Media

BBC Pledges to Ditch Fake Military News

by Bob Burton — March 24, 2005 - 2:20am

The Controller of Editorial Policy for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Stephen Whittle, has written to David Miller from the European PR watchdog group Spinwatch stating that the use of audio news supplied by the British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS), an agency funded by the UK Ministry of Defence, was "not ideal." Miller revealed the use of fake news by the BBC a little over a week ago.

Main Source: 
SpinWatch, March 24, 2005

California Unions Sue to Terminate Arnold's Fake News

by Bob Burton — March 23, 2005 - 6:15am

A lawsuit filed in Sacramento Superior Court by three California unions seeks a ruling banning public funds from being used for the production of video news releases.

Main Source: 
San Francisco Chronicle, March 22, 2005

Rupert Murdoch's Tax Two-Step

by Bob Burton — March 23, 2005 - 5:29am

Australian journalist Neil Chenoweth has revealed that Rupert Murdoch "sidestepped stamp duty of $A53 million [U.S.$41.3m] and capital gains tax of up to $A1.2 billion [U.S.$936m] by moving control of his ultimate family company, Kayarem, to the Caribbean and listing it on the Bermuda Stock Exchange (BSE) a week before News Corporation was reincorporated in the United States last November.

Main Source: 
Australian Financial Review, March 23, 2005

CMD & Free Press File 'Fake News' Complaint with FCC on Behalf of 40,000 Petition Signers

by John Stauber — March 22, 2005 - 9:44am
  • Topics: Activism, Media, Public Relations

    • The Center for Media and Democracy and Free Press have filed a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission urging an investigation of the extensive airing of "fake news" by TV broadcasters who take government and corporate Video News Release (VNR) stories and run them unlabeled as real journalism. In just one week nearly 40,000 citizens have signed our petition calling on the FCC, Congress and local broadcasters to stop fake news.

    For Ethnic Press, Access Is Separate, Unequal

    by Diane Farsetta — March 21, 2005 - 3:03pm

    Government agencies "often don't return phone calls or provide relevant information" to the ethnic press, according to a survey by the Independent Press Association-New York. The association is a network of 115 "immigrant, African-American, and community newspapers." The most unhelpful federal agencies were the Department of Homeland Security, the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Affairs, and the Department of Labor.

    Main Source: 
    Associated Press, March 18, 2005

    Sacramento to Hollywood: Back Off

    by Diane Farsetta — March 18, 2005 - 8:19pm

    "We believe a court would find the 'style, tenor and timing' of the (video news release) to be 'promotional' in nature, thus triggering the requirement it be expressly authorized by statute," ruled the California state legislature's counsel, on a Schwarzenegger administration VNR.

    Main Source: 
    Associated Press, March 18, 2005

    On Iraq, Not All News Deemed "Fit to Print"

    by Diane Farsetta — March 18, 2005 - 3:32pm

    "Many media outlets self-censored their reporting on Iraq," often out of fear of offending their audience, found a survey of more than 200 U.S. media personnel by American University's School of Communications. The "editing that went into content after it was gathered but before it was published" was significant.

    Main Source: 
    Editor & Publisher, March 18, 2005

    Americans Still Believe Bush's War Propaganda

    by John Stauber — March 18, 2005 - 8:42am

    This weekend is the second anniversary of the U.S. attack on Iraq. The latest ABC News and Washington Post poll of public opinion shows that most Americans still believe, incorrectly of course, that Saddam's Iraq supported the 9/11 terrorists and had weapons of mass destruction.

    Main Source: 
    ABC News, March 15, 2005

    Gloom in the Ranks of PR

    by Bob Burton — March 16, 2005 - 5:02am

    After last Sunday's New York Times article on video news releases, Richard Edelman, the president and CEO of the PR company Edelman, wrote that the PR industry can expect more criticisms. "Why am I so sure of this?

    Main Source: 
    Richard Edelman's Speak Up blog, March 14, 2005

    State of the Fourth Estate

    by Diane Farsetta — March 14, 2005 - 5:50pm

    The Project for Excellence in Journalism's "State of the News Media 2005" concludes that U.S.

    Main Source: 
    Editor and Publisher, March 13, 2005
    Syndicate content