Don’t try to profit off a tragedy

Home - Uncategorized - Don’t try to profit off a tragedy

Every news agency I’ve ever been associated with has done some sort of self-promotion.

Ted Harbin TwisTED Rodeo
Ted Harbin
TwisTED Rodeo

Call it marketing. Call it space or time filler. Call it an editorial right to pats one’s self on the back, but it’s been part of presenting news in a competitive market for decades. Metro TV stations are quite possibly the best at it, always plugging that they brought it to you first.

Having a strong marketing campaign is vital to any company’s growth.

But not all news agencies are so reputable. Take this tweet from a Canadian news source: “(Name removed) sets new one day record on tragic rodeo weekend.”

An Alberta teenager was killed Saturday in a wreck that happened inside the rodeo arena. Many who knew the young man mourn their loss. I could tell by the social media posts from my Canadian friends that this was a painful situation. My heart goes out to the boy’s family.

But one news agency was more focused on its record-breaking numbers than it was in actually presenting the news and opinions of the day. “The interest in this rodeo news story has generated over 100,00 (sic) hits and 4,000 visitors …”

This is not a reputable news agency. I hope my Canadian friends realize that and turn to better sources for their rodeo news.

Share:

Leave A Comment

Social

Latest News

Archives