DISGUISED PROPAGANDA

You wouldn't think the comptroller general of the United States would have
to warn federal agencies that it isn't nice -- indeed, it isn't even legal
- -- to fool the American people by concocting fake news.

But you would be wrong.

Comptroller General David M. Walker has taken the extraordinary step of
telling federal agency heads that it is illegal to spend tax dollars on
public relations promotions that are disguised as legitimate news reports.

The issue came up because the Bush administration paid public relations
firms to create videos about Medicaid and an anti-drug campaign. The videos
were moderated by actors who claimed to be news broadcasters reporting from
Washington.

Subsequently, several television stations picked up the videos and aired
them without knowing that the federal government, not a news organization,
was the source of the material.

There is a word for government produced materials intended to promote
government programs with slick advertising campaigns. It's called propaganda.

News is something else entirely, and -- unlike government-commissioned
propaganda -- taxpayers don't have to pick up the tab for legitimate news
reporting.

"Prepackaged news stories can be utilized without violating the law, so
long as there is clear disclosure to the television-viewing audience that
this material was prepared by or in cooperation with the government
department or agency," Walker wrote.

All Walker is really telling federal agencies is that if they want to
produce propaganda, they have to disclose that it is, in fact, propaganda.
They can't disguise propaganda as news reporting. That is a violation of
the public trust.

Oh yes, and it's against the law.