Quiz: Which newspaper wants you to guess how many Aussies died on MH17, what sport Phil Hughes was playing when he died and how many hostages were taken in Martin Place?
Sometimes the media suffers from the perception that it is heartless in how it covers tragedy.
So well done to The West Australian newspaper for navigating that risky territory in its end of year challenge, in which it invited readers to take part in a sponsored online “University Learning” quiz on the Murdoch University branded page.
There was a hint of what’s to come in the promotion from The West’s Facebook page: “2014 was a pretty big year for news, most of it bad. Were you paying attention?”
And it certainly was bad news, with readers invited to guess all sorts of fun facts and figures.
After all, what could possibly be seen as insensitive in asking readers to guess how many hostages were taken in the Martin Place siege?
But of course, handled with subtlety, any subject is up for grabs. Even how many Australians died in an aviation disaster.
Or guessing which sport Phillip Hughes was playing when he died?
Imagine how pleased the reader will feel when they get this message.
And if you’re doing a fun news quiz, why not get into the big tragedies, like Ebola?
Whodathunk it was only 8,000, eh?
And while we’re in Africa, how about kidnapped Nigerian school children?
But that’s not trying. How about combining school children with deaths? That would be better.
Or for the big numbers, how about guessing how many people died in Israel’s July campaign against Palestine?
And, for a bit of light relief, just the sad fate of a giraffe…
Hopefully Murdoch University will be able to attract several well adjusted psychopaths onto its courses as a result of this quiz.
Dr Mumbo asked The West and Murdoch University about the promotion this morning. Murdoch University says it had nothing to do with the creation of the quiz.
To give the newspaper credit, within a couple of hours of Mumbrella asking about the quiz, The West took it down. Acting editor Michael Beach tells Mumbrella: “We have had no complaints but some of the questions should not have been included in the quiz. The quiz has been removed from our website.”
2.30pm update: Murdoch University offers the following statement:
“Murdoch University is currently in market with its “University Offers” campaign.
“As part of this campaign Murdoch University has engaged a media agency to recommend marketing channel plans and media buys to communicate with its target audiences. Within this plan The West Australian was identified as a website that reaches our key target audiences and we booked the display media buy of The West Australian’s education portal. As part of this Murdoch University was able to purchase the creative skin surrounding the portal.
“This advertising is the extent of Murdoch University’s contribution to The West Australian’s education portal. Murdoch is not affiliated with the editorial content on The West’s website. All articles, quizzes, widgets, etc. that sit within the portal are developed and published by The West’s journalists and editors.
“Although Murdoch has not received any complaints about The West portal advertising, Murdoch, through its media agency will monitor whether The West Australian receives complaints about the quiz and will consider its options.”
Completely tone deaf.
Reminds me of the agency who suggested they name their meeting rooms after great moments in history. One senior exec (who should have known better) thought it would be appropriate to call one of the rooms 9/11. Yes, after the terrorist attack that killed 3000 people and led us into an un-winnable war. How ‘inspirational’ to hold team meetings or brainstorms in the ‘9/11’ room right?
People like this walk among us. All I can do is *facepalm*.
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People like this not only walk among us Ricki, they run our companies! Where have the rest of us gone wrong?
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I don’t like the sound of buying skin around someone else’s portal and letting them have their way with you, Murdoch University!
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Ricki, we must’ve worked for the same company. While doing my internship, meetings were held in the “John Smith [name changed]] Memorial Meeting Room”.
On my first day I commented that John Smith must’ve been a special part of the company to have a room named after him. The response was “Yes, you’ll get to meet him at our group meeting later.” I wanted to keep my internship and didn’t mention that memorials are reserved for people who have died.
John Smith was a lovely person and we shared some good times together. He knew about the “memorial room” SNAFU and wondered how it would be until someone commented.
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