairly naive way of looking at how things happen.”

Rep. Fulton Sheen, R-Plainwell, spent $2,600 in travel and lodging in 2003-2004, including $947 for a trip last year to Anchorage, Alaska, for a Council of State Governments conference.

It was one of seven conferences Sheen attended He also went to Boyne Mountain ski and golf resort, Crystal Mountain resort near Cadillac, and Washington, D.C.

Sheen said conference-hopping is an appropriate use of his campaign contributions. He attended a National Commissioners of Insurance and Legislators conference last weekend in Rhode Island. (His wife, Shirley, also went, but they paid for that separately.)

“Wherever you go, if it’s to learn about people, or fostering trade relations, or if you’re meeting with other legislators at conferences to network, all that pertains to what you’re doing as a legislator,” Sheen said.

Analysis:

On Saturday July 16, the Grand Rapids Press ran a story about President Bush’s promoting the Central American Free Trade agreement. This was one of the few articles we have seen in the Grand Rapids Press concerning CAFTA, and it was framed exclusively from the president’s perspective. The article is not very long and President Bush is the only voice quoted in it. These quotes from the president are from a speech he gave in North Carolina in which he promoted CAFTA as part of the “War on Terror”. In the article Bush says “It (CAFTA) will advance a key part of our foreign policy” and that “It is in our interest that those democracies (Central American) be strong and viable. There are still forces that oppose democratic government there.” The article also goes on to state that Bush believes that CAFTA would help bring jobs to the US. Again, to Quote Bush; “t’s a pro-jobs bill. It’s a pro-growth bill, it’s a pro-democracy bill.” The reporter does not follow those comments with any countering voices, nor does he provide any contextual information with which the reader could use to judge the accuracy of Bush’s claims about CAFTA.

One piece of contextual information the reporter could have mentioned is NAFTA, which is the model upon which CAFTA is designed. NAFTA has been in place for over a decade and some data about the results it has had in terms of jobs and economic growth would be very relevant. Also, the reporter does nothing to challenge the idea that CAFTA is somehow related to the “war on terror” or that CAFTA will lead to an increase in democracy. The article does not tell the reader who even is opposed to CAFTA, only that it is “endangered” and that House leaders hope to vote on it before August. No Republican or democratic house members opposed to CAFTA are presented in this article, nor are Labor voices, human rights organizations, environmental organizations, or any voices actually from Central America. We at GRIID have noted that by and large, the voices that get published in the local media tend to be official voices, particularly on issues of international news. So it is hardly surprising, although rather unfortunate for the reader, that this article on CAFTA contained only one perspective, that of the President.

Story:

DALLAS, N.C. –
President Bush portrayed an endangered free-trade treaty as another front in the global war on terror Friday, suggesting his Central America Free Trade Agreement was not only good for commerce but for shoring up fragile democracies in the region.

“It’s in our interest that those democracies be strong and viable. There are still forces that oppose democratic government there,” he said. “There are forces that are hostile to our interests. It will help advance a key part of our foreign policy.”

Bush made his pitch in a state where GOP support for the pact is weak, and with a visit to a textile plant, where critics suggest jobs could be jeopardized by the measure.

Bush suggested the legislation, which passed the Senate earlier this month but faces a tough time in the House, would help bring more jobs to the United States, not send them fleeing.

“It’s a pro-jobs bill. It’s a pro-growth bill. It’s a pro-democracy bill,” Bush said.

Bush toured the R.L. Stowe Mills plant in nearby Belmont, N.C., and stood among giant spools of white cotton thread and 480-pound bales of raw cotton. Then he appealed for the treaty’s support in a speech to an invitation-only audience at the Gaston Community College here.

“Get that bill to my desk,” Bush said in remarks aimed at Congress.

The trade agreement, signed by the United States a year ago, would end or sharply lower trade barriers with the Central American countries of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. It would also apply to the Dominican Republic, a Caribbean nation.

House leaders have said they hope to bring up the measure before Congress breaks for its August recess.

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

But it faces near-solid Democratic opposition and only lukewarm GOP support.

Bush’s visit was to the district of Rep. Sue Myrick (news, bio, voting record), R-N.C., alone among North Carolina’s 13-member House delegation to publicly endorse the measure. She accompanied him on Air Force One.

Ahead of his visit, Bush met at the White House with President Antonio Saca of El Salvador, one of the countries that is a party to the trade agreement. The two leaders sat alongside each other in the Oval Office during a brief picture-taking session.

