"covert propaganda"

[yeahwho]

The newest and most frightening trend in the US media since 9/11 is the use of paid reporters. The latest of course is Armstrong Williams (http://www.armstrongwilliams.com/ME2/Audiences/default.asp) and his glowing endorsements of the Bush administrations program,"No Child Left Behind (http://www.ed.gov/nclb/landing.jhtml)." This paragraph best sums up his activities, I culled it from a Seattle Times article,

The Education Department cut a contract with Williams that paid him (US)$240K. All Williams had to do was to agree, "to regularly comment on NCLB during the course of his broadcasts," and interview Secretary of Education Rod Paige a couple of times for TV and radio spots. The contract also required Williams to encourage other black journalists to support NCLB. That Williams held up his end of the contract is indisputable and, in return, the government kept its part of the bargain. Apparently, Williams didn't bother to inform those black journalists and entertainers he worked with that he was receiving a taxpayer provided incentive to promote the program. Although Williams now says he would not do it over again, he's fairly unapologetic about having done it in the first place:

"I wanted to do it because it's something I believe in ... (it was) legitimate advertising dollars ... we promoted it ... beyond my own programming."

Anyway that is one of 240,000 (http://msnbc.msn.com/id/6798618/) reasons for Armstrong to be supportive of the NCLB program.

The fake news (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002145427_fakenews08.html) seems to be becoming more and more commonplace. The misleading into the McMultiBillion dollar war of death to the oil owners was basically ignored by what should of been an easy to detect lie. Now we have paid journalists in the US breaking laws and advertising goverment programs that are shit.

This is my #1 political bitch, our media is being corrupted by those sworn to protect it. How much do you trust the mainstream media, I think I've dropped down to about 50% true, 30% suspect and 20% is probably, "covert propaganda".

[infidel]

What was more blatant and expensive at $22M was the policy advertising campaign when Madison Ave produced phony news broadcasts where seniors touted how great bush's new Medicare plan was. I can't for the life of me understand why this clown hasn't been impeached. Just goes to show how far the American public's intelligence has degraded. What's even sicker is that the cost of this ad campaign was more than bush's initial tsunami relief offer.

Bush Medicare Propaganda Illegal
Probe Finds Bush Used 'Illegal' Medicare Propaganda
By Vicki Kemper
Los Angeles Times , May 19, 2004

WASHINGTON — Mock news stories produced by the Bush administration to promote the new Medicare prescription drug law and aired by scores of local TV stations constitute illegal covert propaganda, the investigative arm of Congress said today.

The ruling by the General Accounting Office comes as the Bush administration is feverishly promoting the new Medicare discount drug card amid complaints from senior citizens and disabled beneficiaries that the program is confusing and offers limited savings.

The GAO discovered the administration's "video news releases," which featured "interviews" with government officials and voice-overs by production company employees posing as Washington reporters, during its investigation of the government's Medicare commercials and fliers.

Investigators strongly rejected the administration's defense of the mock news stories, finding that because it was not clear to viewers that the message came from the government, the video releases violated two provisions of federal law.

The first prohibits the use of federal funds for publicity or propaganda. The second outlaws impermissible expenditures.

http://www.ourfuture.org/issues_and_campaigns/medicare/headlines/ssip_20040520.cfm


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[D_Raay]

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2005/01/07/bush_team_scolded_for_disguised_tv_report?mode=PF

Shortly before last year's Super Bowl, local news stations across the country aired a story by Mike Morris describing plans for a new White House ad campaign on the dangers of drug abuse.

What viewers did not know was that Morris is not a journalist and his ''report" was produced by the government, actions which constituted illegal ''covert propaganda," according to an investigation by the Government Accountability Office.

In the second ruling of its kind, the investigative arm of Congress this week scolded the Bush administration for distributing phony prepackaged news reports that include a ''suggested live intro" for anchors to read, interviews with Washington officials, and a closing that mimics a typical broadcast news sign-off.

Although television stations knew the materials were produced by the Office of National Drug Control Policy, there was nothing in the two-minute, prepackaged reports that would indicate to viewers that they came from the government or that Morris, a former journalist, was working under contract for the government.

''You think you are getting a news story but what you are getting is a paid announcement," said Susan Poling, managing associate general counsel at the Government Accountability Office. ''What is objectionable about these is the fact the viewer has no idea their tax dollars are being used to write and produce this video segment."

