Managed News

When I was a mere tad growing up in the 50s and 60s, I heard much about the evils of Communism and Totalitarianism and dark practices within the Soviet Union. A recurring theme: the evil Soviets were managing news and rewriting history books. It's chilling to read the same about the U.S. government. [Link]

Among items provided by the Bush administration to news stations was one in which an Iraqi-American in Kansas City was seen saying "Thank you Bush. Thank you USA" in response to the 2003 fall of Baghdad.

The footage was actually produced by the State Department, one of 20 federal agencies that have produced and distributed such items.

The article linked above, from the New Zealand Herald, notes that these Video News Releases (VNRs), either unattributed are barely attributed, are also used by corporations to manage news about their products.

Posted by Jon Lebkowsky at May 30, 2006 9:20 AM | TrackBack