North Carolina is one of the hotbeds of opposition to the pact, which is modeled on the North American Free Trade Agreement passed 12 years ago that established free trade among the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Critics contend CAFTA will cost U.S. jobs by making it easier for U.S. companies to relocate operations in Central America, where labor costs are lower. The White House argues the opposite, asserting it will bring jobs to the United States.

Also, Bush suggested stimulating the economies of Central America could also help reduce illegal immigration. Workers could “find a job close at home, rather than sneak into the United States to find a job,” he said.

The textile industry itself is divided on the pact.

The trip gave the president an opportunity to briefly escape the fierce political debate in Washington surrounding his chief political adviser and deputy chief of staff, Karl Rove. The adviser is at the center of a federal investigation into a 2003 news leak that exposed the identity of a CIA officer.

But there were reminders of the flap even here. Someone in a small group of protesters held a sign that said, “Fire Bush’s Brain,” as Bush’s motorcade went by. It was a reference to an irreverent Rove nickname.

Rove was along on the trip.

In a playful moment, Rove reached into a reporter’s backpack and pulled out a half-filled container of Tylenol PM. He handed it back to the reporter, and joked, “You look like you need this.”

Analysis:

This story is framed purely as a partisan story. Viewers are given opinions from both sides without being informed about the issues surrounding the story. Read the comments from both Republicans and Democrats and ask yourself if anything they said informs you. The reporter states at one point “If a picture is worth a thousand words the message here can’t be missed – George Bush is standing by top aide Karl Rove.” Indeed, the message is hard to miss, yet the story never delves deeper into questions posed by the photo, questions relating to national security and the War on Terrorism and their connection to the Administrations defensive attitude towards Rove. Reporters must provide independent perspectives, particularly if they provide viewers with substantive analysis.

Story:

WXMI 17 News reader – Tonight top Presidential aide Karl Rove is under increasing fire from Democrats. They say he ought to be immediately punished for leaking a CIA operative’s identity, but Republicans are saying slow down and is joining the White House in calling for a ceasefire during the investigation.

Reporter – Two ways to look at this depending on your politics, it’s either small time in-fighting or another Watergate in the making. But folks on both sides of the fight know it is not about to die down. If a picture is worth a thousand words the message here can’t be missed – George Bush is standing by top aide Karl Rove. This as administration critics are ramping up their rhetoric. They want Rove canned, short of that…

Democratic Congressman Schumer – Mr. President I urge you to take a stand, do the right thing, and immediately suspend Karl Roves’ security clearance.

Reporter – Democrats say a Time Magazine reporter’s recently revealed notes prove Rove is behind the leak with the CIA operative’s name. He could be guilty of a felony.

Democratic National Committee Chair Howard Dean – Who do you value more Mr. President; intelligence operatives defending the United States of America or do you value a political operative from Texas? We are going to find out.

Republican Senator Coleman – Let us let the special council finish his work, let’s put the partisan attacks aside, lets cool down the rhetoric…

Reporter – As Republicans publicly keep up their support for Rove, some are starting to wonder, will this hurt efforts to push their agenda? Then there is the ex-CIA operative’s husband. He claims the White House outted his wife and is now smearing him because he spoke out against the administration’s Iraq policy.

Former US Ambassador Joe Wilson – This is a question of whether the national security of our country was violated.

Reporter – And many here in the nation’s capitol say they are surprised the White House isn’t doing more to publicly back Rove, the man whom some jokingly refer to as Bush’s Brain. The President himself says he’s not going to comment on the matter until investigators rap up their work.

Total Time: 1 minute and 53 seconds

Analysis:

This story is a very reactionary piece highlighting a potential threat within the community, in this case a repeat sexual offender. The focus is mainly on the victim, a 10 year old girl, whose youth becomes the attention grabber for the story. Note: 4 times in the story the girls’ age is mentioned. The amount of coverage she receives (interviews with relatives, footage of her room, where she lives, etc.) begs the question; what aspects of cases like this does the public actually have a right to know? In addition, the public might benefit greatly from being given information about sex offense crimes rather than interviews of scared victims that have little knowledge. Several local hotlines or counseling services throughout the area mentioned in a broadcast such as this could further aid community awareness on the issue, but none of those resources are provided.

Story:

WZZM 13 News reader – Twice in one week there are reports of a man exposing himself in Holland Township. Last Thursday a 62 year woman says a man was outside her window and early this morning a 10 year old girl was the reported victim.

