The news outlets were buzzing today about the fact that spending on Boxing Day went down this year compared to previous years.
I find that funny because, you know, Boxing Day hasn’t happened yet.
The news, naturally, comes out of a VISA press release, which they based on a survey that asked people what they planned to do. This, I guess, is somehow infinitely better than waiting two days and just finding out what they did.
But VISA knows a slow news day when it sees one, and the news fell for it.
Press Releases, the most useful space filling non-news items for slow news days. Then there’s the bait-linking devices like top10 lists with at least one listed item so off-key it’s only inserted to illicit hits.
But it’s hardly media manipulation. Press releases are a HUGE source of news articles and the media takes advantage of the free handouts.