Telstra has revealed the addition of almost one million new mobile services in the six months to December 2011, but Sensis revenues plummeted 24 percent in 12 months.
It may come as a shock to adoring Michael Moore fans but not everyone agrees with him or the ways he expresses his views through the medium of film making. Thus, when Google blogger Lauren Turner, who sells Google advertising to the healthcare industry, expressed relatively mild and veiled criticism of Moore's new film Sicko in a company blog and suggested ways her clients could combat negative publicity through advertising, outrage ensued.
The Moore faithful, about as fanatical as the
Apple faithful, are calling for Google's blood over Ms Turner's blog -
even though she has subsequently stressed in a follow up blog that she
was expressing her personal opinion only. Personally (and this is MY
opinion not iTWire's) I believe that Google should have instead
followed with a proud proclamation: "Sorry folks, but we're in the
advertising business - Michael Moore doesn't pay our bills."
Seriously though, Ms Turner's blog about Sicko makes some good points,
which have already been raised by more objective reviewers. Moore, as
he often does in his films, picks out isolated and the most
sensationalist stories he can find to portray his targets in the worst
possible light.
Healthcare insurers and pharmaceutical companies are portrayed as
greedy, heartless corporations with no redeeming features. Moore makes
no pretence at balance - and why would he? Balance doesn't sell. Yes,
Moore is in the business of making money too.
In fact, Ms Turner treads very carefully in her blog and is careful not
to actually attack Moore himself. She merely points out the obvious -
Moore believes the US healthcare industry is sick and the industry has
faced this type of criticism many times before.
Thus, when Ms Turner, on behalf of Google (let's be honest), suggests
to her clients that a good way to combat negative perceptions is
through search engine advertising should anyone be surprised?
Let there be no doubt that Google has become a very powerful player in
the media and technology spaces. The Google blogs may not be perfect
but at least they provide some sort of personal interface between the
company and the world. It would be a pity if that were to be curtailed
because some sections of the community don't happen to like what
individual bloggers are saying.
By the way, fortunately I've never been sick in the US. However, I had
a bad flu which laid me up for more than a month in London. I can tell
you that British National Health wasn't all it was cracked up to be.
David Bass
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