esperate to make ends meet, schools in America have started letting out their buses to advertisers. School buses in Arizona and Massachusetts have started displaying ads for soft drinks and credit card companies, among other things. Other districts from Michigan, Colorado, Florida and Pennsylvania are expected to follow suit. The ads are bringing the schools much-needed revenue. In Arizona city, for instance, the estimated ad revenue is $300,000 this year and is expected to rise up to $900,000 in the coming years.

Needless to say, the move has caused anger among parents and non-profit organisations. Schools have been accused of taking consumerism to the extreme. However, school authorities claim that ads displayed on the buses are carefully screened before being approved. On the black list are ads for fast food, tobacco, alcohol and ads exhibiting sexual content or radical views. After all, they say, children are already bombarded with so many commercial messages that it cannot really be avoided.... more