Yahoo Finance US local news stations air segments on Amazon penned by company's PR team
Nearly a dozen local US TV channels aired segments about Amazon that included footage and a script produced by the retailer’s public relations team.
The segments, which according to the news outlet Courier appeared on at least 11 local news stations, praised Amazon’s response to the coronavirus pandemic ahead of the company’s shareholder meeting on Wednesday. The meeting takes place following weeks of controversy over the company’s handling of the Covid-19 crisis. Amazon has been accused of denying workers sick leave, failing to provide adequate protection in warehouses, and retaliating against workers who speak out against these conditions.
Related: Amazon threatened with closure of Wisconsin campus over coronavirus
It appears the language and footage in the segment were part of a pre-written story Amazon sent around to some reporters in the US. Zach Rael, a reporter at the Oklahoma City station KOCO, tweeted on Sunday that he had received an email containing footage of Amazon facilities and a script for the news anchor, which included phrases praising Amazon, including: “For the first time, we’re getting a glimpse inside Amazon’s fulfillment centers to see just how the company is keeping its employees safe and healthy.”
Courier found at least 11 local news stations had used the Amazon script verbatim, including outlets in West Virginia, Miami, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Georgia. A Courier video shows anchors at the stations repeating the same phrases, including “the company is keeping its employees safe and healthy”.
An Amazon spokeswoman told the Guardian it had been transparent the video came from Amazon and it was not a promotional video.
“We welcome reporters into our buildings and it’s misleading to suggest otherwise,” the spokeswoman said. “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.”
The spokeswoman said the video package had been released as part of a wire. Rael, the Oklahoma reporter, said on Twitter he was sent the package directly from a PR representative at the company.
There are confirmed coronavirus cases in at least 50 Amazon warehouses, and at least eight employees have died after contracting the virus.