Reporter – Juliet, the 10 year old child who lives near here says she was awakened early this morning by loud banging on her bedroom window. When she looked outside she saw a man out their touching his genitals and this is very similar to what a 62 year old woman says that happened at her house a week ago, just about a mile from here.

Victim’s father – He was standing right here banging on the window like this.

Reporter – Her father says his 10 year old daughter probably doesn’t really understand what the man was doing when she saw him outside her bedroom window.

Victim’s father – I don’t think she comprehends what’s really going on yet. When she gets a little older I think she will though. She said she just stood like this and looked out and he was standing there.

Reporter – The little girl says the White male was standing outside her window at 5:30 in the morning touching himself.

Friend of family – I don’t think she fully comprehends what happened, or what she saw, but you can tell she has been thinking about it a lot.

Reporter – One week ago there was another indecent exposure report about a mile away here on Butternut Drive. At 4:30 in the morning a 62 year old woman said she heard a noise, looked outside and saw a White male exposing himself.

Friend of family – They have been patrolling this road a lot more I noticed.

Reporter – Police say they are paying special attention to the areas where the lude acts were reported and residents are going door to door alerting neighbors.

Victim’s father – If he can be doing that, then tomorrow he could kidnap a kid or something.

Reporter – The 62 year old woman could only tell police the man she saw was White, but the 10 year old girl describes him as a younger man with spikey blonde hair, a moustache, maybe a goatee, average height and weight.

Total Time: 2 minutes

Analysis:

This story is typical of the local news “personal profile” style of segment. The actual news value of the piece is rather low, which little information that would actually help a viewer to be better informed about their community or the world at large. Rather, this piece is meant to be entertaining with the purpose of attracting viewers and higher ratings. Hence the irrelevant and sensationalized details such as the “cross” left in the charred remains of the barn.

Story:

Newsreader – Their jobs were in the air after a fire tore through an Allegan County Blueberry farm. But, they’ve bounced back against all odds while others are singing the Blueberry Blues. 24 Hour News 8’s Brad Edwards is back from Saugatuck now with more on the story…Brad?

Reporter – Good evening Susie and that’s right, drought has turned many a farmland into dry and dusty dirt land, and for one, the bite was twice as harsh. A freak fire toasted their dream 6 months ago. “There’s no way you’ll come back,” most said–they replied “just watch.”

Reporter – Just beyond the cattails lays a tale of the comeback. Krupka’s, it’s called, for the married Krupkas.

Reporter – 30 years, huh? Harold, does it seem like it’s been that long?
Farmer – Yes.

Reporter – Hahaha!

Reporter – This is Harold’s dream. 40 years ago it was a few acres, now…

Wife – …we have 11 farms with 350 acres.

Reporter – Harold’s right-hand woman-his wife, Connie.

Wife – We like ’em this way, right off the bush.

Reporter – And they’re really good. And Harold isn’t just any old Harry…

Wife – Everybody in the world knows Crazy Harold. And Harold’s crazy. And we love each other.

Reporter – Most of their years were flush with smiles. Not this one.

Reporter – Worst you’ve ever had?

Farmer – Yah, this is the worst, ya.

Reporter – No season was ever drier. They’ve weathered it with massive irrigation. On the flipside of the summer sizzle, the frost-bitten January morn when this happened, they drove strait through from Florida.

Wife – Neither of us talked, and when we pulled up that driveway…I never saw Harold like that, it was sad. It was the worst day of our life, it was like a funeral.

Reporter – Torched, except for the wooden letters of the Krupka’s sign, a sign made by Harold’s dad who died shortly before the fire.

Wife – And those letters were laying on the ground and had not burnt.

Reporter – Amongst fire, the wooden letters just fell. And rising from that spot…

Wife – …was a steel cross.

Reporter – …and you thought?

Wife – I didn’t know what to think, it gave us goosebumps.

Reporter – Not sure what to do at first, they then rebuilt in a mere few months. It is what it is, maybe not a bona-fide blueberry miracle, but it’s at least a guy they call Crazy and his sweetheart determined to harvest their passion.

Reporter – Do you toast a berry?

Wife – Haha, it’s not like a glass of wine!

Reporter – And the comeback really started when they stared rebuilding only 4 months ago, and they supply some biggies, like Yoplait Yogurt and Dunkin’ Donuts. Their official harvest season begins tomorrow. Tom?

