WOOD TV8 :(Grandville, February 13, 2004, 8:25 p.m.) It is natural to assume that magazines purchased through a school fundraising drive would be suitable for children, especially since children are the ones doing the buying and selling. So you can imagine a Grandville mom's surprise when her daughter was able to order a magazine full of sexual content.
Asimov's Science Fiction is the magazine in question, and from the outside cover, doesn't look like an "adults-only" publication. But open it up and you will find it is.
Marilyn Becker's 13-year-old daughter loves science fiction. So it was no big deal when her daughter wanted to buy Asimov's Science Fiction from Grandville Middle School's magazine drive. When it came in the mail, mom just happened to look at it first.
"I just started flipping through and glancing at it and kinda reading things that didn't seem right," said Becker.
Inside the magazine she found various short stories, science fiction, yes, but with strong adult content.
Becker read some of the explicit tales about sex, drugs and molestation inside the magazine for us that included, "Young girls with no panties, young girls in white socks, young girls looking at his wank-mags with him, young girls doing it with one another while he watched."
Becker was disgusted by what she was seeing on the pages of her teenage daughter's new magazine. "I was appalled...I was very shocked...literally shaking when I was reading it," she said. "We've never had concerns with the program before."
Grandville Middle School Principal Theresa Waterbury also wanted to know how this publication made it on the school's magazine drive list and how many more of her students were reading it right now.
24 Hour News 8 wanted some answers too, such as how can a magazine drive company owned by Reader's Digest that reaches kids in more than 40,000 American schools and claims its primary goal is "helping children", put a magazine like this on its list.
24 Hour News 8 called the company to find out. QSP would not tell us how or even if it reviewed this magazine before putting it on the list. The company did tell us that, "A lot of care goes into choosing the magazine titles we offer. This magazine's content would no longer meet our standards."
The magazine has now been pulled from the list, but 24 Hour News 8 wanted to warn other school districts in case their students had already ordered it.
It turns out Grand Rapids Public Schools planned to order this same science fiction publication through its magazine drive for the Ottawa Hills High School library. That decision changed after we showed them what they would be receiving.
"Wow, it's very inappropriate," said John Harberts, Chief Academic Officer for GRPS. "I could see where people would be very upset about this. I'm very glad it's coming to light and we don't have this in the Grand Rapids Schools."
24 Hour News 8 then called Asimov's Science Fiction magazine in New York. Officials there tell us that it had an agreement with QSP but did not know it was on this school magazine list.
Asimov's says it is an adult publication and in no way markets itself to children. When 24 Hour News 8 told them what had happened, it promised to make some changes. Now a disclaimer will be on every story it runs that is not suitable for children to read.
As for QSP, the magazine drive company, 24 Hour News 8 pushed it further. We wanted to know what it will do to prevent the same thing from happening again with other magazines
QSP would say only that it reviews the magazines on its list from time to time and listens closely to what schools are saying. It says it has a 40 year track record of providing the best possible products and services to customers.
Becker has never been one to look through her daughter's mail, but this time she doesn't regret it. "I think that the word should get out big time to other parents, and that's why I called."
As we mentioned, since 24 Hour News 8 started this investigation, QSP has permanently severed its relationship with this science fiction magazine.
Plus, beginning with its July issue, which goes on sale in May, disclaimers will be put on every story with adult content.
24 Hour News 8 will stay on top of this story and make sure that's what happens."
jaynote: Asimov's has responded to this fine example of muckracking yellow journalism
Asimov's Science Fiction is the magazine in question, and from the outside cover, doesn't look like an "adults-only" publication. But open it up and you will find it is.
Marilyn Becker's 13-year-old daughter loves science fiction. So it was no big deal when her daughter wanted to buy Asimov's Science Fiction from Grandville Middle School's magazine drive. When it came in the mail, mom just happened to look at it first.
"I just started flipping through and glancing at it and kinda reading things that didn't seem right," said Becker.
Inside the magazine she found various short stories, science fiction, yes, but with strong adult content.
Becker read some of the explicit tales about sex, drugs and molestation inside the magazine for us that included, "Young girls with no panties, young girls in white socks, young girls looking at his wank-mags with him, young girls doing it with one another while he watched."
Becker was disgusted by what she was seeing on the pages of her teenage daughter's new magazine. "I was appalled...I was very shocked...literally shaking when I was reading it," she said. "We've never had concerns with the program before."
Grandville Middle School Principal Theresa Waterbury also wanted to know how this publication made it on the school's magazine drive list and how many more of her students were reading it right now.
24 Hour News 8 wanted some answers too, such as how can a magazine drive company owned by Reader's Digest that reaches kids in more than 40,000 American schools and claims its primary goal is "helping children", put a magazine like this on its list.
24 Hour News 8 called the company to find out. QSP would not tell us how or even if it reviewed this magazine before putting it on the list. The company did tell us that, "A lot of care goes into choosing the magazine titles we offer. This magazine's content would no longer meet our standards."
The magazine has now been pulled from the list, but 24 Hour News 8 wanted to warn other school districts in case their students had already ordered it.
It turns out Grand Rapids Public Schools planned to order this same science fiction publication through its magazine drive for the Ottawa Hills High School library. That decision changed after we showed them what they would be receiving.
"Wow, it's very inappropriate," said John Harberts, Chief Academic Officer for GRPS. "I could see where people would be very upset about this. I'm very glad it's coming to light and we don't have this in the Grand Rapids Schools."
24 Hour News 8 then called Asimov's Science Fiction magazine in New York. Officials there tell us that it had an agreement with QSP but did not know it was on this school magazine list.
Asimov's says it is an adult publication and in no way markets itself to children. When 24 Hour News 8 told them what had happened, it promised to make some changes. Now a disclaimer will be on every story it runs that is not suitable for children to read.
As for QSP, the magazine drive company, 24 Hour News 8 pushed it further. We wanted to know what it will do to prevent the same thing from happening again with other magazines
QSP would say only that it reviews the magazines on its list from time to time and listens closely to what schools are saying. It says it has a 40 year track record of providing the best possible products and services to customers.
Becker has never been one to look through her daughter's mail, but this time she doesn't regret it. "I think that the word should get out big time to other parents, and that's why I called."
As we mentioned, since 24 Hour News 8 started this investigation, QSP has permanently severed its relationship with this science fiction magazine.
Plus, beginning with its July issue, which goes on sale in May, disclaimers will be put on every story with adult content.
24 Hour News 8 will stay on top of this story and make sure that's what happens."
jaynote: Asimov's has responded to this fine example of muckracking yellow journalism
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