The Holywood Presidency; or, exhibit F

The strongarming of Mr. Foster, mentioned in other posts, is sad enough. But what if an administration creates fake news stories, with actors playing legit (neutral) reporters, sends them to tv stations, and lets 30-some of those local news chanels play those fake news stories? Wanna see one, click here (daily show) and click the link to "headlines: medicalert")

If anything raises the concern that politics is becoming enterainment, and the adminstration is playing Machiavelli, it is this. Here's the Guardian:

TV news reports in America that showed President George Bush getting a standing ovation from potential voters have been exposed as fake, it has emerged.
The US government admitted it paid actors to pose as journalists in video news releases sent to TV stations intending to convey support for new laws about health benefits.

Investigators are examining the film segments, in which actors pretending to be journalists praise the benefits of the new law passed last year by President Bush, to see if they could be construed as propaganda.

Two of the films are signed off by "Karen Ryan", who was an actor hired to read a script prepared by the government, according to production company Home Front Communications.

Another video, intended for Hispanic viewers, shows a government official being interviewed in Spanish by a actor posing as a reporter with the name "Alberto Garcia".

One segment shows a pharmacist telling an elderly customer the new law "helps you better afford your medications".

"It sounds like a good idea," the customer says, to which the pharmacist replies, "A very good idea."

And in some scenes President Bush is shown receiving a standing ovation from a crowd cheering him as he signed the Medicare law, which is designed to help elderly people with prescriptions.

The government also prepared scripts to be used by news anchors. "In December, President Bush signed into law the first-ever prescription drug benefit for people with Medicare," the script reads.

"Since then, there have been a lot of questions about how the law will help older Americans and people with disabilities. Reporter Karen Ryan helps sort through the details." The "reporter" then explains the benefits of the new law.

See also, Currie, and the Times.

Now, the Guardian, Times, et al go on to provide the White House response. Here's CBS News' article:

The Bush administration says that the videos are perfectly legal. A DHHS spokesman, Kevin Keane told the Times, "The use of video news releases is a common, routine practice in government and the private sector." But Democrats disagree and the General Accounting Office has begun an investigation. At issue is the law that prohibits the use of federal money for "publicity or propaganda purposes" not authorized by Congress. Writes the Times, "In the past, the General Accounting Office has found that federal agencies violated this restriction when they disseminated editorials and newspaper articles written by the government or its contractors without identifying the source."

Not so helpful. These fake news stories, as reported, seem patently bad. Indeed, for that reason, this bit about be these video news releases being used often is rather disalarming--no matter what party produces them. In other words, if the White House defense of 'we aren't the only ones doing this' is true....uh oh. So other gov agencies, and big business are making up our news for us?
Wish they'd provided examples of other video news releases that agencies have put out. The question here seems to be whether these tapes were properly identified as government news releases.
But I'd have to feel uncomforatble with these "news stories" if there's anything remotely legal about them- regardless of the party or agency. And while the government's to blame, our media puts themselves in position to be manipulated.
Local media, we all know, now sucks. They play easy news, have dumbed down to about first grade now, undertake no serious investigation apart from which Jiffy Lube is screwing who, and play, as often as possible seemingly, news feeds that are provided to them--as to keep from working too hard themselves. Thus, if a piece comes in the mail covering the complex issue of medicare...whew, we can send our reporters out to the burning house on Maple.