Bickmore grilled in Mac attack
Carrie Bickmore came under fire after it was acknowledged that her reference to McCafes was part of a sponsored segment for Oprah.
- Published by David Knox
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TEN’s Carrie Bickmore came under fire yesterday after it was acknowledged that her reference to McCafes was actually part of a sponsored segment for Oprah.
Bickmore told Oprah Winfrey Aussies love to meet at McCafes during her hosting of a segment at the request of Winfrey.
“While there are a lot of differences, there is one comforting similarity,” Bickmore told the Big O. “While you have your diners, we have McCafes. Guys come for business meetings, girls come for a catch-up over coffee. It’s all just a little bit fancy.”
Yesterday The Australian confirmed McDonald’s had sponsored the segment:
The Australian asked the Ten Network and McDonald’s about the curious reference and they confirmed McDonald’s was a “broadcast sponsor and had a global arrangement directly with Harpo Productions for the in-program McCafe activity that appeared in Carrie’s segment”.
On Twitter Bickmore became the target of numerous gags and became one of Australia’s top topics:
“McScrew up? TV personality Carrie Bickmore has been labelled a sell-out after an Oprah segment said Aussies drink coffee at McDonalds.”
“Carrie Bickmore should take the criticism with a grain of salt…an all beef patty, mayo, pickles and a sesame seed bun.”
“Now americans think that we go to maccas in kangaroos to have coffee there. Thanks maccas and carrie bickmore.”
“I like Carrie Bickmore but admittedly, am disappointed by the shameless Macca’s plug. It’s not just her fault but Channel 10’s. All about $$”
The Drum said:
So it was that Channel Ten “current affairs” hostess Carrie Bickmore presented a special Aussie Countdown to introduce Australiana to 10 million viewing Americans last week. Coming from a woman who fulfils a weekday public role that is nominally journalistic, you might expect this to be an honest appraisal of Bickmore’s homeland prepared from the heart and with the deep knowledge of a country that only a native might bring. But that wouldn’t fit into the mould of modern infotainment.
The Age said:
Now it makes sense why Channel Ten’s Carrie Bickmore dropped the word ”McDonald’s” in her segment on Oprah’s Aussie Countdown, a TV special that was supposed to be about Aussie culture. The fast-food giant is a sponsor of Oprah’s Down Under roadshow, a handy fact revealed in Rupert’s Australian.
The Courier Mail quoted several Aussie coffee retailers:
“I was quite surprised. I don’t think it’s a very clear reflection of the Sydney coffee trend,” Aileen Young says. “It’s probably not showing Australian coffee culture in the right light … I don’t think it’s correct to say this is the way Australians drink coffee.”
TEN says Bickmore wasn’t paid to do the segment, but this really gets away from the point of discerning editorial versus advertorial. A McDonald’s logo did appear at the end of the show.
Bickmore’s reference was possibly at the instruction of a Producer, however it is also a measure of a journalist whether they are comfortable with their material or not.
Winfrey and two Qantas planes with American audiences are expected to touch down in Sydney this morning.
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66 Responses
The only time I’ve ever had a coffee from McCafe was in Hong Kong – and that’s cos it was the closest and easiest place to get a latte! Yes, Australia has great cafe culture – but it’s light years away from McCafe! Next mcDonald’s will claim they invented the pavlova and the lamington!
The thing that pushes it over the edge for me is when Carrie says “It’s all just a little bit fancy”- that’s a direct line from a maccas ad. That is a pretty overt mention of McCafes, there are far more subtle and appropriate ways to mention the fast food giant.
they made it extremely obvious it was sponsored during tge oprah episode
Apparently Australian culture isn’t genuine and can simply be bought buy an American company. What a pathetic lie to tell people just to please a sponsor. Carrie should hang her head in shame selling out like that.
7pm not that much different from ACA and TT afterall. Great start to Ten’s 2 hours of news in 2011
Cash-for-comment mark 2.
The thing that annoys me is the denial of responsibility.
Bickmore will blame the producers, the prods will blame 10’s owners, the owners will blame Oprah, she’d say it was organised by her ‘peeps’ and that she doesn’t dabble in such low-brow stuff, the peeps will say it’s what Oprah would want them to do. So no one is to blame.
And no one has ethics or moral courage any longer.
It’s not just about sponsorship influencing content; or product placement. This is Australian Tourism’s big campaign, and we’re promoting an image that says:
“While you have your diners, we have McCafes. Guys come for business meetings, girls come for a catch-up over coffee. It’s all just a little bit fancy.”
