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Morbid Marketing 101

Evan Hansen Staff Writer, CNET News.com
Department Editor Evan Hansen runs the Media section at CNET News.com. Before joining CNET he reported on business, technology and the law at American Lawyer Media.
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Evan Hansen
In the wake of brutal murders in the Middle East, National Public Radio purchased advertisements on Google linked to the keyword "beheading," according to The Media Drop.

The ads, discovered Sunday, have since disappeared. But they quickly stirred up controversy in media circles. Will more news sites buy up keywords to help drive traffic, or will the practice wither away as unethical opportunism?

"Frankly, I'm not sure if relating yourself to 'beheading' is a good way to go as a media outlet," the Drop opined. Others weren't so sure.

"News organizations paying for AdWords placements makes sense, especially when a big story breaks and you want to increase traffic," argued Steve Outing in the Poynter Institute's E-Media Tidbits, a media industry newsletter.