After I had seen the way the story about ecigs was done on YNN news, I emailed the station and let them know what I did not like about how it was done. First they interviewed someone who works in a tobacco store and who obviously does not care or know much about ecigs. The reporter also seemed to have already fromed a negative oppinion of them as well. Here is what I sent:
First email:
I wasted my time thinking you would be objective and do a little research on electronic cigarettes. The reporter obviously had already formed her oppinion and you selected a tobacco store to report from. The person you spoke with did not have accurate information and seemed to not really care about the electronic cigarettes. Tobacco stores sell TOBACCO! Ecigarettes are a VERY minor sales item. They promote TOBACCO!
It seems you believe what the FDA says. Are you aware that the FDA gets major funding from pharmaceutical industry? It used to be the US treasury – not anymore. And the fact that they regulate tobacco on top of the ties to BIG Pharma creates a double conflict of interest. When people leave the FDA they almost ALWAYS go to work for the pharmaceutical companies.
One of the things said a lot is that the ecigarette comes in flavors that will appeal to children. Well, so does alcohol! Rum, brandy and others come in many of the same flavors.
At least the uninformed tobacco store person got it right when the reporter tried to say (just as many others do) that kids are buying them. As the employee stated, they must be 18 or older to purchase. Online a credit card is needed and they also state you have to be at least 18 years old to enter the site and purchase. Also kids do not have credit cards as a rule.
The way you handled this story makes me think differently about how you present other stories. I will go back to getting my news from PBS and online sources. You are not my news source anymore. At the end of the month I am turning in my cable box. I do not really watch TV anymore anyway due to the JUNK that is on nowadays. I did think that YNN was a good source before this and watched it every day to get local news and weather. You have lost a viewer!
Gary Teed
he replied with this:
Hello Gary and thanks for your note and the feedback. We are sorry you were disappointed by this story. To be honest, it was produced by our sister station in Albany, and I had not seen it until your note directed me to it. After viewing it, I understand and respect your concerns. However, I really don’t think our story took a position one way or the other on the proposed e-cigarette ban. I think Sabina’s choice of the tobacco store owner was actually a pretty good one, provided you accept the woman’s assertion that e-cigarettes have become a major product line for her. She’ll apparently continue to make money whether or not the ban goes through, so in that respect I think she provided an objective view of this product’s current position in the marketplace. And I really think that’s all this story set out to do, given that e-cigarettes are a very new product and many people have no idea what they are or how they work.
Regardless of all that, I do respect your opinion and concern over this story, and I can assure you we do listen to and embrace this kind of viewer feedback. It’s how we get better at what we do. I hope we do not lose you as a YNN viewer, but if that happens I will also respect that decision. Thanks again for taking the time to write.
Ron Lombard
General Manager & News Director
YNN – Central NY / Northern NY / Southern Tier
Ron,
thank you for replying to me in the manner you did. It was a much better reply than what I have gotten from others.
I should also clarify a bit more my comment about flavors. Many cling to the idea that all the flavors available for ecigs are to attract kids. Like I said alcohol comes in many of the same flavors. The people who bring this up make me feel that they are saying that we as adults do not like these flavors. The alcohol example shoots that down. Distillerys use this as a marketing tool to sell their “goods” as it were. I like strawberry and cherry and flavors like these and buy my ice cream accordingly. Also other foods. This is a lame attack in my oppinion. I do not drink but, I would not attack other people’s right to use it.
At a tobacco store near me in Sidney I asked about ecigs when I first heard about them and wanted to know more. I found that they were dismissive and knew very little about them. They basically pointed to the 2 that they have and said nothing more. I have found in my research there is a lot of information if you look in the right places. I have never been to a mall kiosk.
I am a 54 year old man who smoked for almost 40 years. I tried, unsuccessfully, to quit many times using all the “approved” methods. None worked for me. The day I started using my personal vaporizer (ecig) is the last day I smoked a cigarette. That was 6 weeks ago. I feel better, my cough is gone, I smell better, and taste things MUCH better. I am a singer and find my voice is getting stronger and that I do not tire as quickly when I do sing. In my reading the NRT offered to quit is a dismal failure with a 93% failure rate (which makes me feel less of a loser for failing as well) and yet it is pushed heavily by many as the ONLY way to quit. Well, something new has come around and is challenging the currently held notions. It needs to be looked into further rather than simply banned.
