Page 563 - Battleground The Media Volume 1 and 2

| V deo News Releases: A H dden Ep dem c of Fake TV News

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Garry Crawford

Video news releases: a hidden
ePideMiC oF Fake tV news
Of all the public relations tactics to shape news content, video news releases
(VNRs) are the most intrusive and widespread. VNRs are sponsored video seg-
ments that mimic independent news reports, but promote the sponsor’s prod-
ucts, company, or preferred policies. Television stations routinely air VNRs
during news programming, but almost never disclose them to viewers. Since
the sponsors that fund VNRs, the public relations (PR) firms that produce them,
and the TV stations that air them all benefit from nondisclosure, how can view-
ers’ “right to know” where their news comes from be protected?
The public expects that “news” is information that has been gathered and
verified by a journalist acting as a fair observer. A fair observer may have a point
of view, but should avoid—or at least fully disclose—any potential, perceived, or
real conflict of interest.