Corporate Sponsored News Passed Off as Journalism
After last year’s revelation that the Bush Administration used Video News Reports (VNR), created by the government and distributed to TV news shows, to promote the War in Iraq, we now learn that corporate VNRs are being passed off by many local TV stations as real journalism.
The lure is so compelling. A ready-to-go story arrives at the station, maybe on a day they are short-staffed. All the producer has to do is roll the tape and broadcast.
But FCC regulations require that they disclose that the story was paid for by a party involved in the story. When they don’t they are supposed to be fined and possibly lose their license.
According to FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein, the FCC issued a warning regarding the improper use of VNRs last year, but as the new study from the Center for Media and Democracy found, “at least 77 TV stations around the country has aired corporate-sponsored video news releases over the past 10 months,” according to a report this morning on Democracy Now.
For Democracy Now’s complete coverage of this disturbing misuse of corporate propaganda by the news media, see:
Fake TV News: Widespread and Undisclosed… How Corporate-Funded Propaganda Is Airing On Local Newscasts As “News”
“The Queen of the VNR” Robin Raskin Reveals Why She Appears In Corporate-Sponsored “News Segments” & Why She Feels Stations Need To Disclose Who Is Funding the VNRs
FCC Commissioner Says Broadcasting VNRs Without Disclosure May Violate Federal Law