It is not being marketed as a smoking cessation device but rather a better option that does not have all the negative chemicals that cigarette smoke does. Cigarette smoke contains over 4000 chemicals that are known with many being known cancer causing agents. Ecigs have very little. And the ones they do have are comparable to the levels found in NRT (Nicotine Reduction Therapy) IE the patch and gum and those are due to the nicotine. Many find they do end up quitting. I hope to be off nicotine by summer at the latest. I am already lowering the amount in mine with the “juice” I buy. I am now at 12mg (the highest is 36mg I think). I started at 24mg. The only things in an ecig are propylene glycol, food grade flavoring, and nicotine. Some use vegetable glycerin instead of glycol or a mix of the two. PG is used in foods, medicines, cosmetics, toothpaste and many other things. The nicotine is plant based extracted from tobacco and is the same as used in the patch and gum (FDA approved).
My statement that I am turning in my cable box is not completely due to the story. I am fed up with TV content these days. Far too much advertising and I am no fan of the current trend to “Reality TV”. I do currently use YNN as my weather and local news source. And I like the fact that you show commercials for local businesses. Cable TV is so expensive especially with how little I use it. I am finding it hard to justify the cost. I am on a fixed income. I am on disabilty due to my health (I have kidney disease). I do miss my old job working for Northwest Airlines where I worked for 27 years.
again, thank you for the nice reply
Gary Teed
He replied to this email as well:
And thank you Gary for your reply. That’s great perspective for us to have on what will obviously be a continuing story and a controversial issue. You have a compelling story to tell about e-cigs that could add a lot of dimension to our coverage. With no obligation either way of course, we’d love to offer you the opportunity to do a story with us about your experiences with e-cigs. No harm no foul either way, but if you are interested let me know and I can get a reporter in touch with you. Thanks again for the communication back and forth and for offering your thoughts. Ron
Ron Lombard
General Manager & News Director
YNN – Central NY / Northern NY / Southern Tier
I have not gotten back to him about taking with a reporter. I am still learning and new to this. I do not want to hurt the effort to fight the ban.
First email:
I wasted my time thinking you would be objective and do a little research on electronic cigarettes. The reporter obviously had already formed her oppinion and you selected a tobacco store to report from. The person you spoke with did not have accurate information and seemed to not really care about the electronic cigarettes. Tobacco stores sell TOBACCO! Ecigarettes are a VERY minor sales item. They promote TOBACCO!
It seems you believe what the FDA says. Are you aware that the FDA gets major funding from pharmaceutical industry? It used to be the US treasury – not anymore. And the fact that they regulate tobacco on top of the ties to BIG Pharma creates a double conflict of interest. When people leave the FDA they almost ALWAYS go to work for the pharmaceutical companies.
One of the things said a lot is that the ecigarette comes in flavors that will appeal to children. Well, so does alcohol! Rum, brandy and others come in many of the same flavors.
At least the uninformed tobacco store person got it right when the reporter tried to say (just as many others do) that kids are buying them. As the employee stated, they must be 18 or older to purchase. Online a credit card is needed and they also state you have to be at least 18 years old to enter the site and purchase. Also kids do not have credit cards as a rule.
The way you handled this story makes me think differently about how you present other stories. I will go back to getting my news from PBS and online sources. You are not my news source anymore. At the end of the month I am turning in my cable box. I do not really watch TV anymore anyway due to the JUNK that is on nowadays. I did think that YNN was a good source before this and watched it every day to get local news and weather. You have lost a viewer!
Gary Teed
he replied with this:
Hello Gary and thanks for your note and the feedback. We are sorry you were disappointed by this story. To be honest, it was produced by our sister station in Albany, and I had not seen it until your note directed me to it. After viewing it, I understand and respect your concerns. However, I really don’t think our story took a position one way or the other on the proposed e-cigarette ban. I think Sabina’s choice of the tobacco store owner was actually a pretty good one, provided you accept the woman’s assertion that e-cigarettes have become a major product line for her. She’ll apparently continue to make money whether or not the ban goes through, so in that respect I think she provided an objective view of this product’s current position in the marketplace. And I really think that’s all this story set out to do, given that e-cigarettes are a very new product and many people have no idea what they are or how they work.
