A unique collaboration on TV and online will bring you more information about drinking water safety
By Sandra Svoboda, Great Lakes Now program director, and Mickey Ciokajlo MLive Regional News Manager
As residents, researchers and lawmakers learn more about how industrial chemicals are permeating household water supplies, MLive Media Group and Detroit Public Television are collaborating to report stories that will help further public understanding of this latest water crisis.
With the financial assistance of the Ravitch Fiscal Reporting Program at the Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York, the two media outlets are partnering to do interviews, research, publish, and broadcast stories about PFAS — per- and polyfluoroalkyls — which are appearing in residential water supplies throughout Michigan and around the nation.
Readers and viewers will learn more about PFAS, a family of chemicals used in the production of household products, cleaners and waterproof clothing, when MLive and DPTV’s Great Lakes Now initiative:
- Produce a series of coordinated multimedia stories
- Collaborate on a half-hour program “The Forever Chemicals” scheduled for broadcast at 9 p.m. Thursday March 28 on WTVS-56.
- Share behind-the-scenes stories, explainer videos and other digital work online
“MLive reporters have led the way with informing the public on the scope and hazards of PFAS, and there is so much more to be done,” said John Hiner, vice president of content for MLive Media Group. “That’s why we are excited to combine efforts with Detroit Public Television, to get more investigatory firepower, and to expand the reach of this vital journalism.”
Detroit Public Television has multiple media partners, but MLive is a new one.
“In today’s media industry, collaborations across platforms are going to be key, and this partnership is going to advance both our outlets’ abilities to serve audiences,” said Rich Homberg, DPTV president and chief executive officer.
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