ExploreClarion Proudly Releases Sponsored Footage of a Road Using Cutting-Edge Technology… A Cell Phone

In an act of amateur small-town journalism, ExploreClarion proudly posted a video of road conditions from the ground using their cell phone, while also attaching a sponsor's name to it. According to sources such as their very own Facebook account, ExploreClarion captioned their video stating that these are the road conditions for "Greenville Avenue" before proudly stating that the weather announcements were brought to us by "Kerle Tire Company."

Could any less valuable information have been delivered?

In an age where weather balloons transmit information from miles above the surface of the Earth to satellite dishes bringing us the most accurate information, you know you're from a small town when your local news organization can at best do what every other guy in the neighborhood is capable of doing by shooting a quick six-second vine to say, "here's what the roads look like."

And how much is Explorer Clarion charging businesses to get this kind of crap? Let's just look at their website and see.

Usually a deal like this can only be found at Disney World...

That's right. For at least $299 a month, you can get the low-quality, half-hearted effort of a guy walking out with a cell phone just to get a quick selfie next to the road. The same effect people get when they look out their window.

Just imagine for a moment. You live on the side of town, opposite to the university. You think to yourself, "I wonder if it's snowing everywhere else in town. There's definitely snow on the road outside of my house." You open up your phone. And a half a mile down the road, where the university lies, ExploreClarion posts a video showing that snow is on the road there too. "Hmm, it must be snowing all over town." Thanks ExploreClarion for your expertise in meteorology.

Of course, you could go on the National Weather Service website and get the conditions expected for the next several hours there. Or you can get a video showing conditions that are likely everywhere, including the outside of your home. Why are these sponsors paying them this much again? Why are we even turning to them?