Regardless of all that, I do respect your opinion and concern over this story, and I can assure you we do listen to and embrace this kind of viewer feedback. It’s how we get better at what we do. I hope we do not lose you as a YNN viewer, but if that happens I will also respect that decision. Thanks again for taking the time to write.
Ron Lombard
General Manager & News Director
YNN – Central NY / Northern NY / Southern Tier
Ron,
thank you for replying to me in the manner you did. It was a much better reply than what I have gotten from others.
I should also clarify a bit more my comment about flavors. Many cling to the idea that all the flavors available for ecigs are to attract kids. Like I said alcohol comes in many of the same flavors. The people who bring this up make me feel that they are saying that we as adults do not like these flavors. The alcohol example shoots that down. Distillerys use this as a marketing tool to sell their “goods” as it were. I like strawberry and cherry and flavors like these and buy my ice cream accordingly. Also other foods. This is a lame attack in my oppinion. I do not drink but, I would not attack other people’s right to use it.
At a tobacco store near me in Sidney I asked about ecigs when I first heard about them and wanted to know more. I found that they were dismissive and knew very little about them. They basically pointed to the 2 that they have and said nothing more. I have found in my research there is a lot of information if you look in the right places. I have never been to a mall kiosk.
I am a 54 year old man who smoked for almost 40 years. I tried, unsuccessfully, to quit many times using all the “approved” methods. None worked for me. The day I started using my personal vaporizer (ecig) is the last day I smoked a cigarette. That was 6 weeks ago. I feel better, my cough is gone, I smell better, and taste things MUCH better. I am a singer and find my voice is getting stronger and that I do not tire as quickly when I do sing. In my reading the NRT offered to quit is a dismal failure with a 93% failure rate (which makes me feel less of a loser for failing as well) and yet it is pushed heavily by many as the ONLY way to quit. Well, something new has come around and is challenging the currently held notions. It needs to be looked into further rather than simply banned.
It is not being marketed as a smoking cessation device but rather a better option that does not have all the negative chemicals that cigarette smoke does. Cigarette smoke contains over 4000 chemicals that are known with many being known cancer causing agents. Ecigs have very little. And the ones they do have are comparable to the levels found in NRT (Nicotine Reduction Therapy) IE the patch and gum and those are due to the nicotine. Many find they do end up quitting. I hope to be off nicotine by summer at the latest. I am already lowering the amount in mine with the “juice” I buy. I am now at 12mg (the highest is 36mg I think). I started at 24mg. The only things in an ecig are propylene glycol, food grade flavoring, and nicotine. Some use vegetable glycerin instead of glycol or a mix of the two. PG is used in foods, medicines, cosmetics, toothpaste and many other things. The nicotine is plant based extracted from tobacco and is the same as used in the patch and gum (FDA approved).
My statement that I am turning in my cable box is not completely due to the story. I am fed up with TV content these days. Far too much advertising and I am no fan of the current trend to “Reality TV”. I do currently use YNN as my weather and local news source. And I like the fact that you show commercials for local businesses. Cable TV is so expensive especially with how little I use it. I am finding it hard to justify the cost. I am on a fixed income. I am on disabilty due to my health (I have kidney disease). I do miss my old job working for Northwest Airlines where I worked for 27 years.
again, thank you for the nice reply
Gary Teed
He replied to this email as well:
And thank you Gary for your reply. That’s great perspective for us to have on what will obviously be a continuing story and a controversial issue. You have a compelling story to tell about e-cigs that could add a lot of dimension to our coverage. With no obligation either way of course, we’d love to offer you the opportunity to do a story with us about your experiences with e-cigs. No harm no foul either way, but if you are interested let me know and I can get a reporter in touch with you. Thanks again for the communication back and forth and for offering your thoughts. Ron
Ron Lombard
General Manager & News Director
YNN – Central NY / Northern NY / Southern Tier
I have not gotten back to him about taking with a reporter. I am still learning and new to this. I do not want to hurt the effort to fight the ban.
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to you, my man!!!!!
