Another Scare Piece on WFTV 9 in Orlando
When WFTV news asked FAC president, Gail Colletta, to participate in a news piece on Sex Offender clustering, we were weary of the opportunity, considering WFTV’s history of fear-mongering and myth spreading. Still, we thought it would be a good opportunity to educate the viewers on how the residency restrictions are counter-productive and classification of registrants should be risk based, not offense based.
Wrong! WFTV took Gail’s comments out of context and put out another tabloid report.
Its a news trap perpetrated by known RSO hater,Reporter Jeff Deal whom pounds on RSOs,doors on Halloween and then screams at us. His own perversions of the news now has mirrored to other WFTV Staff reporters that feel exploitation will get big ratings. None of their reports on local registrants are ever accurate. Gregg Warmouth news anchor does not belive in any rehab for registrants. Channel 9 just entrapped FAC.
In the future, do the same as the Virginia gun rights group when they were interviewed by Katie Couric: make your own recording! Then, if it is deceptively edited to radically change your message, you have your own record.
Here’s the link: http://money.cnn.com/2016/09/13/media/katie-couric-under-the-gun-lawsuit/
Not a valid link but I am not surprised – needless to say never trust them again. I wish she could sue them!
This tabloid report makes me sick. Why is it so hard for the media to admit sex offenders not as big of a threat as they think?
I just watched the clip for myself. I did not see one thing that they said that was not true. Maybe the fact that they put that on TV at all, may be what you are complaining about and I agree. But I actually felt like they gave a fair interview for all and even the criminal expert on there admitted why the problem was occurring. A very fair peace, just maybe not a good way to present it
Rewatch it again – there is no context for why they are interviewing Gail. There is the briefest ( less than half a second ) onscreen display of FAC and her name, and no mention of why they would interview her, other than being a sexual assault survivor and that her son is a RSO. I would think that Gail agreed to be interviewed in order to provide some insight into opposition to residency restrictions, but that wasn’t the point WFTV wanted to make.
Go back a few weeks ago, they did a story about a hit-and -run victim in Leesburg ( I’m pretty sure) who ironically had been involved in a hit-and-run years earlier. lol and behold, they uncovered that the dead man was a sexual predator – what does that have to do with him being killed in a hit and run?
WFTV 9 contacted FAC on the premise that they are doing a story on the problem of clusters of sex offenders that have developed and wanted our take.
The context of Gail’s interview presentation was that the clustering is the unintended consequence of residency restriction ordinances that leave registrants with very limited housing options except in these small areas where they are now concentrated.
The “reap what they sow” comment was directed to the legislators who passed these laws, creating this problem, who now have to deal with a bigger problem; clustering, homelessness and registrants forced underground.
The story was FALSELY spun as a scare piece and Gail’s interview was incomplete, taken out of context and largely mis-characterized.
This doesn’t surprise me. Like I have mentioned before, I have spent many years working in local media here in Central Florida. Channel 9’s actions are no different than any of the others, just more militant. While I was working for one local station, channel 9 had no respect from the other channels. Sometimes stations will work together on certain stories or projects. But the other major players did not work with channel 9. I see nothing has changed.