Business

Ask Matt ... about News 13's brand placement

By Bill Moss, Published: March 8, 2015

The Lightning's intrepid researcher answers readers' questions.

Q. During the recent snowstorms I noticed WLOS field reporters wearing blue jackets with the brand name "L.L.Bean" boldly displayed – unlike anything available in their catalog. What does WLOS get from L.L.Bean?

The practice of company sponsorship is not new. L.L.Bean boasts that for the past 10 years it has been the official outerwear provider to The Weather Channel. But such partnerships have also sparked controversy. In 2010, the Chicago Tribune ran a story about WNG-TV news reporters receiving gratis L.L.Bean jackets. That Chicago news station however did not require their reporters to wear the jackets and they posted periodical on-screen credits that mentioned the Freeport, Maine, clothier.
I contacted WLOS and was informed by news director Julie Fries that the station had a contract with L.L.Bean and that the details were confidential. She added that WLOS reporters are not required to wear the jackets.
I pitched the question of media disclosure to Dr. James Stovall, a well-credentialed journalism professor at the University of Tennessee who has written many books about mass media. "Journalists should be proactive in disclosing any relationship that might affect their reporting," said Stovall. He believes that "product placement" in news reporting that is obvious and deliberate should be shared with the viewing public. "Journalistic credibility is something most journalists take great pains to develop and preserve," he said.
I don't know if I have found an answer to your question but I do believe that our television news reporters have a tough job to do but I also sense that reporting the news can only be made harder by anything that creates a distraction.

Q. What's the best way to donate my old cell phone so it can used for people to make 911 calls?

My technology expert, Lynn Huffman, suggests donating to HopeLine, a Verizon Wireless program that uses proceeds for cash grants to domestic violence organizations. Another group is to Cell Phones for Soldiers. It offers cost-free phone services to active-duty military members and veterans. Local drop-off sites are the American Legion Post 77 and Liberty Tax Service. Otherwise, I could not find any group that collects old phones for 911 use.

The FCC requires every phone, cell phones included, to be able to dial 911 even if service has been discontinued. Such a call may reach an operator but callbacks are not possible if the caller is disconnected. Even with a fully charged battery, the signal from an inactive cell phone may be insufficient to determine the caller's location. It's better to make a 911 call from a landline.

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Send questions to askmattm@gmail.com.