[Mb-civic] Stop fake news (government propoganda) on local TV

[ean at sbcglobal.net]

On Sunday, the New York Times reported that at least 20 federal 
agencies have made and distributed pre-packaged, ready-to-serve 
television news segments to promote President Bush's policies and 
initiatives. 

Congress' Government Accountability Office determined that 
these "video news releases" were illegal "covert propaganda" 
and told federal agencies to stop. But last Friday, the White 
House ordered all agencies to disregard Congress' directive. 

The Bush administration is using hundreds of millions of your tax 
dollars to manipulate public opinion. Here's how to stop them: 

Sign our petition and help us get 250,000 people to join our call to 
Congress, the Federal Communications Commission and local 
television stations. Tell Congress and the FCC to toughen and enforce 
laws against "covert propaganda" and demand that broadcasters come 
clean with viewers about using government-produced news.  Go to:
http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=8755106&url_nu
m=2&url=http://www.freepress.net/act/fakenews

Join others in your community to create "citizen agreements" with your 
local TV stations to stop fake news broadcasts. These agreements are 
official documents filed at the FCC that -- if broken -- can be used to 
deny license renewals. Free Press will connect you with others in your 
area working to ensure local broadcasters identify the sources behind 
the "news." 

Unless we speak out now, the White House will continue to act with 
impunity -- taking advantage of understaffed and incautious local news 
operations to manipulate public opinion. 

Please take a few moments to sign the Free Press petition and 
forward this message to everyone you know. 
Onward, 

Timothy Karr
Campaign Director
Free Press

John Stauber
Executive Director
Center for Media and Democracy 

P.S. To learn more, read the in-depth report from Free Press on the 
systematic effort by the Bush administration to manipulate journalists 
and the American public. 
http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=8755106&url_nu
m=5&url=http://www.freepress.net/propaganda/
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"In times of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act."
   ---   George Orwell


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