Time: 2:40

Analysis:

This article is an original piece by a GR Press reporter and it was framed around the comments of local US representative Vern Ehlers on his observations of Bush’s comments on the issue of global warming at the G-8 summit. The piece starts with Ehlers being quoted as saying “It clearly indicates a change in attitude,” “He’s put a lot of money into research and the results are starting to come in.” This is followed by quotes from Tom Leonard, executive director of the West Michigan Environmental Action Council, who says “I don’t see any evidence of a shift,” “The Bush administration has been denying this for a long time”. The article then lists a series of points showing how the Bush has addressed environmental issues, noting things such as white house officials editing out mentions of global warming in EPA policy documents, Bush’s failure to follow through a campaign pledge to reduce emissions, and the resignation of his first EPA administrator over policy issues.

The final person quoted is local US representative Peter Hoekstra. The article says that Hoekstra “thinks Bush hopes to convince the world it must draw up air quality standards that apply equally to everyone.” So the article, while containing some important contextual information in the middle, starts and ends with two partisan figures making statements about what they think the President is going to do on the issue of global warming. The reporter never states what Bush actually said at the recent G-8 summit on the issue of greenhouse emissions, rather, it gives the reader this information filtered through the perspective of two local politicians. Also, the headline frames the piece in terms of Ehlers comments, that Bush may be changing policy on Global warming. And yet, no evidence to support this conclusion, other than the two representatives’ remarks, is given to the reader.

Story:

Ehlers says Bush may be warming up to old argument
Sunday, July 10, 2005
By Steven Harmon
The Grand Rapids Press

GRAND RAPIDS — President Bush isn’t about to join the global warming crowd, but he may be warming up to it.

That’s what U.S. Rep. Vern Ehlers, R-Grand Rapids, thinks after hearing what Bush had to say about climate change last week at the Group of Eight summit in Scotland.

Bush said Wednesday he recognizes “the surface of the Earth is warmer and that an increase in greenhouse gases caused by humans is contributing to the problem.”

“It clearly indicates a change in attitude,” said Ehlers, chairman of a House subcommittee that deals with global warming. “He’s put a lot of money into research and the results are starting to come in.”

The statement doesn’t square with Bush’s history, said Tom Leonard, executive director of the West Michigan Environmental Action Council. For instance, he said, Bush refused to sign the Kyoto treaty. And he generally has been dismissive of science that concludes global warming is at least partly caused by human activity.

“I don’t see any evidence of a shift,” Leonard said.

“The Bush administration has been denying this for a long time,” Leonard said. “Now, perhaps it is prepared to accept the reality, but there’s not much indication that he’s prepared to work with the rest of the world in doing anything about it.”

Environmentalists were critical of the G-8 summit’s failure to commit to urgent action for reducing greenhouse gases, saying the Bush administration was the main obstacle.

The list of disappointments for environmentalists is long:

– Environmental Protection Agency administrator Christine Todd Whitman, considered a moderating force on environmental issues, resigned in 2003 after policy clashes with the Bush administration.

– In 2002, White House officials, editing an EPA policy document, eliminated references to studies that conclude global warming is a serious problem partly caused by industry emissions.

– In 2001, Bush reversed a campaign pledge and said he would not seek to regulate power plants’ emissions of carbon dioxide, a gas that many scientists say is a key contributor to global warming.

Bush has long said that more scientific study on climate change is needed and that developing alternative energy sources is a better answer. At the summit, he said he still opposes the Kyoto treaty, saying it “would have wrecked our economy,” and called for a “post-Kyoto era where we can work together to share technologies, to control greenhouse gases as best as possible.”

U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Holland, said he thinks Bush hopes to convince the world it must draw up air quality standards that apply equally to everyone. Kyoto made exceptions for undeveloped countries.

“I’m not convinced we’re at the point where we need to do radical changes solely to address the issue of global warming,” he said. “If we can reduce greenhouse gases committed by humans, we’d be better off.

“But does that mean I’d write a letter encouraging the president to present Kyoto to the House for approval? No. If applied fairly and equitably across borders, I’d be inclined to support it.”

Analysis:

This piece looks at the issue of recent proposals from the state government to close corporate tax loop holes through the narrow lens of a proposed sales tax on movie tickets. As noted in the piece, the lack of a tax on tickets is a sort of corporate loop hole. This comes on the heels of recent proposals to cut other tax loop holes. As noted in the story, a failure to close these tax loopholes could result in further cuts in healthcare and education. In the story WZZM 13 interviews four people, a state official defending the sales tax, a local theater owner opposed to the sales tax, and two movie patrons vehemently opposed to increased prices. While the story mentions the proposed bill that would impose a sales tax on movie tickets, it does not list what the name of the bill is or how viewers could fin out more information. Nor does the story tell the viewer how they might find out more about the petition against the sales tax, or which theaters were circulating the petition.

