A Google employee has clarified her offer to use Google's services to defuse the impact of Michael Moore's new movie, Sicko. Lauren Turner is the "account planner, health" for Google, and she made headlines with a post on the Google Health Advertising Blog where she offered the healthcare industry a chance to run ads for anti-Sicko sites alongside Google searches for "sicko."
Today, Turner posted a clarification, stating that her opinions of Moore's movie were her own, and not Google's, and reaffirming the use of advertising to "handle challenges," calling it "a very democratic and effective way to participate in a public dialogue." She went on to say that this view of advertising is the official Google policy, though reiterating that Google is silent on the questions raised by Moore's movie.
But the more important point, since I doubt that too many people care about my personal opinion, is that advertising is an effective medium for handling challenges that a company or industry might have. You could even argue that it's especially appropriate for a public policy issue like healthcare. Whether the healthcare industry wants to rebut charges in Mr. Moore's movie, or whether Mr. Moore wants to challenge the healthcare industry, advertising is a very democratic and effective way to participate in a public dialogue.
Have I mentioned how much I loved this movie? Go see it. Then do something about living in the last industrialized nation in the world without universal healthcare, a situation maintained by a staff of four healthcare lobbyists for every Congressperson.
See also: Google to HMOs: pay us and we'll defuse "Sicko"
Update: Mike sez, "I thought you
might want to know that Google doesn't even allow individuals to
purchase ads critical of large companies. In May 2004, I set up a
website to criticize the large
medical-testing firm Covance. I bought — and was willing to pay, out of
my own pocket — a Google AdWord so people searching for Covance would
find my site. After a few days, Google told me that their 'policy does
not permit the advertisement of websites that contain 'language that
advocates against an individual, group, or organization'.' So,
apparently HMOs criticizing Michael Moore is okay, but
random-guy-with-a-website criticizing a large corporation is not okay.
'Democratic,' indeed.
