New York Times Catches on to VNRs

Under the Bush administration,” they write, “the federal government has aggressively used a well-established tool of public relations: the prepackaged, ready-to-serve news report that major corporations have long distributed to TV stations to pitch everything from headache remedies to auto insurance. In all, at least 20 federal agencies, including the Defense Department and the Census Bureau, have made and distributed hundreds of television news segments in the past four years, records and interviews show. Many were subsequently broadcast on local stations across the country without any acknowledgement of the government’s role in their production.”

Full scoop: The New York Times Catches on to VNRs


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One response to “New York Times Catches on to VNRs”

  1. Steve Chapman Avatar
    Steve Chapman

    It is a bit scary. The news has always had a element that was controlled. If you look at WWII, the pictures were manipulated. You look at the control the White House had on the trysts by JFK. No one would have dared report them and give them credence during JKF’s presidency. It seems in the early 20th century though there was much more tolerance for a broader voice. Where are the mudrackers of today? Are we left to Ward Churchill? I would hope not. His passion should be admired. His statements should be read with horror.

    I am a recovering Republican. I have always been a fairly law and order kind of guy. I like to keep the peace. After a run in with the police in my area, I have realized that dissent is NOT a bad thing. I have also come to the conclusion that we have given way too much power into the hands of the few. It has become a society of the haves and have nots.

    How do we resolve this?

    Great blog!

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