Is it real or infoganda?

March 18, 2004 11:30 AM

Fake news. How is it legal to present a commercial as real news, without any indication that it is a commercial? And when did it become legal to use government money (i.e. *my taxes*) to push partisan issues, as well as try to influence election politics?
posted by rich (12 comments total)

Didn't we already talk about this?

Anyway, I don't see what the big fuss is all about. It doesn't say "Bush for President" and I believe the Medicare bill earmarked money for this very thing.


From the article: "The Clinton administration sent out news stories on its Medicare proposal in the 1990s.

The segments released during President Clinton's administration, however, clearly stated at the beginning that they were produced by the government — something the Bush video news releases do not. "

That was a proposal, this is actually the law.
posted by BackwardsHatClub at 11:34 AM on March 18, 2004

"Didn't we already talk about this?"

Yes, we did.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 11:36 AM on March 18, 2004

This cannot be said enough though, WE ARE BEING LIED TOO,
not about a blowjob, BUT our health, money, power, and place in the world.... and who is making the decisions

Rome is burning.
/rant
posted by Elim at 11:50 AM on March 18, 2004

This cannot be said enough though, WE ARE BEING LIED TOO

Yes, please say it more often -- preferably in all caps (with an extra "o" to boot). No matter how many times I hear or read it, I just can't seem to get enough.
posted by pardonyou? at 12:06 PM on March 18, 2004

Ah - sorry for the double.. I did the usual search a number of key words and didn't get a hit.
posted by rich at 12:39 PM on March 18, 2004

In all fairness, it was just on the Daily Show last night.
posted by wigu at 12:54 PM on March 18, 2004

Maybe that should read --

We, too, are being lied to.
posted by chicobangs at 2:07 PM on March 18, 2004

when did it become legal to use government money (i.e. *my taxes*) to push partisan issues, as well as try to influence election politics

That's how the game is played. Your taxes have always been used to push partisan issues. Politicians draw salaries, after all, and their job description is to, for the most part, push partisan issues. You're objecting to the mode of this particular effort, but my understanding is that it is not unique. Anyway, "don't hate the player... hate the game."
posted by HiddenInput at 2:07 PM on March 18, 2004

In all fairness, it was just on the Daily Show last night.

Noone does fake news better than TDS
posted by jacobsee at 4:04 PM on March 18, 2004

How is it legal to present a commercial as real news, without any indication that it is a commercial?

So, are you calling for indictments for the network news chiefs?
posted by Ayn Marx at 4:24 PM on March 18, 2004

Karen Ryan speaks. The poor baby (and pr person) feels like "political roadkill"
posted by amberglow at 4:46 PM on March 18, 2004

BackwardsHatClub -
How about a Karen Ryan day here on MeFi? We'd forego making posts ourselves and instead let Karen copy and paste P.R. information from government web sites as front page posts. Employees in her firm would, of course, make all the comments, too. I'm sure it would all be correct information, so what could be wrong with that?
posted by stevis at 3:18 PM on March 22, 2004