White House guilty of breaking propaganda law

[7th_Sephiroth]

THE Bush administration was guilty of spreading "covert propaganda" through a series of ready-made television "news" packages it sent to broadcasters, a US government watchdog has concluded.

The General Accounting Office (GAO), an arm of Congress, also declared that the adverts breached federal law.

The ready-made news items praised a new law, signed by the president, George Bush, in December, which the White House has said will make it easier for elderly citizens to obtain prescribed medicines.

Some of the features contain pictures of Mr Bush receiving a standing ovation from a crowd as he signed the Medicare law.

http://news.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=578732004

[ibegurpard]

1. What the hell?

Is this anywhere in the American media? Why is the first I've heard of this from some Scottish newspaper? I'd like to see more sources for this because if it's true it's pretty fucked up.

[shraby]

3. I read it a couple

of days ago, but I don't remember where.

[jpgray]

4. Lots of stuff on this a few months ago on DU

The Bush Administration produced some fake news reports, one in English by a 'reporter' named 'Karen Ryan', and another in Spanish by another 'reporter' named 'Alberto Garcia.' These were apparently contracted out to some PR firm, and then sent to local news stations to be run as actual reports. So basically the local news was running WH propaganda directly, which really is only one step removed from how it is usually done. :(

[corriger]

5. lol this (overall) has been an operation for over two years now!

[ibegurpard]

6. Well, yeah

but I hadn't heard that they'd been formally indicted, or whatever it is, by the GAO.

[shraby]

2. What are the

penalties for this?

[physioex]

7. Considering what happened in Iraq...

I would call this a misdemeanor...Don't forget the misapporiation of the 700 million.

[izzie]

8. I only read this because I thought you mean he told the truth, for once.

I think since Bush was grown he has not told the truth. And this group running things is really bad. Congress is getting it first hand. They hear after we do, it seems. I am willing to bet they all have some one to sit all day hunting on the INTERNET.