As part of my artist residency with RRUNews in Liverpool, I've updated The Sun's advertising rate card. The card sets out a new pricing system for advertisers, in which they can pay more to have their advert placed directly next to the most attention grabbing terror stories. See the full card at: thatsun.co.uk
These leaflets were sent out to over 200 people working in the marketing departments of The Sun's biggest advertisers.
Because of the spike in its readership after terror attacks The Sun is able to sell more advertising, and its advertisers are able to sell more products. Media advertising is one of a few legal ways you can profit from terrorism, and this work explores how this symbiotic relationship leads to terror groups becoming "content creators" for newspapers. It also looks at how this conflict of interest could be responsible for the way hard-right papers like The Sun campaign for policies that increase, rather than decrease, the threat of future attacks.
I'm working on some more projects with RRU, which will be updated here and at http://rruliverpool.com/darren-cullen/
Massive thanks to everyone at RRUNews who helped make this project possible. In particular Hayley, Laura, Sarah, Lou, and Clare. Also thanks to Mark Donne for getting me involved, and of course to the City of Liverpool.
Music by UOKAYE
