The News Scam Goes On

The Sunday, March 13, edition of the New York Times had a very extensive story that began on the front page and ran a full page and a half inside. The headline was “Under Bush, a New Age of Prepackaged News”.

The story depicted in great detail how the Bush administration and all major departments regularly issue propaganda segments disguised to look like network news reports. These phony reports are widely broadcast across the nation. There is never any indication that these reports are created by the department that they are “reporting” on. The sign-off is designed to imitate a genuine news story, for example: “In Washington, I’m Karen Ryan reporting” or “This is Jennifer Morrow reporting”. (Jennifer Morrow is not a real person.)

A typical example is the Department of Health and Human Services which issued segments that ran on 40 stations last year, and according to the General Accounting Office, had “notable omissions” and “were not strictly factual”.

The Transportation Security Agency ran several segments touting administration efforts to improve airport safety. As an example, one clip contained the following preposterous claim: “Its one of the most remarkable campaigns in aviation history. Thousands leaving impressive careers and good jobs to take up the front lines in the war against terrorism”.

And, the list goes on. The State Department, The Pentagon, The Department of Agriculture, and others, produce and distribute thousands of segments each year. We thank the Times for the info.

LHS

Faux Journalists

Another attempt at manipulation of the free press came to light last February. Jeff Gannon (not his real name) is a make-believe reporter with make-believe credentials who is routinely allowed into Presidential press conferences under some unusually relaxed rules. There he is frequently called upon by Administration press Secretary Scott McClellan to take some of the heat off Bush by asking softball questions loaded with spin and outright lies. Apparently, when legitimate reporters ask questions about Bush’s disastrous policies, it makes for some rough sledding. On January 26, when awkward questions were being asked, Gannon asked a question that included a statement that certain Democrats were “divorced from reality” and that Hillary Clinton said that the economy was “on the verge of collapse” (she said no such thing) and that Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid was talking about soup lines (another lie).

A recent Editorial by Bob Herbert in the New York Times points out just how close Americans are to losing the basic rights granted them by the Constitution. I credit that editorial for most of the following:

A two-year study by Hodding Carter III (John S. and James L. Knight Foundation) found that one third of High School students think that the First Amendment goes too far, and only half think that newspapers should be allowed to publish stories without government approval.

LHS