royals – journalist version

Now, journalism schools can have a theme song. Aaron Edwards, an associate editor for BreakingNews.com and NBC News Digital tweeted a news parody of lyrics to Royals, a recent hit by 16-year-old New Zealander, Lorde.

Adrienne LaFrance, a freelance reporter who has written for the New York Times and the Washington Post, ran with it and wrote an entire journalism parody version of Royals. Aaron Edwards responded by taking her lyrics and recording them to the tune of the original. If you’re a journalist or a student in a J-school, these witty lyrics are something you can definitely relate to.

I’ve never made a GIF on the ’net
I cut my teeth on Know Your Meme on computers
And I’m not proud of my web address
In a torn-up daily, no traffic envy

But every site’s like Buzzfeed, curse words, keepin’ up the news stream
Ink-stained, Snowfall, trash-talkin’ print doom
We don’t care, we’re topping Reddit in our dreams
But everybody’s like Gawker, data, headlines on your iPhone
Snapchat, source code, stories from a news drone
We don’t care, we aren’t caught up in your love affair

And we’ll never go viral (viral)
It don’t run in our blood
That kind of distro ain’t for us
We crave a different kind of buzz
Let me be your paper (paper)
You can fold and carry me
And baby I’ll rule, I’ll rule, I’ll rule, I’ll rule
Let me live that fantasy

[Verse 2]
My friends and I—we don’t write code
We count ad dollars, classifieds are still a party
And everyone who knows us knows that we’re fine with this,
We’re just losing money

But every site’s like Buzzfeed, curse words, keepin’ up the news stream
Ink-stained, Snowfall, trash-talkin’ print doom
We don’t care, we’re topping Reddit in our dreams
But everybody’s like Gawker, data, headlines on your iPhone
Snapchat, source code, stories from a news drone
We don’t care, we aren’t caught up in your love affair

And we’ll never go viral (viral)
It don’t run in our blood
That kind of distro ain’t for us
We crave a different kind of buzz
Let me be your paper (paper)
You can fold and carry me
And baby I’ll rule, I’ll rule, I’ll rule, I’ll rule
Let me live that fantasy

Ooh ooh oh
We’re bigger than we ever dreamed
And I’m in love with 1970s
Ooh ooh oh
News is great without a care
We aren’t caught up in your love affair

And we’ll never go viral (viral)
It don’t run in our blood
That kind of distro ain’t for us
We crave a different kind of buzz
Let me be your paper (paper)
You can fold and carry me
And baby I’ll rule, I’ll rule, I’ll rule, I’ll rule
Let me live that fantasy

vx safety dance

If you’ve seen one in-flight safety presentation, you’ve seen them all. Right? Not if you haven’t seen Virgin America’s “VX Safety Dance,” their latest in-flight safety video, a music video/safety video hybrid that reminds you to buckle your seatbelt and how to put on a life vest in the case of a crash to the tune of a “robot rap.”

Most safety presentations on flights go largely ignored by passengers, who have likely heard similar presentations many times before. Steve Forte, chief operating officer at Virgin America, notes that while the dry, repetitive safety messaging used in the past was often tuned out, the most important aspect of a safety video is that people actually pay attention to it.

“We believe we have an an obligation to create safety messaging that is not only accurate, but that holds the attention of everyone onboard — from the eight-year-old traveling with his parents on up,” Forte said.

Virgin America’s solution was VX Safety Dance, a viral YouTube sensation that has received over 4 million views in five days. In addition, the campaign invites viewers to take part in the safety dance by uploading Instagram videos with the hashtag #vxsafetydance for the chance to be featured in the next Virgin America safety video.

Other airlines, such as Delta or Air New Zealand,  are creating more outside-the-box safety videos, but Virgin America’s video goes farther over the top than either of its competitors in the viral safety video category. Its use of catchy music, dance and social media engagement through a dedicated hashtag marries viral marketing tactics with teaching tools, making required safety tips memorable and encouraging people to get involved with Virgin America and its safety presentations.