Story:

WZZM 13 Newsreader – Well, the summer blockbusters may not reel in the bucks that moviemakers are banking on this year. In an exclusive 13 Survey USA News poll we asked a few weeks ago, the majority of people, 63%, say they see a movie at the theater less than once a month. And the number one reason they say they don’t go to the movies is because they’re just too expensive. But don’t expect those prices to go down, because the price of a movie ticket may in fact be climbing. Michigan lawmakers are considering charging a sales tax on movie tickets to help solve the budget problems. WZZM 13’s Valerie Lego joins us live from Celebration Cinema to show us how it’s affecting moviegoers tonight.

Reporter – Lee, this display says it all and it really shows that a lot of moviegoers simply don’t want to pay the extra 50 cents it’s going to cost to go to the movies should the sales tax be approved. But lawmakers say they need that money to keep health care and education costs in the budget.

Reporter – It seems the price of movie tickets just keeps going up.

Cinema Attendant – …2 adults and one child is going to be $23.50, please…

Reporter – And now, Michigan’s governor wants lawmakers to approve a bill that would add sales tax to the price of a ticket.

State Official – Closing this particular tax loophole would save taxpayers about 20 million a year…

Reporter – Currently, movie theaters are not required to charge sales tax on tickets, but theater owners are not about to let this proposed bill go through without a fight.

Theater Owner – I hope that people understand that it’s not our goal to keep increasing ticket prices, and we’re doing everything we can to make sure that this doesn’t go through.

Reporter – Theater owners across the state of Michigan united and put together this petition drive so that movie theaters would have a clear picture of what’s being discussed in the legislature.

Movie Patron #1 – I think that the prices are high enough, for real. They shouldn’t tax them.

Movie Patron #2 – I think it’s expensive as it is, and why would you want to go up more?

Reporter – And so far, it seems to be working.

Theater Owner – I think at last count, I thought we had around 40,000.

Reporter – But the state warns there could be money problems if the movie tax isn’t included in next years budget.

State Official – We hope that people realize that if these corporate tax loopholes are not passed, we may have to cut state services.

Reporter – Right now, the bills are still in committee, so they have to be voted on yet. Meanwhile, the movie theater owners across Michigan are hoping that they’re going to get another 60,000 signatures for a total of 100,000 signatures to send to the governor. Reporting live in Grand Rapids, Valerie Lego, WZZM 13 News.

Time: 2:30

Analysis:

This story gives viewers a brief synopsis of the history of the Slurpee. This is esentially a free commercial for Seven Eleven and their product, the Slurpee. It is quite likely that this is a video news release, produced by a public relations firm on behalf of the Seven Eleven corporation. Viewers should ask how running stories that are part of a corporate marketing campaign serve the public interest.

Story:

Newsreader – They’ve been selling them for 40 years. And today, Slurpees are as popular as ever. The semi-frozen soft drink that promises to make your brain freeze will turn 40 next week. The very first icy machine was introduced in Dallas in 1960; 7/11 started selling the drinks in 1965. But the company didn’t actually coin the name Slurpee for another couple of years. Now, more than a half million Slurpees are sold every day, and, get this, surprisingly, Winnipeg, Canada drinks more of them than anyplace else.

Time: 30 seconds

Analysis:

This article is an associated press piece that the Grand Rapids Press pulled from the news wire. The original article was framed around the issue of British Prime minister Tony Blair having to leave early on the final day due to the bombings in London, with only a fraction of the article dealing with what was actually accomplished at the G-8 summit. The Grand Rapids Press ran the article in a much edited form, cutting out most the content dealing with the London Terror attacks, running only the parts on the summit itself. The article mentions two topics discussed at the summit. One was the issue of aid to African Nations. The article notes that the G-8 leaders pledged to increase aid but that the US objected to linking aid contribution levels to a set percentage of the donor countries GNP. The other topic mentioned in the article is the reduction of green house emissions which contribute to global warming. The article mentions that no real progress was made on this issue due to opposition by the US to setting any targets or timetables for emission reduction.

This article was rather typical of much of the coverage of the G-8 that has run in the Grand Rapids Press as well as the US media in general. One of the important issues not addressed in the article is the issue of what are the causes of poverty in Africa and what role trade and fiscal policies set by the G-8 countries play into that. So for example, one of the big issues for many poor African countries is agricultural subsidies in the “developed” world that make it very difficult for African farmers to compete in the marketplace. Another issue is that of “economic reforms” that countries must implement in order to qualify for foreign aid. The reforms usually consist of cutting social services and privatizing government services, and opening markets up to foreign investment. These type of reforms have, according to ngo’s such as Jubilee USA and “Fifty Years is Enough”, have not been proven to increase per capita income growth or reduce poverty. These policy issues, while important, have generally been ignored in the reporting on the G-8 in the Grand Rapids press.

