Viral Video On YouTube Leads To Scholarship

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

And today's last word in business is, fly like an eagle. Maybe you've seen this viral video. It's of a golden eagle swooping down and snatching up a baby in a park. The bird carries the kid a few feet before dropping him and flying away.

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

It caused quite a stir online - horrifying many, many viewers before it was revealed as a hoax. The video was a project made by students at a 3-D animation and design school in Montreal.

INSKEEP: Now, when the school realized the eagle clip - the fake eagle clip, we should remind you - was going viral, it activated an AdSense account on YouTube. This causes ads to appear when people play the clip on YouTube, and gives the school money every time somebody watches.

MONTAGNE: Very smart thing for the school to do because more than 41 million people turned out to have watched the video...

INSKEEP: But that's hardly anything, compared to "Gangnam Style."

MONTAGNE: (LAUGHTER) But still...

INSKEEP: Please, continue.

MONTAGNE: But still, the school says it made enough money off the ads to start up a new scholarship fund. And that's the business news on MORNING EDITION, from NPR News. I'm Renee Montagne.

INSKEEP: And I'm Steve Inskeep.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "FLY LIKE AN EAGLE")

STEVE MILLER BAND: (Singing) ...to the sea. Fly like an eagle, let my spirit carry me. I want to fly like an eagle till I'm free. Oh, Lord, through the revolution. Feed the babies... Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.