data-mm-id=”_l7u2a9upa”>On Sunday, KOCO weekend anchor Zach Rael tweeted that Amazon's public relations team had emailed him a news story and script to run on-air. Billed as a look behind the scenes of the behemoth's COVID-19 response, the idea was quickly nixed by Rael and, likely, many other stations. Just got an email from Amazon’s PR team with a pre-edited news story and script to run in our shows. They are selling this as giving our viewers an “inside look” at the company’s response to COVID-19. No.Let us go inside a fulfillment centers with our own cameras… pic.twitter.com/7mDk2xmf4O— Zach Rael (@KOCOZach) May 24, 2020Courier's Timothy Burke reports today that at least 11 stations have run the pre-edited package put together by an Amazon spokesperson. He put together a video showing these reports, which are eerily identical. Only Toledo's ABC affiliate disclosed the piece had been produced by Amazon. The other 10 stations to run it:WTVJ-NBC, Miami, FLWPLG-NBC, Miami, FLWKRN-ABC, Nashville, TNWLEX-NBC, Lexington, KY (ran twice)WVVA-NBC, Bluefield, WVWTVM-ABC, Columbus, GA (ran twice)KMIR-NBC, Palm Springs, CA (ran three times)WBTW-CBS, Myrtle Beach, SCWOAY-ABC, Bluefield, WV (ran twice)WGXA-ABC, Macon, GAHere is the segment:Back in 2018, Burke, then with Deadspin, created a mashup showing dozens of news anchors from Sinclair Broadcast Group-owned stations repeating the same script addressing so called "one-sided news stories" plaguing the country. It went uber-viral and rightly embarrassed all involved in the sausage-making process. A refresher:How America's largest local TV owner turned its news anchors into soldiers in Trump's war on the media: https://t.co/iLVtKRQycL pic.twitter.com/dMdSGellH3— Deadspin (@Deadspin) March 31, 2018Responding to the Courier post, Amazon said "the video and script were published to Business Wire as are many other companies’ in-house produced content for media organizations."It's exceedingly jarring to watch stuff like this. The mind wonders how often this type of stuff is happening and how much goes unnoticed. It takes an extremely vigilant eye to notice the commonalities across markets and the average person at home relying on the local news for information can't be expected to do a deep dive to glean what's reporting and what's slick PR. UPDATE: "We welcome reporters into our buildings and it’s misleading to suggest otherwise," Amazon spokesperson Alyssa Bronikowski told The Big Lead. "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." A spokesperson who asked not to be named added that many other companies make similar videos, that this was not a promotional video, that no one who participated in it was paid, and that its origin was transparent upon its placement on the wire.
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The 32-year-old, still under contract at Aston Villa, originally played for Well between 2006 and 2008 before earning a move to Cardiff City and kickstarting his career in the Championship in England.
McCormack is back at Fir Park after he was recalled from previous loan club Central Coast Mariners earlier on Saturday, citing family reasons.
I feel like this was the club that helped launch my career and I will be forever grateful for that, he said. I ve had a frustrating few years and I am desperate to just get back on the pitch again and do what I do.
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Ross McCormack is back
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Aston Villa want to sign Crysencio Summerville from Leeds United in the January transfer window, according to Fabrizio Romano. The Italian journalist has reported on Twitter that Villa are among a number of clubs who are keeping tabs on Summerville.
Romano has added that Leeds have “no intention” of selling Summerville in the January transfer window. The reporter has added that the West Yorkshire club turned down a bid of £20 million from Burnley for Summerville in the summer of 2023.
https://twitter.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1739209378543141368
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The Portuguese is the preferred candidate to take over at the City Ground and has met with club officials ahead of a possible appointment.
Nuno has been out of work since leaving Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad in November. He appears set for a return to the Premier League two years after his sacking from an ill-fated four-month stay at Spurs.
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Open contest
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Prediction: Spezia to win 1-0
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Spezia and Hellas Verona will face each other in the Serie A Relegation tie-breaker this coming weekend. The match between Leonardo Semplici’s side and Marco Zaffaroni’s team will be held at the Mapei Stadium in Città del Tricolore, Reggio Emilia and is scheduled to kick off at 7:45pm UK time on Sunday. This is first Serie A relegation play-off since 2005. The loses of the tie will join Sampdoria and Cremonese in Serie B next season.
Spezia
Spezia are a small club in Italy whose stadium, Stadio Alberto Picco, does not even hold 12,000 fans. Leonardo Semplici’s side finished as low as 16th in the Serie A table last season, and they have ended up 17th in the standings this time around.
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Jamie Carragher a key member of Liverpool s team at the time – apologised to Evra while working alongside him as a pundit last October.
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Munoz steered Watford back into the Premier League having taken charge midway through the 2020-21 campaign, but was sacked during November 2021 after just 36 games in charge.
Former winger Munoz won both the LaLiga title and the UEFA Cup while at Valencia, before moving into management with Georgian club Dinamo Tbilisi and moved to Watford in December 2020.
A short statement on the Owls’ club website read: “Sheffield Wednesday are delighted to announce the appointment of Xisco Munoz as our first team manager.
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Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang came off the bench to rescue Arsenal on Thursday as they got their Europa League campaign off to a winning start with a 2-1 victory over Rapid Vienna.
The club captain scored just four minutes after David Luiz had equalised as the Gunners fought back to win the Group B clash after a Bernd Leno mistake saw them fall behind early in the second half.
Thomas Partey made his first start for the club in a match from which Rapid will feel they should have taken something, with goalscorer Taxiarchis Fountas unable to capitalise on further Leno errors.
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