Whither the Weather?

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security "is paying a Pennsylvania ad firm to pitch 'pre-written' winter-weather-preparedness articles" to national and local media. The Neiman Group firm wrote to the Vermont newspaper Seven Days: "In light of the forecasted weekend snowstorm in Burlington, now is a great time to remind your readers about the importance of preparing for winter weather." In response to questions from the paper, a Neiman spokesperson explained: "We've just noticed that staffing has been a little down at newspapers. ... A lot of newspapers have been asking us for what we're calling 'pre-written' articles." The information offered from Homeland Security's Ready.gov campaign intersperses mentions of "winter storms and extreme cold," "man-made disasters as well as natural ones" and "attacks." Ready.gov "is administered by the Ad Council, a private marketing firm" that "first gained notoriety for its 'Loose Lips Sink Ships' campaign" during World War II.

Comments

"In light of the forecasted weekend snowstorm in Burlington, now is a great time to remind your readers about the importance of preparing for winter weather."

That could be very helpful indeed for those readers who just moved to Vermont from Florida and who might not yet know their way in the local markets for snowplowing, heating oil, propane and cord wood.

When will DHS and the Neiman Group start putting out pre-written news articles about which bridges to drive over fast and not look back?