Spare me. This is costing the taxpayer enough, without crap like this being part of the deal.
The old saying; “never believe what you read in the paper” has to be be upgraded to ‘what you hear/see on the electronic media’. Joe has got it right, skipping the adds doesn’t stop the exposure to advertising these days.
The gulf between “journalist” and “personality” is ever widening but sadly the general population isn’t being educated about the difference. The public have been conditioned to regard the inane fluff and sponsor messages being spouted by “personalities” as “information” when in fact they are pieces of mis-information produced by either ignorance, lack of research or commercial opportunity. It’s not a new thing, Carrie Bickmore isn’t the first to masquerade as a journalist, nor will she be the last. The disturbing thing is that the publics resistance and ability to discern the difference between information and advertising has been gradually eroded.
I don’t understand why Carrie is being picked on…as if this is the first time a sponsored segment has slipped into a story. Oprah’s whole trip to Australia is one big advertisement!! Oprah wouldn’t be coming here if our Tourism Commission hadn’t paid for most of it, and I’m guessing McDonald’s is also a big contributor. If the sponsors weren’t allowed to flog their products, then events like this would never happen because they cost a lot of money and somebody has to pay.
Carrie was offered a once in a lifetime opportunity when asked to film some segments for the Oprah Show, and I wouldn’t think there would be one person in the country that would turn down that opportunity because they were asked to voice a sponsored segment as well (and I’m sure all proceeds of the advertisement would be going to Harpo and would have nothing to do with Carrie or Ten).
The whole country has gone Oprah crazy…our city is is putting a big “O” on the Harbour Bridge and changing the name of our Opera House to “Oprah” House for heaven’s sake, and Carrie is the one accused of selling out? I’ve heard of CEOs of major companies offering to do anything to get tickets for their wives! I warn everyone that if you don’t want to watch sponsors get paid segments, then definitely don’t watch Oprah’s show while she’s here…or her show at all…all commercial television at all…or radio…or read a newspaper or magazine.
Sponsors and advertising is what enables things like Oprah coming to Australia to happen, so don’t be shocked when one of those sponsors gets a bit if advertising in the show.
Well, if it is any conpensation, McCafes started in Austraia so you could call them kinda Australian … or am I missing the whole point?
What beats me is that her US audience probably think its Oprah footing the bill for bringing her 300 guest to Australia… Oprah doesn’t do stuff unless there is a commerical arrangement involved. And poor Carrie Bickmore, she has always been scripted ever since her days at Rove.
Now the Americans have another false interpretation of us. Kangaroo’s don’t freely roam the streets!!
Vote with your eyeballs, folks. Just don’t watch.
Carrie might have a journalistic background but she presents what the Logies have categorized as a Light Entertainment Show. She was also on an American daytime talk show in the story… Not a current affairs show.
So does that “measure of a journalist” also relate to Ray Martin during his Midday years when he plugged sponsors?
To Tracy Grimshaw when she intros stories on ACA clearly sponsor driven?
To Eddie McGuire when he plugs sponsors left right and centre?
They are all journalists and they all do a variety of things on TV… Carrie is no different.
It’s commercial television for heavens sake… Let’s just hope the one side of Australia Oprah doesn’t show is our ability to cut people down every time they get the spotlight shone on them.
I knew there was a reason I didn’t watch that show…
I thought it was weird that Carrie was focusing on McCafes.
Going on the look of the audience, I think most of them are wayyyy too familiar withg McDonalds. I’m feeling a bit hungry, Jack.
‘TEN says Bickmore wasn’t paid to do the segment,’
No, but I’m guessing she got paid to turn up to go to work that day.
She probably thought her segment was all about ‘Opera’ and confused the era of men meeting for business meetings and girls for chats with the 1970s.
Calling Carrie Bickmore a “journalist” is a Very long bow to draw.
I don’t think I’ve ever bought a coffee at the ‘McCafes’, plenty a the main McDonald side of the stores.
I reckon she and Charlie Pickering was also paid by the Labor party for how they treated Tony Abbott on the show during the election campaign.
it was glaring obvious at the time there was McDonalds sponsorship ie every audience member getting free food from them.
Well if you watch comercial TV expect to be sold to.
Hardly watch any TV as it is aired, usuall record it to PVR and watch later so I can skip the ads so I guess they have to disguise the ads into the show.
Sponsorship influencing content?
Well I never…