Who should be concerned about propaganda?
At today's press conference Bush said it's up to the TV stations to inform you that the news you are watching is a government produced segment, if they are "concerned about it". Here is the transcript: Q: Mr. President, earlier this year you told us you had wanted your administration to cease and desist on payments to journalists to promote your agenda. You cited the need for ethical concerns and the need for a bright line between the press and the government. Your administration continues to make the use of video news releases, which are prepackaged news stories sent to television stations, fully aware that some or many of these stations will air them without any disclaimer that they are produced by the government. The comptroller general of the United States this week said that raises ethical questions. Does it raise ethical questions about the use of government money to produce stories about the government that wind up being aired with no disclosure that they were produced by the government? BUSH: There is a Justice Department opinion that says these pieces are within the law so long as they're based upon facts, not advocacy. And I expect our agencies to adhere to that ruling, to that Justice Department opinion. This has been a long-standing practice of the federal government to use these types of videos. The Agricultural Department, as I understand it, has been using these videos for a long period of time. The Defense Department, other departments have been doing so. It's important that they be based upon the guidelines set out by the Justice Department. Now, I also-- I think it would be helpful if local stations then disclosed to their viewers that this was based upon a factual report and they chose to use it. But evidently in some cases that's not the case. Q: But the administration could guarantee that's happening by including that language in the prepackaged report? BUSH: You mean a disclosure, I'm George W. Bush and I-- Q: Well, some way to make sure it couldn't air without the disclosure that you believe is so vital. BUSH: You know, Ken, I mean, there's a procedure that we're going to follow and the local stations ought to-- since there's a deep concern about that-- ought to tell their viewers what they're watching. ******************* Hey George! There are laws against government propaganda that's why Voice of America cannot be broadcast in the U.S. |
Comments on "Who should be concerned about propaganda?"
Senator Kerry sent this letter to the FCC today:
March 15, 2005
The Honorable Michael Powell Chairman Federal Communications Commission Room 8-B201 445 12th Street, S.W. Washington, D.C. 20554
Dear Chairman Powell:
I am disturbed by recent press reports, including a New York Times article published on March 13, 2005, stating that prepackaged news reports produced by the federal government are being broadcast on local television stations across the country without an acknowledgment of the government’s role in their production.
It appears that federal agencies, in an increasingly common practice, are producing and distributing hundreds of television news segments, many of which are subsequently broadcast on local television stations throughout the country. Very often, these segments are being broadcast without properly revealing that they were written and produced by the federal government.
Broadcast industry standards already discourage the broadcast of prepackaged news segments. The Government Accounting Office (GAO) has sought to forbid federal agencies from creating prepackaged news reports “that conceal or do not clearly identify for the television viewing audience that the agency was the source of those materials.” Each year since 1951, Congress has enacted a government-wide prohibition on the use of appropriated funds for the purposes of “publicity or propaganda.” Yet this practice continues to flourish, and to make matters worse, the source of the information is not shared with the public.
I strongly believe that the federal government should not be permitted to manipulate public opinion by providing news organizations with so-called “news reports” that have been created by public relations experts, which are then broadcast without proper disclosure. Every American is entitled to know the source of prepackaged information that is broadcast on TV and characterized as “news.” Taxpayers have a right to know if their tax dollars have been used to produce the news they’re watching. This is especially disconcerting in light of recent disclosures that federal agencies have compensated professional journalists for presenting and supporting Bush Administration policies.
I
ask that you undertake an immediate, full and thorough investigation into this issue. I also ask that you determine if there has been a violation of the applicable statute or agency rules that govern a broadcaster’s obligation to disclose the source of materials that it broadcasts. In addition, please identify whether there are loopholes in your existing statutory authority that prevent you from effectively dealing with this issue and whether there are appropriate enforcement mechanisms in place to stop non-disclosure of news clips produced by the federal government.
Thank you for your immediate attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
John F. Kerry
Frank Rich has more Bush Propaganda
The New York Times > Arts > Frank Rich: Enron: Patron Saint of Bush's Fake News
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