The Netflix series, Black Mirror, depicts a dystopian society that essentially ruled by Big Tech. Well, we’re not too far off from a Black Mirror episode right now.
The global coronavirus pandemic has drastically changed life in America over the past few months, and in many cases, it’s increased the general population’s reliance on Amazon — and other e-commerce providers — for shopping needs.
But in those same few months, Amazon has faced plenty of scrutiny for its safety record. In April, a fired Amazon employee said the company’s actions were retaliation for him speaking out about the working conditions. All this while Jeff Bezos’ net worth skyrocketed since March.
So, what did 11 local news stations across the country do? They ran the same Amazon-scripted segment that praised the e-commerce giant’s proactive approach to safety during the pandemic. Courier Newsroom put together a supercut of the segments, and, yeah, it was a sight to behold.
According to Courier Newsroom, these stations ran the segment:
WTVJ-NBC, Miami, FL
WPLG-ABC, Miami, FL
WKRN-ABC, Nashville, TN
WLEX-NBC, Lexington, KY (ran twice)
WVVA-NBC, Bluefield, WV
WTVM-ABC, Columbus, GA (ran twice)
KMIR-NBC, Palm Springs, CA (ran three times)
WBTW-CBS, Myrtle Beach, SC
WOAY-ABC, Bluefield, WV (ran twice)
WGXA-ABC, Macon, GA
Other reporters received the PR pitch from Amazon and decided to pass on what was essentially free advertising for the company.
Amazon told Courier Newsroom that the script was published to Business Wire, which provides press releases and company-produced content to media organizations. That doesn’t make the segment any less weird, though.
