FAKING THE NEWS

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.

Said Walker, "agencies may not use appropriated funds to produce or
distribute pre-packaged news stories intended to be viewed by
television audiences that conceal or do not clearly identify for the
television viewing audience that the agency was the source of those
materials.

Translation: It's not nice to fool the American people with phony news.

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 of 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.