Story:

Shaken G-8 leaders manage compromise on Africa aid

Associated Press

GLENEAGLES, Scotland – World leaders, shaken by deadly bombings in London, shortened the final day of their economic summit on Friday to allow British Prime Minister Tony Blair to rush back to chair a government panel dealing with the attacks.

The Group of Eight leaders, struggling amid the attacks to keep to their meeting’s mission, put the finishing touches on a major aid package for Africa. They failed to overcome stiff resistance from the Bush administration to launching a more aggressive attack on global warming.

That meets a key Blair objective, though the pledge doesn’t mention the British leader’s hope of increasing aid from the current $25 billion to $50 billion. Also left out of the pledge of support for Africa will be Blair’s other goal of getting all summit countries to commit to raising foreign aid to an amount equivalent to 0.7 percent of each country’s economy by 2015.

The United States, which is now giving an amount equal to 0.16 percent of its economy, objected to the setting a numerical target.

Even less progress was made on Blair’s other summit goal – getting America on board with the other countries to make major reductions in emissions of the gases that some have blamed for global warming.

According to a draft communiqué on climate change obtained by The Associated Press on Friday, the United States, the only G-8 country that has not ratified the 1997 Kyoto Protocol on global warming, was successful in rejecting Blair’s call for setting specific targets and a timetable for reducing greenhouse emissions.

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

On Thursday, Blair had left the summit for several hours to confer with officials at Scotland Yard and calm a nation shocked by the worst attacks on the capital since World War II. Though he later returned to the meeting at this exclusive resort about 450 miles from London, business was not proceeding as planned.

Blair’s closing press conference was moved up by an hour so the British leader could go to London for an emergency meeting of a government committee that is dealing with the bombings. The nearly simultaneous, deadly blasts rocked London’s subway and tore open a double-decker bus during Thursday’s rush hour.

President Bush, who along with the other leaders gathered here had expressed strong condemnation for the attacks, was leaving for Washington earlier than scheduled. G-8 organizers scrambled to accommodate the changing schedules.

Also reflecting the London attacks, the series of communiqués scheduled to be issued as the Group of Eight summit drew to a close will include a beefed-up section on terrorism. Aides to the leaders worked late into the night on this document, which was described as a progress report on what their countries are doing in the global war on terrorism.

The G-8 was scheduled to issue separate joint statements on Africa and global warming, the two issues that Blair made the centerpieces of this year’s 31st annual summit held at an exclusive golf resort in the Scottish highlands. The other issues were to be dealt with in a closing chairman’s statement.

Within hours of the London bombings, Bush and the other leaders issued a special joint statement that was read by Blair with his summit colleagues gathered somberly behind him. It condemned “these barbaric acts” and vowed, “We are united in our resolve to confront and defeat this terrorism that is not an attack on one nation, but on all nations and on civilized people everywhere.”

“We will not yield to these people,” Bush said later in his own remarks to reporters – a sentiment echoed by a chorus of other leaders.

“Our collective freedom has come under attack today by those who would use violence and murder to force extremism upon the world,” said Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin.

Despite the changes to the summit schedule, all of the leaders stressed that the terrorist attacks would not stop them from accomplishing what they set out to do at the meeting.

Before the final joint statements were issued, the G-8 leaders were meeting with the leaders of five African nations over ways to provide greater support for the troubled continent.

The leaders were expected to pledge to double assistance by 2012 to reduce poverty and fight disease in Africa, the world’s poorest continent.

The communiqué was to acknowledge the split between the United States and the other countries in a section that said “those of us who have ratified the Kyoto Protocol, welcome its entry into force and will work to make it a success.” That was the document’s only mention of the treaty put into effect this February. Bush contends the Kyoto accord’s curbs on greenhouse emissions would wreck the U.S. economy.

Still, supporters of more aggressive action said that the United States had agreed to a document that stated “while uncertainty remains in our understanding of climate science, we know enough to act now.” French President Jacques Chirac called that compromise language a “visible, real evolution” in the American position.

Environmental groups complained that the statement omitted Blair’s objectives of obtaining commitments to cut greenhouse emissions by specified levels.