Analysis:
First of all it should be said that this story would only apply to a small percentage of viewers in West Michigan. Most people can not afford to travel out of the US, so the story is a reflection of who WXMI sees as their audience – people with a disposable income. Second, the story uses video b-roll early on from a source at the bottom of the screen named “Sandals” while talking about traveling abroad during Spring Break. Sandals is actually a lavish resort company specializing in Caribbean vacation packages.
The bulk of the story uses a local doctor who has travel abroad experience and offers tips. Much of the advice that is offered is pretty much common sense, which the doctor even admits by saying “A lot of the things that we do in travel medicine are really just common sense.” However, the story is 2 minutes and 36 seconds long, which is unusually long for a local TV news story.
Lastly, at the end of the story the channel 17 news reader tells viewers that if they want more information to go to the news links section of the WXMI website, which takes people to the International Medicine Center.
Story:
WXMI 17 News reader #1 - A lot of people are headed out for Spring Break this weekend and 40-50% of travelers will end up sick or injured.
News reader #2 - Yeah, you don't want to be one of them. The vast majority with problems that could have been prevented. Fox 17's Lindsey Zaber has some tips from west Michigan's very own travel doctor. It's tonight's Fit to a T.
Reporter - It's hard to imagine not loving every minute of a place like this, but getting sick can ruin a trip to paradise.
Travel Doctor Specialist - Last week we got a call from Pakistan, uh I got one from Iraq...
Reporter - It's Dale Carroll's job to help patients stay healthy before and after vacations. He has been to 87 countries and counting to study medicine and a big problem the Travel Doctor sees comes from beach sand.
Travel Doctor Specialist - We don't have the trouble here in Michigan because it is too cold, but in tropical beaches there are parasites that are in the sand and if you lie in the bare sand you get these little parasites under your skin and then they hatch out and crawl around on your skin and you have this worm crawling under your skin and it really looks gross.
Reporter - And if you are going to a beach in Mexico...
Travel Doctor Specialist - Shake your shoes before you put them on because scorpions like to curl up in the toes of your shoes.
Reporter - here they keep all kinds of vaccines on stock all the time. Now everything they have in here could protect you from anything you could possibly get no matter where you go in the world.
Travel Doctor Specialist - Typhoid, rabies, hepatitis, polio...
Reporter - And believe it or not just getting a flu shot can be the best protection. It can protect you from germs flying around inside planes and on cruise ships.
Travel Doctor Specialist - We consider a flu vaccine a travel vaccine, because your are not going to be more apt to get flu in Australia than you are here, but you are more apt to getting on the plane getting there.
Reporter - More trips for travelers, some of the obvious ones; wash your hands a lot, avoid salad bars, food vendors and ice in drinks, use bug repellent and sun screen, also to avoid getting hepatitis B don't share razors or toothbrush, and don't get your hair braided on the beach - choose a clean salon that uses sanitary combs instead.
Travel Doctor Specialist - A lot of the things that we do in travel medicine are really just common sense. It's just that things that you don't think of because that is not what you do everyday.
Reporter - Fred Murphy is headed to South America for a mission trip. He says coming here was a huge help.
Fred Murphy - I think that everybody should have what I just got done. I don't care if you are 65 or not, because there is a lot of material that he covered.
Reporter - In Grandville Lindsey Saber, Fox 17 news at 10.
News reader #2 - Doctor Caroll is also an obstetrician, so he's a world expert on pregnancy travel. He says airlines and cruise ships won't let pregnant women on board after a certain number of weeks. Now for more information on travel tips you can go to our website www.wxmi.com and just hit news links.
Total Time: 2 minutes and 36 seconds
