Media destroying a brick and mortar!

[CreepyLady]

If anyone would like a copy/paste:
tmartin@wtol.com; lblackburn@wtol.com;bchirdon@wtol.com; lstromme@toledonewsnow.com

Story Title: What are you smoking? About Electronic Cigarettes Attention: WTOL Channel 11 News, Chief Editor

Dear Bob, Linda and Tammy,

I am writing to you today to ask that you publicly retract and correct your report entitled, “What are you smoking?” A special report by Brandon Jones.

The research completed by your alleged "reporter" was shoddy garbage and is purely Yellow Journalism at it's worst. This story is a sad attempt at sensationalizing information from a study completed in 2009 by the FDA examining 18 prefilled cartomizers from large manufacturers, where one cartomizer was found to contain diethylene glycol. This FDA report has nothing to do with personal vaporizers nor liquids sold by the vendor your reporter chose to target.

This vendor WILLINGLY participated with your reporter to provide information regarding the prevention of the sale of e-cigarettes to minors. Your reporter took information from a report in NO WAY related to this local community business that attempted to HELP provide resources and information and used it to absolutely SLANDER this company.

For a news station with such a strong stance against bullying, you should be ashamed of yourselves for allowing your reporter to complete shoddy research and present the public with partial half truths in a manner that destroys a local business. This reporter is a complete BULLY that purposefully alluded that this business sells a product containing diethylene glycol with absolutely ZERO information to back it up. I guess that just sounded like a more "sensational" story to rivet the public with when apparently the truth regarding e-cig sales to minors turned out rather boring and unfruitful.

I ask that you IMMEDIATELY retract your statements as many times as you aired the story and as many promo spots that were advertised; and make clear to your viewers that Smoke Revolt INC does not produce e-liquid that contains diethylene glycol.

Sincerely,

 

[jdrewry]

Since no one could be bothered to pick up the phone, I emailed them...

I’ve read your story about e-cigarettes. Wait, let me change that statement. I read your story that basically attacked a local business by stating some of the most inaccurate information found on the Internet about e-cigs, which is where I’m guessing you obtained most of your “facts”. Seriously, that was some pretty shoddy writing you’ve done.
“The controversy seems endless when it comes to Electronic Cigarettes. Either you love them or you hate them”
People either love them—or they’re curious about them. I have never run across a person who “hated” them. I’ll take that statement as one that was meant to provoke some pretty ignorant negative thoughts about e-cigarettes.
“Some manufacturers claim that e-cigarettes are a safe solution to tobacco cigarettes. We took a look inside one which retails around $50-70 and found it's made up of water, alcohol, nicotine, a host of other chemicals including Diethylene Glycol. Diethylene Glycol is a chemical used in anti-freeze.”
Who are these manufacturers that make this claim? Just about every vendor I buy from (and plenty that I don’t) go out of their way NOT to make that statement. Please, do us a favor—post a link to these manufacturers who make these statement—I’d be really interested to read those.
There are a number of e-cig kits that sell for about that price (some for more). Wow—you actually have a bit of fact, there.
Here’s where you’re so off the mark: the part where you write, “it’s made up of water, alcohol, a host of other chemicals, blah, blah, blah…” here’s where your credibility takes a real beating.
Unlike cigarettes, most e-cig vendors will tell you what their e-liquids are made of (you DO know that, once you move away from the hardware—that’s the “e-cigarette” part—that the most important part of “vaping” is the e-liquid). Would you care to put a number to what you state is “a host of other chemicals”? By the way (pay attention, now, I’m about to tell you something very important here) Diethylene Glycol is NOT—I repeat, NOT—an ingredient in e-liquid. Propylene Glycol, Vegetable Glycerine, Polyethylene Glycol—these can be found in e-liquids. Obviously, you’ve missed this extremely important point.

You know something? It’s obvious, not only to me, but to the entire vaping community, that you did absolutely no true research, or bothered to look at any credible information, about e-cigarettes in general, or e-liquids in particular. I could literally rip your entire article to shreds, and that’s without being the most knowledgeable person. You see, there’s this rather great community online that pools their knowledge of vaping, e-liquids, vendors, etc…I tell you this so you know that over a million people didn’t jump into using e-cigs on a whim. We did our research. In the future, you should try to do the same.

I’m pretty sure you won’t do this, of course. It’s a lot easier to release a rather misinformed article like yours, rather than to do some actual fact-finding (probably quicker too, huh?).
I’d like to thank the members of the vaping community at this point—a group of almost a million people who know a hell of a lot more than you do about e-cigs.
You should apologize to Smoke Revolt. It’s the ignorant articles (you know, like the one you wrote) that does a lot of damage, and just puts out blatantly false information.

Regards,
JDrewry

 

[Signal30]

The e-cig business makes too much money for crappy news stories like this to make a real dent. Of course ecigs will have scoffers, idiots, and enemies. Anything that turns into a billion dollar industry that fast is going to get a lot of attention.

News is dead. The news now is one big editorial. There is just too much money in ecigs to flat out ban them federally. Just tax the damn things and get this silliness over with.

It's always about the money.

 

[StormFinch]

I do believe it's time for an order bomb as well folks! Buy an e-juice or other product to help pay Smoke Revolt's lawyer fee. Let's put the fear of legalese into this news station!

 

[dee5]

I do believe it's time for an order bomb as well folks! Buy an e-juice or other product to help pay Smoke Revolt's lawyer fee. Let's put the fear of legalese into this news station!

Agree with you Stormfinch, lets help the OP and his family weather this storm by supporting his business!

 

[Megan Kogijiki Ratchford]

Wrote on the station's facebook page. Asshats!!

Now to go shopping!!

Hang in there OP!!

