NewsMine — propoganda — state-control — Viewing Item

Senate may ban releases that imitate news Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)    http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/politics/11395794.htm http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/politics/11395794.htm Posted on Thu, Apr. 14, 2005 Senate may ban releases that imitate news LAURIE KELLMAN Associated Press WASHINGTON - 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.'" Senators voted 98-0 to attach the measure, sponsored by Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., to the $80.6 billion emergency spending bill to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Under it, taxpayer funds would be prohibited from being used for prepackaged news stories unless those stories contain "clear notification within the text or audio of the prepackaged news" that discloses it was prepared or funded by a federal agency. That way, said Appropriations Committee Chairman Thad Cochran, R-Miss., the authors of the packages cannot be held liable for news outlets that do not disclose the funding source on their own. The amendment writes into law a Government Accountability Office opinion that said the Bush administration has violated rules against "publicity and propaganda" with releases from several agencies. The Office of National Drug Control Policy, for example, released a series of videos in which a narrator, sometimes identified as "Karen Ryan," said she was "reporting" on the office's activities. Separately, the Health and Human Services Department's Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services produced video news releases, also narrated by "Karen Ryan," touting changes to Medicare. The tapes were offered to local television stations for news programs. Some stations aired the videos without identifying their government origins. The White House Office of Management and Budget on March 11 countered that the GAO report "fails to recognize the distinction between covert propaganda and purely informational video news reports." In other action on the spending bill, the Senate voted to: _Prohibit military hospitals from charging soldiers wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan for meals. _Change the name of the death benefit given to soldiers' families from "death gratuity" to "fallen hero compensation." _Provide $5 million to promote democracy in Lebanon.

Administration paid commentator to promote nclb { January 8 2005 } All the presidents newsmen { January 16 2005 } Arnold press videos aired as news { March 14 2005 } Baltimore sun lawsuit against gov ehrlich { February 14 2005 } Blair attacks bbc for not supporting bush { September 18 2005 } Bush audiences screened hand picked { March 31 2005 } Bush conversation with troops staged Bush orders end to hiring columnists Bush paid columnist gets radio show { March 3 2005 } Bushs loyal reporters team { February 18 2005 } Colbert said press tool of whitehouse Ehrlich allowed to deny press access { February 14 2005 } Fed education violated propaganda ban { September 30 2005 } House passes steeper indecency fines { February 16 2005 } Judith was government stooge journalist { October 17 2005 } More quran abuse despite newsweek retraction { May 26 2005 } New cbs boss is bush supporter { October 27 2005 } No media coverage for return coffins { October 21 2003 } Packaged bush videos used as news { March 13 2005 } Pbs takes bush officials for pro republican change { May 2 2005 } Republican chairman of pbs pushes conservative programs { May 12 2005 } Republican used political tests for pbs hires Senate may ban releases that imitate news Stop government propoganda act { January 27 2005 } US agency gives fake news conference Washington post withholds news at request of pentagon { November 2 2005 } White house criticizes newsweek report causing afghan incident { May 16 2005 } White house told journalists how to response to 911 { October 9 2006 } Writer backing bush plan had federal contract { January 26 2005 } Files Listed: 29

Correction/submissions

CIA FOIA Archive

National Security Archives

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information, go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purpose of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.