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WNEM TV-5's newsroom in Saginaw. (MLive File)

(MLive File)

SAGINAW, MI -- In the wake of a leaked interoffice email asking reporters to dress as minorities, WNEM TV-5 is fielding criticism from a website chronicling TV news.

On March 10, FTVLive.com published the email authored by WNEM News Director Ian Rubin, proposing an idea for a sweeps period. The Feb. 27 email's subject line reads "'A day in their shoes' sweeps project." The following is the entirety of the missive's content.

The leaked email from WNEM TV-5 news director Ian Rubin.

"Sweeps idea-- would anyone like to dress up as a Muslim woman in a hijab to see if she faces outright discrimination?

As an Orthodox Jew in religious garb?

As a Transgender?

We would document your experience in this climate of discrimination and hatred in our station and nation.

Interest?"

MLive was unable to reach Rubin for comment.

However, WNEM General Manager Al Blinke forwarded MLive an email from Rubin stating he meant to write "state" rather than "station" in the initial email.

Blinke said the station had no further comment on the matter.

TV sweeps periods occur in November, February, May, and July.

Scott Jones, FTVLive's editor-in-chief, wrote an article panning Rubin's idea. He likened the concept of asking reporters to masquerade as minorities as asking them to don "blackface."

"First off, instead of playing dress up, how about just putting a mic on a real Muslim women or the others and see for yourself?" Jones wrote. "How about just talking to those groups to see what they deal with.

"Do you really need to turn the May sweeps into a Halloween stunt?"

FTVLive started in 2000 and describes itself as "one of the most read and powerful websites that covers TV news." Jones in April 2015 was named one of the 14 most important media reporters in America by Mediaite.