Stop News Fraud

“State-run media” is a phrase normally reserved for regimes such as North Korea that manipulate and censor all public information. Media in the United States were thought to be free of such autocratic control, but recent maneuvers by the Bush administration should make all of us stand up and take notice.

On Sunday, the New York Times reported that at least 20 federal agencies have made and distributed pre-packaged, ready-to-serve television news segments to promote President Bush's policies and initiatives.

Congress' Government Accountability Office determined that these "video news releases" were illegal "covert propaganda" and told federal agencies to stop. But last Friday, the White House ordered all agencies to disregard Congress' directive.

See this link for the rest of the story and what you can do about it before its too late.

freepress.net...

DENY IGNORANCE!

Good find.

FYI - I posted coverage of this earlier today and it's become a bit contentious and controversial...

Propaganda Report Finds Bias in Iraq Coverage

I guess so, soficrow. I tried to post it to political conspiracies, but it was immediately moved over here to education and media. Apparently, ATS isn't immune to political pressure in this day of media manipulation and censorship.

It doesn't matter how widely the knowledge is made public of the Bush administration's PROVEN practices of fraud and corruption of objective journalism by seeding publicly funded propaganda through mainstream media.

The more Forums, the better.

as posted by MaskedAvatar
It doesn't matter how widely the knowledge is made public of the Bush administration's PROVEN practices of fraud and corruption of objective journalism by seeding publicly funded propaganda through mainstream media.

Please provide just one post-1930's administration who did not do the same. Varying degrees does not matter. Use is use. Just one, MaskedAvatar.



seekerof

I feel that properly regulated government owned state media in democratic societies are usually the most fair and balanced news networks out there, they aren't corrupted by corporate interests or the almighty dollar. The Australian ABC is a good example of this, providing many high quality programs that provoke critical thought about many issues and also have award winning shows that break the large scandals in my country because the corporations won't touch it till that person is down on the ground and ready to be kicked in the teeth.

I also believe in an independent press, but any laws prohibiting the size of media corporations should never be removed or relaxed.

thanks,
drfunk

All government departments (here in Canada too, and no doubt elsewhere) prepare press kits of various kinds to inform, and to promote their programs. It doesn't mean its propaganda. Of course, in the free countries, the media is under no obligation to use any of it, either, or they can just use what's convenient. Numerous other sources of information will balance out the Govt. Departments' info... and of course if the media outlet wants to do an in depth story, they can dig up all kinds of info, and get expert opinion.

Also, I've seen any number of government generated pieces torn apart in the media. Seems only sporting - the media loves stories about government gone wrong.

What did you say the problem was? Doesn't seem to have affected anybody on this site.

Originally posted by Seekerof
Please provide just one post-1930's administration who did not do the same. Varying degrees does not matter. Use is use.

I'm not certain of the relevance of any other administration.

But if you believe they are relevant, can you cite any others that have been brought to task for such offenses by the "mighty" Government Accountability Office, or more specifically, by Congress?


BTW, drfunk, the ABC also provides for "Kath and Kim". It is dumbed down in the same way and for the same purpose as the media have been dumbed down in the US.

www.smh.com.au...

[edit on 14-3-2005 by MaskedAvatar]

haha kath and kim is hilarious mate(a satire about australian white trash), the ABC is still good, foreign correspondent, 7.30 report and 4 corners are just examples. They show kids programs in the arvo for instance and they also have british comedies on but just because they show these shows along with those critical current events gems doesn't mean its dumbed down in my opinion.

I do wish frontline would come back though, it's a TV show everyone in the western world should see. They show it in schools, and rightfully so.

thanks,
drfunk

[edit on 14-3-2005 by drfunk]

Glad the article that I linked to had a "Disagree" commentary section for you to agree with.

Give me Frontline or The Games over the abominable K & K any day!

What worries me is the government packaging these stories as if they are breaking news. I mean, isn't that manipulative? We used to have GSA's for this sort of thing. The government would just come out and say, this is our new policy, and give the people a chance to form an opinion, maybe even vote on it. That whole process is now being subverted by this new 'method'.

(AP) - In an opinion last week, the Justice Department concluded that the practice was appropriate as long as the videos presented factual information about government programs.

This just reinforces what we already know - that the JD is in Bush's pocket right up to the USSC, as Justice 'Hanging Chad' Scalia proved when he handed Bush the election in 2000.

Originally posted by Icarus Rising
(AP) - In an opinion last week, the Justice Department concluded that the practice was appropriate as long as the videos presented factual information about government programs.

This just reinforces what we already know - that the JD is in Bush's pocket right up to the USSC, as Justice 'Hanging Chad' Scalia proved when he handed Bush the election in 2000.

The US Justice System always has supported the "spirit of the law" over the "letter of the law." Our new Attorney General Gonzales is changing that.

Gonzales is the loophole master - and he's using the law to justify everything from torture to propaganda - by focusing on the "letter" of the law, and establishing new legal precedents.

Gonzales' new legal precedents won't just bring down the American system of justice - they'll destroy the whole nation by ripping out it's foundation.


.

"Last night, the FCC instructed all newscasters to fully disclose the origin of "video news releases" (VNRs) aired on their programs. The FCC took this action as a direct response to the more than 40,000 Free Press activists who signed our petition last month."

News Fraud Stopped

Could there be hope for responsible government?





[edit on 15-4-2005 by Icarus Rising]

I'm adding another source for the Senate vote. Hard to find coverage of this in the media. I guess its too late to edit my news submission on this. Live and learn about the bias toward 'credible sources' and the topical control it exerts.

April 15, 2005

Senate Votes to Ban Video News Releases
By LAURIE KELLMAN
ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Senate passed a measure Thursday that would stop government agencies from using taxpayer funds to disguise video press releases as real news, putting the brakes on a product Democrats call propaganda. President Bush cautioned that some responsibility for full disclosure rests with news outlets.

"It's deceptive to the American people if it's not disclosed," Bush told the American Society of Newspaper Editors on Thursday. "But it's incumbent upon people who use them to say, 'This news clip was produced by the federal government.'"

Senate Votes to Ban Video News Releases

Now, another thing, Fox News fired two reporters for not lieing in a news report as ordered. The couple sued Fox News for wrongful termination, it went to court, in the end, the couple lost, and Fox News won the right to LIE and call it News! That's right, according to Fox News/JD, it is legal to lie and call it news. I posted this awhile ago, republicans asked for proof, I gave it, and they became as quiet as a deaf mute convention.

Anyways, they don't want the truth to get out, several republicans on this board have even stated that the truth is Liberal Left Wing bias.(ed singer the one who started it) That's right, apparently the truth is bias against the right wing, so it is left wing bias, because it is the truth. how sad is that? Lord of the Dance.