Dear Media for Democracy Member,

Earlier this week, 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. Wednesday at a press conference, President Bush shrugged off responsibility for the deceptive nature of the releases, which are designed to look like television news segments. "Local stations ought to -- since there's a deep concern about that -- ought to tell their viewers what they're watching," Bush told reporters.

The Bush administration, in other words, is planning to continue using hundreds of millions of your tax dollars to manipulate public opinion.

If you agree that this is an illegal, undemocratic and propagandistic effort by the government to advance a partisan political agenda, join MediaChannel and other concerned groups in our effort to stop fake news. Write Congress, the Federal Communications Commission, and local television stations to express your opposition. Remember to tell them that you are not alone, but are writing as a member of the 75,000-strong Media For Democracy movement.

Sign petitions that will also tell Congress and the FCC to toughen and enforce laws against "covert propaganda" and demand that broadcasters come clean with viewers about using government-produced news.

Free Press: Stop News Fraud

Start Change Now: Stop Fake News

In the weeks to come, we will work with groups like Free Press, Common Cause and the Center for Media and Democracy to connect you with others in your area working to ensure local broadcasters identify the sources behind the "news." We will create "citizen agreements" with local TV stations in our communities to stop fake news broadcasts. These agreements are documents filed at the FCC that -- if broken -- can be used to help communities deny broadcaster license renewals.

If you haven't already, sign up for our free daily newsletter Media Savvy, to stay abreast of the latest news about Fake News.

Unless we speak out now, the White House will continue to act with impunity -- taking advantage of understaffed and incautious local news operations to manipulate public opinion.

Remember that MfD members were able to make significant impact during the last election (download our annual report) through similar simple actions. Within a week of our letters to presidential candidates demanding to know where they stood on media consolidation, Senator John Kerry made the first of what turned into a series of comments against the loosening of ownership regulations: "I think that too much media in the hands of one powerful entity or one individual is a mistake," Kerry told CSPAN. "I think it runs counter to the foundation of our country. I think it runs counter to the need for Americans to know that they are getting news and information from multiple sources that are not singularly controlled."

Thanks for standing up for a better media.

Doug George
MediaChannel.org
Media for Democracy

Bush's Wednesday Comments on Video News Releases
By E&P Staff
Published: March 17, 2005

NEW YORK It has been widely reported that President Bush, at his Wednesday press conference, defended the federal government's use of "video new releases" to TV stations, which are not currently labeled as government propaganda. Earlier, in the wake of the Armstrong Williams "payola pundits" scandal, the president had ruled out funding columnists to push the White House line. The New York Times reported Sunday that at least 20 government agencies have made and distributed hundreds of video new releases in the past four years, many of them broadcasted on local news programs without any mention of their source.

Bush's remarks on Wednesday have been excerpted elsewhere, but here is the complete transcript:

Q: Mr. President, earlier this year you told us you had wanted your administration to cease and desist on payments to journalists to promote your agenda. You cited the need for ethical concerns and the need for a bright line between the press and the government.

Your administration continues to make the use of video news releases, which are prepackaged news stories sent to television stations, fully aware that some or many of these stations will air them without any disclaimer that they are produced by the government. The comptroller general of the United States this week said that raises ethical questions. Does it raise ethical questions about the use of government money to produce stories about the government that wind up being aired with no disclosure that they were produced by the government?

Bush: There is a Justice Department opinion that says these pieces are within the law so long as they're based upon facts, not advocacy. And I expect our agencies to adhere to that ruling, to that Justice Department opinion.

This has been a long-standing practice of the federal government to use these types of videos. The Agricultural Department, as I understand it, has been using these videos for a long period of time. The Defense Department, other departments have been doing so. It's important that they be based upon the guidelines set out by the Justice Department.

Now, I also -- I think it would be helpful if local stations then disclosed to their viewers that this was based upon a factual report and they chose to use it. But evidently in some cases that's not the case.

Q: But the administration could guarantee that's happening by including that language in the prepackaged report?

Bush: You mean a disclosure, I'm George W. Bush and I approve...

Q: Well, some way to make sure it couldn't air without the disclosure that you believe is so vital.

Bush: You know, Ken, I mean, there's a procedure that we're going to follow and the local stations ought to -- since there's a deep concern about that -- ought to tell their viewers what they're watching.

E&P Staff

Armstrong Williams: Education Propaganda, Payola, or Whatever You Call it, is Still False ADvertising and Political Misconduct