Saturday, January 15, 2011

it worked for Betty White






Someone has started a Campaign to bring the 2011 Newbery and Caldecott winners to the Today Show on FB after the show's decision to break the 11 year tradition of featuring the winners to showcase Snooki!

Maybe if enough people hop on board, the Today Show will reconsider. Or at least not make the same choice next year.

5 comments:

Elaine Magliaro said...

Grace,

Did you read the article about this on the School Library Journal website?

*****

From School Library Journal
(1/13/2011)
'Today Show' Snubs 2011 Caldecott, Newbery Winners
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/slj/home/888805-312/today_show_snubs_2011_caldecott.html.csp


Here's an excerpt:

"The American Library Association did reach out to the Today Show, and multiple conversations took place between show producers and Pro-Media Communications, ALA's media relations firm," says Mark Gould, director of ALA's Public Information Office in a statement. "Unfortunately we were turned down." The ALA Youth Media Awards have had a spot on the Today Show for more than a decade.

The Today Show says Snooki had been lined up in advance and that the program was booked solid this week.

"The Internet rumors insinuating that we 'bumped' the Newbery and Caldecott winners for a segment with Snooki, that we 'passed up' the winners for Snooki, or that there was a 'lack of interest' in the winners, are totally false," says Megan Kopf, publicist for the Today Show, in an email. "Snooki was booked on Today before the winners were even pitched to us."

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How come the Today Show didn't have guests "booked" for the day after the Newbery/Caldecott announcements in previous years?

I guess the Today Show "powers that be" figured Snooki would get them better ratings.

Meghan McCarthy said...

Yeah, all about ratings! People would much rather see Snooki. But this proves once again that when a celeb does a kids' book people want it over a non celeb book. Who cares what's inside right? GRRR!!!

I'm going to check out the FB now....

Libby Koponen said...

I'm in. And I'm happy to say that I didn't know who Snooki was until all this came up, and now that I've seen a little of her, have no desire to see more.

Down with celebrity kids' books!

Nikki Shannon Smith said...

Libby, I didn't even know Snooki was female until I saw your comment above.

This is such a sad reflection of how the media negatively impacts our culture.

Books That Heal Kids said...

This actually didn't surprise me. The TODAY (NBC) show has gone down hill the past year..... :-(