Los Angeles Times Investigation Shows Deception Continues on Local Newscasts
From The Free Press
(NL- With the stories I am posting today, I guess it’s fighting for free speech day, but shouldn’t it be that everyday?)
WASHINGTON — Free Press has filed a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission asking the agency to investigate the growing use of undisclosed commercials in TV newscasts.
The Los Angeles Times recently identified several instances where local TV stations aired promotional segments in news programs without disclosure to the public. In one particularly disconcerting case, a local CBS affiliate aired a segment titled “CBS Healthwatch” that featured the station’s news reporters but was actually a paid advertisement sponsored by a local hospital. The Times also found numerous instances of stations interviewing a “consumer expert” about new toys without disclosing that she was a spokesperson hired to promote certain products.
Free Press has long been concerned about the use of corporate and government propaganda in the media. The group filed a series of complaints in 2006 and 2007, along with the Center for Media and Democracy, about the undisclosed use of video news releases — promotional spots that resemble news reports — at more than 100 broadcast and cable stations. The FCC launched an investigation in 2007 and ultimately fined one company, Comcast, for airing video news releases on its CN8 channel without identifying sponsors. Since then, no further action has been taken by the FCC against fake news or embedded advertising.
Free Press Policy Counsel Corie Wright made the following statement:
“The problem of pay-to-play news is becoming an epidemic on the public airwaves. People rely on the news to make major decisions about their lives – including where to seek medical treatment or how to vote. They deserve to know when a newscast has been influenced by commercial considerations. And, more importantly, they deserve to know when programming that looks like real news coverage is in fact a commercial. The FCC needs to investigate these covert commercials and punish those stations that have broken the rules. And it needs to enact rules that require stricter and more prominent disclosure of paid propaganda.”
Fighting for free speech…….”The FCC needs to investigate these covert commercials and punish those stations that have broken the rules. And it needs to ENACT RULES that require stricter and more prominent disclosure of paid propaganda.”
LOL……Thats exactly what we need,,,,give the FCC more power,,in the name of free speech.
Does anyone else see the irony of the FREE PRESS calling for MORE FCC regulations.
But now that “I” was the one to point that out here I expect to see comments that disagree with me.
So come on Jerry, Colonel,,lets see you call for more FCC regulations.
Free Press is a fucking joke, and so is FCC. I mean come on, how is it surprising to anybody that the powerful and wealthy, whether Hollywood celebrities or politicians, religious leaders, etc. distort and manipulate the news and information? Some months ago, I posted an article about this topic titled: Of Masters and Puppets.
And speaking of FCC, I’d like to know what exactly those dinosaurs tend to achieve by filing complaints against the use of *F word* in a TV show in the age of cyber space, when anything and everything is a mouse click away. Those poor FCC schmucks are stock somewhere in the 19th century. I bet they still send and receive messages via telegram.
Sorry, Joe who doeth not know, I’m with the other FCC.. the Fight Colon Cancer foundation.. there’s less shit to deal with. Thanks for writing. Have a nice evening… (and go fuck yourself, as usual).