Fake News And Propaganda: Shaping Our Reality

The Bush administration is spending millions, paying off journalists and producing fake news spots to promote their agenda. Some $10 million was spent in a propaganda-like advertising campaign to push President Bush’s Social Security plan. Fake news reports were also put out to promote his Medicare prescription drug program, with production company employees masquerading as reporters. These mock prepackaged reports are distributed to broadcast outlets across the country and inserted into local news casts. They look so authentic that most would mistake it for a real piece of independent journalism, not partisan propaganda politics. They are paying journalists and reporters to further advance the government's agenda. One of the best examples is commentator Armstrong Williams who was paid $240,000 by the Department of Education to help promote Bush’s No Child Left Behind. Maggie Gallagher also received tens of thousands of dollars from the Department of Health and Human Services to promote Bush's marriage initiative. The list goes on with the likes of Jeff Gannon, Michael McManus, and Karen Ryan, and these are only a few who were caught. This is not unique to the Bush administration as such practices were also common under President Clinton. A very recent example of fake news occurred during a FEMA-orchestrated news conference which took place during the recent fires that ravaged Southern California. By all accounts, it had the makings of a real news conference, but the only thing missing was real reporters. Some of FEMA's employees posed as reporters, asking softball questions that were carried live by some news stations. It turned into a FEMA love fest, an event to showcase the great job they were doing in regards to the fires. It represented a miscarriage of information, and further legitimized the fact that there is a war on the truth. The only reason there was an apology was because FEMA was caught. It turned out to be a big mistake, an error in judgment, and we were told that this was an isolated incident. It has been reported that both the White House and Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff were aware of the fake news conference, and would have more than likely given it the green light. This fake news conference can be best described as government-sponsored propaganda. If the intentions were not to deceive, why wasn't there a disclaimer announced beforehand? We would probably all be amazed by how much propaganda is being passed off as news. More http://stoplying.ca/articles/07/nov/112707_dana_fake_news_propaganda.php

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