American TV stations in 'fake news' inquiry

WASHINGTON - Federal authorities are investigating dozens of American television stations for broadcasting items produced by the Bush administration and major corporations, and passing them off as normal news.

Some of the fake news segments talked up success in the war in Iraq, or promoted the companies' products.

Investigators from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) are seeking information about stations across the country after a report produced by a campaign group detailed the extraordinary extent of the use of such items.

The report, by the non-profit group Centre for Media and Democracy, found that over a 10-month period at least 77 television stations were making use of the faux news broadcasts, known as Video News Releases (VNRs).

Not one told viewers who had produced the items.

"We know we only had partial access to these VNRs and yet we found 77 stations using them," said Diana Farsetta, one of the group's researchers.

"I would say it's pretty extraordinary."

Ms Farsetta said the public relations companies commissioned to produce these segments by corporations had become increasingly sophisticated in their techniques in order to get the VNRs broadcast.

"They have got very good at mimicking what a real, independently produced television report would look like," she said.

The FCC has declined to comment on the investigation but investigators from the commission's enforcement unit recently approached Ms Farsetta for a copy of her group's report.

Among items provided by the Bush administration to news stations was one in which an Iraqi-American in Kansas City was seen saying "Thank you Bush. Thank you USA" in response to the 2003 fall of Baghdad.

The footage was actually produced by the State Department, one of 20 federal agencies that have produced and distributed such items.

Many of the corporate reports, produced by drugs manufacturers such as Pfizer, focus on health issues and promote the manufacturer's product.

One example cited by the report was a Halloween segment produced by the confectionery giant Mars, which featured Snickers, M&Ms and other company brands.

While the original VNR disclosed that it was produced by Mars, such information was removed when it was broadcast by the television channel - in this case aFox-owned station in St Louis, Missouri.

Bloomberg news service said that other companies that sponsored the promotions included General Motors, the world's largest car maker, and Intel, the biggest maker of semi-conductors.

All of the companies said they included full disclosure of their involvement in the VNRs.

The controversy over the use of VNRs by television stations first erupted last spring.

At the time the FCC issued a public notice warning broadcasters that they were obliged to inform viewers if items were sponsored.

The maximum fine for each violation is US$32,500 ($51,000).

OUR ROVING REPORTER

Kate Brookes is an ABC reporter in Nevada, a CBS reporter in Texas, a Fox reporter in Missouri, and an ABC reporter (again) in Louisiana. In fact, she's a publicist for Medialink, the world's first and largest provider of video news releases (VNRs). In January, Medialink sent Brookes to Iowa to shoot a VNR on the "Ethanol boom", the growing trend of using corn-based fuel as an alternative energy source. The two-minute feature included all-positive testimony from two industry experts, an ethanol plant builder, and a local corn farmer. Five stations used the material, replacing all visuals with network graphics and introducing Brookes as if she were their reporter.

SUGAR-COATED SPIN

In October 2005, KTVI-2 (St Louis) aired a two-minute segment on how to plan a fun and safe Halloween for kids. The story, which featured numerous tips from 'lifestyle expert' Julie Edelman, was teeming with product shots for Snickers and M&Ms and flowers. The video was lifted straight from VNR created by D S Simon Productions and jointly funded by Masterfoods (formerly the M&M/Mars Company) and 1-800-Flowers.

FIRST CASUALTY OF WAR

Among items provided by the Bush Administration to news stations was one in which an Iraqi-American in Kansas City was seen saying "Thank you Bush. Thank you USA" in response to the 2003 fall of Baghdad. The footage was in fact produced by the State Department, one of 20 federal agencies that have produced and distributed such items for media consumption.

Source: prwatch.org

- INDEPENDENT