Cyber Monday coverage more about hype than specifics

Back in 2005, the folks at Shop.org declared the Monday after Thanksgiving to be "Cyber Monday" -- supposedly the equivalent of Black Friday for e-tailers. Obviously, this designation is a wholly artificial construct intended to pump up business, but the media has signed on anyhow -- including local info purveyors...

By Michael Roberts

December 1, 2008

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Back in 2005, the folks at Shop.org declared the Monday after Thanksgiving to be "Cyber Monday" -- supposedly the equivalent of Black Friday for e-tailers. Obviously, this designation is a wholly artificial construct intended to pump up business, but the media has signed on anyhow -- including local info purveyors. A quick search turned up Cyber Monday tie-ins from Channel 2, Channel 7, Channel 31, KKTV in Colorado Springs, the Denver Business Journal and more, more, more. But mighty few of these entries provide any practical guidance for online consumers hoping to cash in on bargains today.

Fortunately, I found a few exceptions.

A November 28 Rocky Mountain News piece actually went to the trouble of identifying a couple of Colorado operations offering Cyber Monday discounts, including AllAboardToys.com, based in Centennial. And Joshua Futterman, who covers outdoors and fitness topics for the Denver Examiner, put together a compendium of ten fitness-related deals complete with links. If getting a "power yoga mat" for $14.99 appeals to you, click away.

Too bad more Denver-area news outlets didn't take a similar tack. If they had, the results might have had useful applications as opposed to simply participating in manufactured hype. -- Michael Roberts

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

Contact: Michael Roberts

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