Amazon Writes Its Own TV News Segments to Laud Virus Response

(Bloomberg) -- After weathering withering coverage of its response to the pandemic, Amazon.com Inc. is offering its own take on the news.

Several local television news stations recently broadcast strikingly similar reports that focused on the safety measures the online retail giant has implemented at its warehouses, according to a video compiled by the Courier, part of a progressive media company with ties to groups supporting the Democratic Party. That similarity is because the segments were based on scripts and footage provided by Amazon, journalists who received similar pitches from the company said on Twitter.

“Millions of Americans staying at home are relying on Amazon,” the anchors say in one repeated refrain. Later, they say, “The company is keeping its employees safe and healthy.”

Amazon, which confirmed circulating the footage, says offering a video package and accompanying script through press release newswires is a common way for companies to distribute background information. Amazon said it aimed to fill a gap for newsrooms interested in covering the company’s response to the pandemic but unable to send their own reporters.

“This type of video was created to share an inside look into the health and safety measures we’ve rolled out in our buildings and was intended for reporters who for a variety of reasons weren’t able to come tour one of our sites themselves,” Alyssa Bronikowski, an Amazon spokeswoman, said in an emailed statement.

Amazon has served as a lifeline to people sheltering at home during the pandemic, delivering groceries and other essential goods. At the same time, the company has faced criticism from staff, labor groups and politicians for its response to the disease, which has sickened hundreds of its workers and killed several. Employee complaints included a lack of cleaning supplies and close-quarter work conditions that didn’t allow for the kind of social distancing recommended by public health authorities. The company, which has defended its safety record and said it has adjusted its workplaces to allow for separation between employees, has declined to disclose how many of its workers have been diagnosed with Covid-19.

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