Friday 19 August 2011

Churnalism to sell coffee machines and a 'sleazy' app

Yesterday, the Mail reported:


This app is so 'sleazy', Daily Mail Reporter and the photo caption writer managed to mention the name of it eight times in the 600-word online article.

A shorter version appeared on page 13 of the print edition. But despite the 'sleaziness', both versions include a detailed desciption of how the app works, which makes it sound as if it has been copy-and-pasted from a press release:

The app, which caters to men and women of all sexual preferences, gives users access to a real-time ‘passion map’, a list showing the location of ‘compatibles’ – other users with similar interests or profiles – in the area.

They are then able to contact each other directly and propose a meeting. Recipients must approve an ‘interaction request’ first, and can also choose to hide their real location.


It uses GPS-style software to provides users with a real-time list of 'willing' singles in the immediate area.
The system means users can check how many singles are in a given place - such as a bar, nightclub, or city centre - before heading out.

Also in yesterday's Mail - placed prominently on page 5 - was an article with the headline:


This utterly transparent bit of 'research' was also covered in the Express:

Britons spend an average of £450 each on their favourite high street coffee every year, more than their home’s annual electricity bill...

Research shows we spend £430million a week on 511 million cups. The annual bill per person, £452.28, is higher than a typical electricity bill of £424.

And who produced this 'research' (based, as usual, on survey of 2,000 people)?

A company that makes espresso coffee machines.

What possible interest could they have in showing people how much they (apparently) spend in coffee shops?

3 comments:

  1. Is Expresso anything like Espresso?

    ReplyDelete
  2. i suspect they didn't add in the cost of the espresso machine, coffee bags and electricity to run the machine into their 'research'

    ReplyDelete

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