Amsterdam
Millions of Dutch viewers tuned in last week to watch a reality show in which they could choose which of three dying patients was to receive a donor’s healthy kidney. The Big Donor Show wasn’t as tacky as it sounds, though—it turned out to be a hoax. Producers wanted to raise awareness of the dire shortage of organ donors. The ruse worked. TV station BNN, which aired the program, said that 18,000 people downloaded organ–donor forms from their Web site that very night. Education Minister Ronald Plasterk pronounced the show “a fantastic stunt.”
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Quiz of The Week: 15 – 21 NovemberQuiz Have you been paying attention to The Week’s news?
-
Can the UK do more on climate change?Today's Big Question Labour has shown leadership in the face of fraying international consensus, but must show the public their green mission is ‘a net benefit, not a net cost’
-
The Week Unwrapped: Will US Catholics rebel against the Pope?Podcast Plus what are the ethics of freezing your late partner?
