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