Media

Smithsonian-Showtime Contract Stymies Filmmakers

by Jonathan Rosenblum — January 3, 2007 - 10:24am

The Smithsonian Institution is defending a long-term multimillion dollar contract that limits access to some filmmakers in favor of Showtime Networks, a CBS affiliate. The scale of the contract with Showtime enables "an exponential growth in filming projects," Smithsonian Secretary Lawrence Small told the Government Accountability Office (GAO).

Main Source: 
Associated Press, December 16, 2006

Meet Us in Memphis at the National Conference for Media Reform

by John Stauber — January 2, 2007 - 10:02pm

Many of CMD's staff will be in Memphis, Tennessee, January 11-14, at the National Conference for Media Reform. Check out the extensive program featuring journalists, activists, FCC Commissioners, media watchdogs, national elected officials, and entertainers. The scores of notables include Bill Moyers, Amy Goodman and Helen Thomas.

Main Source: 
Free Press website, January 2, 2007

Society of Professional Journalists, or for Professional Flacks?

by Jonathan Rosenblum — January 2, 2007 - 12:41pm

The Society of Professional Journalists is moving ahead on a joint venture with Market Wire, a PR industry firm that, among other services, distributes news releases. Columnist Michael Miner of the Chicago Reader exposed the deal last fall.

Main Source: 
The Reader, December 15, 2006

NewsTrust.net: A New Outlet for Citizen Journalists

by Judith Siers-Poisson — December 26, 2006 - 11:30am

Late last month, NewsTrust went live. This non-profit online news rating service aims to help people identify quality journalism - or "news you can trust." The project is led by Fabrice Florin, a former journalist and a digital media pioneer at Apple and Macromedia. The concept is simple -- NewsTrust members submit articles, then read and rate them based on key journalistic principles such as fairness, balance, evidence, context and importance.

Main Source: 
NewsTrust.net

Read Between the Redacted Lines

by Diane Farsetta — December 22, 2006 - 12:42pm

"Here is the redacted version of a draft Op-Ed article we wrote for The [New York] Times, as blacked out by the Central Intelligence Agency's Publication Review Board after the White House intervened in the normal prepublication review process," write Flynt Leverett and Hillary Mann.

Main Source: 
New York Times, December 22, 2006

White House Accused of Limiting Debate on Iran

by Diane Farsetta — December 20, 2006 - 11:35am

Former CIA analyst and National Security Council official Flynt Leverett has accused the White House of trying "to silence his criticism of Middle East policies by ordering the CIA to censor an op-ed column he wrote." Leverett said the CIA's attempt to remove already-public information about prior U.S.

Main Source: 
Los Angeles Times, December 19, 2006

Falsies on Parade: The Worst Spinners of 2006

by Sheldon Rampton — December 18, 2006 - 2:52am
  • Topics: Corporations, Ethics, Media, Politics, Public Relations, U.S. Government

    • Here at the Center for Media and Democracy, we've made our year-end list, and our readers have checked it 1,204 times. That can only mean one thing -- it's time to announce the winners of the coveted 2006 Falsies Awards!

    Former FCC General Counsel: Fake TV News Must Be Disclosed

    by Diane Farsetta — December 13, 2006 - 11:13am
  • Topics: Activism, Video News Releases, Media, U.S. Government

    • Publicist Mike Morris, identified as a reporter during a VNR broadcast

    "Congress and the courts have stressed that as fiduciaries given the free use of the public airwaves, broadcasters are obligated to operate in the public interest. Flagrantly deceptive practices are inconsistent with that obligation and can find no sanction in the First Amendment."

    Those words were written by Henry Geller, a former general counsel of the Federal Communications Commission and assistant secretary of commerce for communications and information. Today, the StarTribune in Minneapolis/St. Paul published an op/ed that Geller and I co-authored. The piece (copied below) describes why full disclosure of video news releases (VNRs) is both vital to the public interest and supported by legal precedent.

    If you think the public should be told where its news really comes from, you can still support VNR disclosure, via the online action hosted by our colleagues at Free Press.

    Syndicate content