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The country of Northern Ireland will reduce the amount of advertisements attracting tourists... to punish the media for reporting the news.
The Northern Irish Tourism Board (NITB) announced today that the budget reserved for advertising has been slashed. This was not because of budget cuts or cost-saving measures. This was because they don't want to "reward the media" for publishing negative stories about the country.
Northern Ireland has been getting a lot more international attention over the past 2 years, thanks mainly to the success of their Golfers like Darren Clarke and Rory McIllroy. The country recently hosted the G8 Summit, The Open golf tournament, MTV European Music Awards, 100th year celebration of the Titanic and others. It is also the birthplace of Seamus Heaney, who died last week.
But the country is also making headlines for negative reasons. Northern Irish woman Michaela McCollum is currently awaiting sentencing in Peru for cocaine smuggling. And Belfast City has been torn up by riots throughout the past year for particularly stupid reasons. The NITB are angry with the media for repeatedly reporting these "negative" news stories. They are reluctant to give any publication or television channel money to run advertisements.
The decision is being appealed for fears that it would effect tourism.
<div class='spoiler_toggle'>Causes of riots in Northern Ireland since November 2012</div><div class="spoiler" style="display:none;">
In November 2012, the Belfast Assembly chose to stop flying the United Kingdom's flag from the top of their City Hall. moving it to a lower spot. The flag was costing the taxpayers thousands because bad weather normally damaged them. And City Hall is surrounded by taller buildings, so the flag could not be seen from a distance. Also, most Belfast residents were unaware of the flag until the announcement was made. However, the flag would be flown from the roof on 20 national holidays each year.
The city erupted into riots for almost 4 months. This included days in which the flag was back at the top of City Hall. Dozens of businesses were forced to close down or relocate outside of the city, because it cost too much to repair the damage. The riots created £85 million, as well as hundreds serious injured.
The riots also return each year in July. Parades on the 12th July celebrate the British occupation of Northern Ireland. Some rioters use the parade as an excuse to express hatred towards Irish and Catholic citizens living in Northern Ireland. This year saw the heaviest violence with the most casualties. A major politician who supported the "protests" was knocked out by bottle thrown by a protester.
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The Northern Irish Tourism Board (NITB) announced today that the budget reserved for advertising has been slashed. This was not because of budget cuts or cost-saving measures. This was because they don't want to "reward the media" for publishing negative stories about the country.
Northern Ireland has been getting a lot more international attention over the past 2 years, thanks mainly to the success of their Golfers like Darren Clarke and Rory McIllroy. The country recently hosted the G8 Summit, The Open golf tournament, MTV European Music Awards, 100th year celebration of the Titanic and others. It is also the birthplace of Seamus Heaney, who died last week.
But the country is also making headlines for negative reasons. Northern Irish woman Michaela McCollum is currently awaiting sentencing in Peru for cocaine smuggling. And Belfast City has been torn up by riots throughout the past year for particularly stupid reasons. The NITB are angry with the media for repeatedly reporting these "negative" news stories. They are reluctant to give any publication or television channel money to run advertisements.
The decision is being appealed for fears that it would effect tourism.
<div class='spoiler_toggle'>Causes of riots in Northern Ireland since November 2012</div><div class="spoiler" style="display:none;">
In November 2012, the Belfast Assembly chose to stop flying the United Kingdom's flag from the top of their City Hall. moving it to a lower spot. The flag was costing the taxpayers thousands because bad weather normally damaged them. And City Hall is surrounded by taller buildings, so the flag could not be seen from a distance. Also, most Belfast residents were unaware of the flag until the announcement was made. However, the flag would be flown from the roof on 20 national holidays each year.
The city erupted into riots for almost 4 months. This included days in which the flag was back at the top of City Hall. Dozens of businesses were forced to close down or relocate outside of the city, because it cost too much to repair the damage. The riots created £85 million, as well as hundreds serious injured.
The riots also return each year in July. Parades on the 12th July celebrate the British occupation of Northern Ireland. Some rioters use the parade as an excuse to express hatred towards Irish and Catholic citizens living in Northern Ireland. This year saw the heaviest violence with the most casualties. A major politician who supported the "protests" was knocked out by bottle thrown by a protester.
</div>