(Download) "When the Flock Ignores the Shepherd - Corralling the Undisclosed Use of Video News Releases." by Federal Communications Law Journal " eBook PDF Kindle ePub Free
eBook details
- Title: When the Flock Ignores the Shepherd - Corralling the Undisclosed Use of Video News Releases.
- Author : Federal Communications Law Journal
- Release Date : January 01, 2008
- Genre: Law,Books,Professional & Technical,
- Pages : * pages
- Size : 299 KB
Description
I. INTRODUCTION As long as mass media has existed, corporations and governments have sought to control, or at least influence, the message being delivered. While in the early days of radio and television such sponsorship was explicit, (2) today's advertisers have become experts at promoting their messages without drawing attention. One particularly popular form of modern sponsorship can be found in so-called "video news releases" ("VNRs"). These VNRs, considered "analogous to a printed press release," (3) are increasingly relied upon by broadcasters to supplement their local reporting. Filmed and written to look like regular news stories, VNRs deliver a hidden commercial message under the guise of important information. The broadcasters do not have to disclose the real source of these segments because they aren't "paid" to play them: companies--and the government--freely distribute VNRs, hoping to get them aired. What was once America's trusted source of news--the network newscast--has become open mic night for the government and powerful commercial interests, blurring the line between journalism and commercialism, all while the present sponsorship identification rules ensure that the public will remain none the wiser.