I shake my head everytime I read about the Center for Media & Democracy’s “fake TV news” efforts.”
Yeah, I know this is an old topic, but one that I don’t quite get.
I understand CMD’s concern that the public might be duped to purchase something or support a cause when that topic is shown as news or a TV feature story.
But, no where can I find in CMD’s VNR information where it talks about the role of TV journalists — news assignment editors, news directors, producers, etc. — in deciding what and if VNRs are aired.
Give them — those TV journalists — some credit! They are not stupid. They recognized news-oriented VNRs from salesy, promotional VNRs.
How is the broadcast of VNRs different than a newspaper or magazine using an exerpt from a news release in an article? Or, using a news release as a basis for a story?
Do you know what John Stauber, Sheldon Rampton and other CMD staff and board members . . . .?
Journalists are not stupid. They can recognized fluff from news. They’re trained. The decision-makers (i.e., editors) are experienced. They can weed out the junk that doesn’t serve their audience from the news releases and VNRs that have value.
Sure, journalists are getting overworked and under pressure. But don’t think that the ones still working have lost their news judgment.
– Mike
Technorati tags: PR, public relations, Center for Media & Democracy, video news release
