Jan 30, 2007 10:33
Last night I was watching TV and a News Promo came on titled the Sum of All Fears. Basically it ended up being a bad movie trailer that tried to get people to watch a News story on School Shootings. It upset me and I decided to write the station a little email, which I have attached below. I hope it’s effective.
To Whom it May Concern,
I am angry with WILX. Last night during the Heroes and Studio 60 Time Slots, I saw the Sum of All Fears Promo three times. I am originally from Colorado and though I was nowhere near the Columbine shooting, it affected me, my classmates, and our families. My roommate in college was a part of the shooting and survived. What you have done to sensationalize and dramatize such a serious topic is disgusting. I completely understand a TV station's need to sell their shows and pique the interest of its viewers, but turning a frightening truth into nothing more than an overdone movie trailer bothers me deeply. I believe that the News 10 team is a great place to get news in the Lansing area, but this has dashed much of my respect for the station.
The use of the Sum of All Fears logo (big menacing letters, and deep moviefone voice) sets firmly in my mind that the topic means nothing more to the station than another time slot filler in order to pull in viewers. If making money through ad sales, by attempting to increase your audience with sensationalism is what WILX is really about, then stop doing the news. As journalists it is your duty to present the news not transform it into pulp fiction.
Please forgive the impassioned soap box lecture, the promo has really struck an upsetting chord with me, but I hope that you take to heart what the Sum of All Fears Promo really does to the true fear some may carry about school shootings. I believe it is something that should be explored and explained wherever students go to school, but not in that way. Have care with how you deal with emotionally charged ideas.
Regards,
Spencer Cushing