Mega TV station billboard fail

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TheSportsPredictor

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Oooops, sorry, anchorpeople!

billboardfail_banner.jpg


This got some head honchos suspended: http://gawker.com/5413981/television-news-reporters-just-cant-catch-a-break
 
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Another example of the news industry being gaga over Twitter and instead making asses of themselves with it.
 
I have to say, I'm flabbergasted the GM and News Director were suspended over this. I tip my had to the ownership group that will go after the people in charge instead of the grunts of the newsroom.

Pretty easy to understand how this could happen, really -- it's not like the person who sends out the Twitter update has a image of how it's going to look on the billboard before sending it out. There's no reason that it should send up a red flag beforehand, but it obviously is hilariously bad in the final version.

On a related note, as someone who works in a newsroom that's a bit Twitter-obsessed at the moment, I don't get the point of twittering something like "3 arrested in gang rape." It's not particularly compelling information, and it's not something that's going to attract viewers. There are a few people at my shop who send out headlines like that. Seems like a waste.
 
In theory, doesn't sending a tweet like that draw attention to the Twitterverse (or at least the part that would care about the area you're covering) and draw them in for further updates, either through Twitter or the website? If they know you have something on a major event, they might follow through with you, particularly if they heard it from you first.

And since we're in the neighborhood:

tumblr_kq5d3iyIQK1qzj7voo1_500.jpg
 
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Mystery Meat II said:
In theory, doesn't sending a tweet like that draw attention to the Twitterverse (or at least the part that would care about the area you're covering) and draw them in for further updates, either through Twitter or the website? If they know you have something on a major event, they might follow through with you, particularly if they heard it from you first.

And since we're in the neighborhood:

tumblr_kq5d3iyIQK1qzj7voo1_500.jpg

An interesting news tweet does... but I don't think "Three Arrested in Gang Rape" is drawing anyone anywhere. Nobody is driving down the freeway, glancing at the billboard, and thinking "Man, a gang rape? I'd better hurry home to get the details on that!" It's just ugly and sad.
 
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PCLoadLetter said:
Mystery Meat II said:
In theory, doesn't sending a tweet like that draw attention to the Twitterverse (or at least the part that would care about the area you're covering) and draw them in for further updates, either through Twitter or the website? If they know you have something on a major event, they might follow through with you, particularly if they heard it from you first.

And since we're in the neighborhood:

tumblr_kq5d3iyIQK1qzj7voo1_500.jpg

An interesting news tweet does... but I don't think "Three Arrested in Gang Rape" is drawing anyone anywhere. Nobody is driving down the freeway, glancing at the billboard, and thinking "Man, a gang rape? I'd better hurry home to get the details on that!" It's just ugly and sad.

On the billboard? No. But if they're reading Twitter feeds at home or work or the gym? Quite possibly.

Of course, havaing a Twitter billboard does pretty much ensure that whoever does the tweeting has to use proper grammar and spelling and not talk about their weiner. So score one for the billboard.
 
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Mystery Meat II said:
And since we're in the neighborhood:

tumblr_kq5d3iyIQK1qzj7voo1_500.jpg

I could see that every day. And *still* laugh every time.
 
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playthrough said:
Another example of the news industry being gaga over Twitter and instead making asses of themselves with it.

This has nothing to do with Twitter and everything to do with miscommunication.
 
Mystery Meat II said:
Of course, havaing a Twitter billboard does pretty much ensure that whoever does the tweeting has to use proper grammar and spelling and not talk about their weiner. So score one for the billboard.


Uh... The person doing the tweeting should be doing those things anyway.
 
Note that on the Twitter feed, not the billboard, there's probably a link to a full story as well, which you obviously can't see on the billboard.
 
SF_Express said:
Note that on the Twitter feed, not the billboard, there's probably a link to a full story as well, which you obviously can't see on the billboard.

And the person tweeting doesn't likely know what every billboard looks like. Not their fault.
 
mustangj17 said:
SF_Express said:
Note that on the Twitter feed, not the billboard, there's probably a link to a full story as well, which you obviously can't see on the billboard.

And the person tweeting doesn't likely know what every billboard looks like. Not their fault.

No, but they probably should know now. This will also come in handy if they use the billboard to advertise Three Stooges reruns.
 
mustangj17 said:
playthrough said:
Another example of the news industry being gaga over Twitter and instead making asses of themselves with it.

This has nothing to do with Twitter and everything to do with miscommunication.

Sure it does. Too many news orgs think Twitter is the Rosetta Stone for viewers/readers. This is a highway billboard for the local news team, for cryin' out loud. Stick with the toothy grins and forget the rest.
 
Mystery Meat II said:
mustangj17 said:
SF_Express said:
Note that on the Twitter feed, not the billboard, there's probably a link to a full story as well, which you obviously can't see on the billboard.

And the person tweeting doesn't likely know what every billboard looks like. Not their fault.

No, but they probably should know now. This will also come in handy if they use the billboard to advertise Three Stooges reruns.

"Slowly I turned......step by step.....inch by inch....."
 

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