[ASsman]

Well as long as we have the "freest press" in the World. Or as long as people believe that, we should be fine. Right?

[SobaViolence]

'The Man' is becoming very ballsy.

he doesn't even like white people now.

[yeahwho]

A payment from a private entity that is fully disclosed is one thing, the fact that the federal goverment was paying him with taxpayer dollars is quite another.

By far the biggest problem here is that our government is making secret payments to promote their ideological and political agenda. Its illegal, unethical and inexcusable. The American taxpayers should demand a refund from the Bush-Cheney administration/campaign for these shenanigans among several others including illegal payments to promote propaganda:

In the second ruling of its kind, the investigative arm of Congress this week scolded the Bush administration for distributing phony, prepackaged news reports that include a "suggested live intro" for anchors to read, interviews with Washington officials and a closing that mimics a typical broadcast news sign-off...."It is illegal to use taxpayer dollars to influence public opinion surreptitiously," Waxman said Thursday. "Unfortunately, this is the second time in less than a year that GAO has caught the Bush administration violating a fundamental principle of open government."

This arrangment with Armstrong Williams will make the third time the Bush administration has been caught funding illegal propaganda with tax payer money. I havent heard any offers from the Bush administration to pay the American people back, more worrisome, to date they continue to insist that this all perfectly ethical and legal. That they continue to defend such conduct shows how deep the corruption runs.

Not everyone is watching and even less are caring. The most devious part is how this story will be swept under the rug like it's no big deal, all the media is a whore....some just happen to be on the payroll to promote a program that has already been enacted into law....so the black community can see how well they're being treated. :rolleyes:

[Running_Beastie]

Amrstrong himself even admitted in an interview recently that what he did was unethical, but he still didn't seem to regret or appologize for his actions.

[Running_Beastie]

By the way, I love your sig D Raay.

[D_Raay]

By the way, I love your sig D Raay.
Thank you, it's from the enigmatic George Carlin...

[Mac D]

paid reporters/fake reporters have been around forever. this goes on everywhere.

[yeahwho]

Yeahsure,

But you see, I've gotten a bit bored with being blown away by every latest outrage from this administration. I get it: they're hopelessly corrupt, and, not to be hyperbolic here, they're sociopaths. So, yeah, they are going to continue to surprise us by getting ever worse. Fine, whatevs. BORING. I wanna see how they sell it to the rubes. Are they going to find a patsy, some schmuck at the Dept. of Ed. who authorized the payment who they can call a bad apple? Legitimize the whole thing and make it seem patriotic? Both? Whatever happens, I'm sure it'll be even more shocking than paying of Armstrong Williams was in the first place.

But Bush? He surely isn't involved in any of these sort of things.

[ASsman]

And some do it out of the goodness of their hearts. e.g Fox News.

[yeahwho]

Didn't we already give to the rich?

[Whois]

Amrstrong himself even admitted in an interview recently that what he did was unethical, but he still didn't seem to regret or appologize for his actions.

It's called the 'New Media'... (n)

[D_Raay]

http://rogerailes.blogspot.com/2005_01_09_rogerailes_archive.html#110529815096481 119

More Whores?

On today's Republican Roundtable aka Press the Meat, Al Hunt suggested there are more Bush employees masquerading as journalists.

MR. HUNT: Well, I don't know what the law is. It strikes me that it's not a very good use of taxpayers' money. It's certainly as egregious a journalist violation as one could engage in. Mr. Williams' column was yanked, as it should be. I will say this. Armstrong did deliver his promise, because I occasionally worked out at a gym and Armstrong's there, and he told me several times, you know, "Why don't you write about No Child Left Behind." I don't know if I'm going to be on one of those government expense accounts or not but...

MR. RUSSERT: How many columns did you do?

MR. HUNT: I didn't do any. So I let him down. I'm sorry, Armstrong. Listen, I'll tell you this. I'll bet that there will be a great market for FOIR, Freedom of Information Requests, in the next couple weeks because I suspect Armstrong Williams is not alone. There have been other people who've been doing this.

And then Andrea Mitchell jumped in before Hunt could name names.

Maybe we should be looking for the bloggers, radio blowhards and Clownhallers who are remaining mum on this story. Avarice and idiocy aren't mutually exclusive.