 

[ScandaLeX]

To the OP, you may not believe this now, but this will blow over.

I watched the news coverage and all I got out of it was someone thinking they had a story. I can only imagine when you were presented with the opportunity to say your piece, no one bothered to tell you the real reason they wanted to air this story--to make the viewers believe e-cigs are bad.

Hell, the few seconds of air time they gave you was enough for me to see they really weren't interested in what you had to say anyway.

I don't know if there is a way for you to save that news clip to your computer in the event they decide to remove it later down the line. Maybe you can do some researching and find another news station that will tell the truth. I know getting lawyers involved is costly but this story was based on opinions that are taking money out of your pocket.

I wish you the best.

 

[StormFinch]

You might also check into SFATA; SFATA. A retailer membership isn't out of this world, and they may be able to help.

 

[jch419]

OK, the news station just released a new version of their story; totally setting the record straight and ---we feel pretty victorious thanks to the help of our customers, employees, ECF, Vapeatron, all the forums and CASAA!

.....All of you pushed these guys into a re-do *GREAT JOB TO YOU ALL*! The vapers tackled this and totally WON! Thank you for all the support in correcting the media!! Vapers are the coolest people.

& also, a very Special Thanks to Chuck Meyer and Lisa Belle in the segment last night- you guys rock and are great advocates for the community.

<<<<WATCH THEIR RE-DO HERE!

*The vapers responded nation-wide, and finally they re-clarified. They referenced the infamous 2009 study on another company's imported e-liquid and were sure to word their references/sources much better this time around! There are no shops around in 2013, especially with American Made E-liquid that have any problems whatsoever. And they actually let the vapors in this segment talk about how much vaping improved their lives, how often *SMOKING kills people* and how vaping is 100% better for you. Vaping is a good thing and it is time the media gives it the respect it deserves each and every time.

The owner of Smoke Revolt originally had a 30 minute sit-down interview with this reporter the first time around and told him the same good things about vaping- even addressed the rumors in the industry, but for some odd reason, hardly any of the interview was put into the original segment. So a re-do is better than nothing. That's for sure!

There were many vapers calling into the station setting the record straight for about 2 weeks straight.

 

[Fulgurant]

OK, the news station just released a new version of their story; totally setting the record straight and ---we feel pretty victorious thanks to the help of our customers, employees, ECF, Vapeatron, all the forums and CASAA and .....all of you pushed these guys into a re-do *GREAT JOB TO YOU ALL*! The vapers tackled this and totally WON! Thank you for all the support in correcting the media!! Vapers are the coolest people.

& also, a very Special Thanks to Chuck Meyer and Lisa Belle in the segment last night- you guys rock and are great advocates for the community.

<<<<WATCH THEIR RE-DO HERE!

Great news! I'm so glad. I didn't watch the video because I don't have sound right now, but the attached article is much better -- still a little slanted towards the ANTZ position on the whole, but comparing the following passages is an unexpected pleasure:

We took a look inside one [e-cigarette] which retails around $50-70 and found it's made up of water, alcohol, nicotine, a host of other chemicals including Diethylene Glycol. Diethylene Glycol is a chemical used in anti-freeze.

Back in 2009, the Food and Drug Administration took a look inside several e-cigarettes, and found they were made up of water, alcohol, nicotine, and in one instance Diethylene Glycol. which is a chemical used in anti-freeze. The ingredient prompted the Food and Drug Administration to issue a health warning.

In response, a clinical researcher from Drexel University conducted his own study of e-cigarette contents, and found that the FDA's trace of diethylene glycol was only found in a single sample of early technology.

 

[Davinna]

I've posted the re-do on my facebook page. I'm trying to find ways to educate at least my "circle"

Great work everyone!

 

[Uma]

Fantastic news!!! But.... At the end of the article they refer to the phoney baloney CDC release about minors instead of the true release found here. Tobacco Product Use Among Middle and High School Students — United States, 2011 and 2012
I would contact them & ask them to update with the correct release.

 

[Coldrake]

Simply outstanding!

 

[Spazmelda]

Awesome! I haven't watched the video yet. I plan to later when I'm not being forced to watch Adventure Time.

 

[Megan Kogijiki Ratchford]

Fantastic news!!

And I have some of your juices to try on their way! Win win...

Congrats!!!!

 

[WarHawk-AVG]

To the OP, you may not believe this now, but this will blow over.

I watched the news coverage and all I got out of it was someone thinking they had a story. I can only imagine when you were presented with the opportunity to say your piece, no one bothered to tell you the real reason they wanted to air this story--to make the viewers believe e-cigs are bad.

Hell, the few seconds of air time they gave you was enough for me to see they really weren't interested in what you had to say anyway.

I don't know if there is a way for you to save that news clip to your computer in the event they decide to remove it later down the line. Maybe you can do some researching and find another news station that will tell the truth. I know getting lawyers involved is costly but this story was based on opinions that are taking money out of your pocket.

I wish you the best.

It may blow over...but the damage is done

It's time to literally FIGHT BACK when stuff like this occurs...if the vaping community doesn't immediately (for the lack of a better word) attack back, they will see it as a weakness and continue or press harder the flat out activism against the vaping community

Qui tacet consentire vidétur

Silent no more!

 

[cookiebun]

I was only aware of this story from a post in the media section. I had no idea that this thread existed. I am from Toledo but live in Columbus.
I want to say thanks to everyone here who rose hell with Channel 11. When I saw the story it made me so angry I couldn't type for about 2 days and nearly took a hammer to this idiot keyboard I have.


SmokeRevolt: your Sylvania store is not far from where I grew up. the next time I'm up in T-Town I'll definitely stop in.
I hope Channel 11's follow up story helps your business pick up. Frankly, I'd just sue.