Want tickets to the Brits? Journos told to tweet Mastercard

In an email sent to journalists requesting accreditation PRs asked them to agree to mention the marketing campaign #PricelessSurprise and @MasterCardUK in tweets “in return for these tickets”.

Please fellow journalists do not agree to the absurd conditions for covering @BRITAwards. I’ve even just been told what I should tweet. No.

— Tim Walker (@ThatTimWalker) February 18, 2014

Mastercard and Brit Awards go Soviet! hacks MUST Mention the sponsors in their reports or no press credentials! Vhttp://bit.ly/1fg6bYU

— Jon Snow (@jonsnowC4) February 19, 2014

They even go as far as suggesting tweets journalists could use: Really excited to be heading down to @BRITAwards tonight with @MasterCardUK #PricelessSurprises.

#PricelessSurprises will definitely be the hashtag to watch for tonight’s @BRITAwards for all the right wrong reasons. Popcorn at the ready.

— Kosso (blims) (@blims) February 19, 2014

People are complaining that the MasterCard PR / Brit Awards thing has backfired. Really? Because I now see thousands of tweets about it.

— Oliver James (@Oliver__James) February 19, 2014

The PR company also asked journalists “to live tweet from the event including @MasterCardUK handle and #PricelessSurprises” and to “retweet @MasterCardUK tweets throughout the night where appropriate” and to “direct followers to @MasterCardUK BRITs YouTube videos”.

Really kind of hope this @MasterCardUK / Brit awards tickets-for-tweets thing backfires on them extremely badly #pricelesssurprises

— Sarah (@S83bai) February 19, 2014

Shocking demand for journalists to include sponsor messages in #BRITs2014 tweets. http://t.co/dkHxWsD3Ke

— Nic Fildes (@LovesickHank) February 19, 2014

Journalist Tim Walker, told Press Gazette: “A lot of people on Twitter aren’t all that up on journalistic ethics. The sad thing is that a lot of journalists now haven’t perhaps been up through local papers and may not realise that this sort of thing isn’t ethical.”

Ginny Paton, MD at House PR, who sent the email, told Channel News: “The role of the PR agency is to pursue all coverage opportunities on behalf of its clients.

“This includes providing accurate brand references from the outset, for use across all platforms. It is a two-way conversation between the journalist and the PR in order to reach a mutually beneficial outcome. Editorial control always remains with the journalist.”

MasterCard later told Channel 4 News: “We have become aware of this situation and have been clear with our agency and attending media. Attendance at the Brits is not, nor has it ever been, a condition of coverage or endorsement.”

Tell us what you think of the story @Channel4News – PR disaster or price to pay for tickets…

Doesn’t that sound a lot like games ‘journalism’ on a day to day basis. http://t.co/j3HeM8NNtz Drafting tweets is a step over the line.

— Ben (@DiYE) February 19, 2014

Row brewing over apparent attempts to force journalists to send sponsored tweets from the Brits. http://t.co/dufCwbySEb

— Journalism and Media (@JournoatHud) February 19, 2014

How not to do PR: http://t.co/tsO3S2OCDl Asking for pre-written tweets to metion MasterCard in return for accreditation is lazy and rude

— Coral Williamson (@coralamberrr) February 19, 2014

It’d be cool if no journos went to the Brits tonight, and instead just tweeted the coverage from home, unrestricted http://t.co/UuGm0NJhSa

— Jonathan Greer (@slowthrills) February 19, 2014

Enjoy PR-bashing as much as anyone but bit rich to accept @Britawards freebie from @mastercarduk then moan about T&Cs http://t.co/Dc4IiySwbO

— Ian Carter (@iancarterKM) February 19, 2014

No MasterCard. Just no. Journalists seeking accreditation for @BRITAwards asked to agree coverage http://t.co/vInffMpnl4 #pricelessurprises

— SirPaudiePrendergast (@paudieaudi) February 19, 2014