Monday, March 15, 2010

Vampire Movies, DVD Sales & the front page of the GR Press

It is certainly not surprising that the main story on the front page of today�s Grand Rapids Press is devoted to consumerism, since we have noted this in the past. However, a notable difference with today�s article is that it essentially acts as advertisement for local retailer.

The story in question is headlined �Retail revels in �New Moon,�� which is about the upcoming sale of the 2nd movie in the Twilight trilogy. The story basically provides a format for representatives of various local retailers to discuss their plans to market DVDs of the much-hyped teen movie. In addition, other sources cited in the story are those from the DVD distribution industry and a fan-based magazine.

However, the most outlandish aspect of the article was the sidebar next to the photo that accompanied the story. The sidebar is essentially a run down of what five area retail stores are planning along with the sales of the Twilight DVD and their hours of operation.

At a minimum the Press should have reserved this article for the �Your Life� section of the paper or better yet it should have just been run as a straight up advertisement. Making this a news story is not only an affront to journalistic standards, but it is an insult directed at the public.


GRIID

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