The Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) released a report today documenting how local television newsrooms use video news releases (VNRs) created by corporations - and then passed them off as locally-produced journalism.

Fake TV News: Widespread and Undisclosed

CMD identified 77 television stations, from those in the largest to the smallest markets, that aired these VNRs or related satellite media tours (SMTs) in 98 separate instances, without disclosure to viewers. Collectively, these 77 stations reach more than half of the U.S. population. The VNRs and SMTs whose broadcast CMD documented were produced by three broadcast PR firms for 49 different clients, including General Motors, Intel, Pfizer and Capital One. In each case, these 77 television stations actively disguised the sponsored content to make it appear to be their own reporting. In almost all cases, stations failed to balance the clients' messages with independently-gathered footage or basic journalistic research. More than one-third of the time, stations aired the pre-packaged VNR in its entirety.

I suspect that many newspapers essentialy do the same thing with corporate press-releases.

For example, within the last week the "business" sections of newspapers have features a spate of stories reporting how Wal-Mart has been lowering prices before Christmas. In some cases the stories read like advertisements, listing prices on coffee makers and Gerber baby food:

• Holiday discounts: Few (besides Wal-Mart) Source: CNN Money Date: November 13 2006
• Wal-Mart extends price cuts to small appliances Source: Yahoo News (Via Reuters) Date: November 13 2006
• Wal-Mart lowers appliance prices Source: MetroWest (Via AP) Date: 11/08/2006

Note that while each story was slightly different, each gives the same message: That Wal-Mart is cutting prices.

I suspect the PR flacks at Wal-Mart have been working overtime, and the press has been giving them a free ride.

Read counterpoint here.

Tags: Wal-Mart - Public Relations - fake news passed off as journalism

Note: Special thanks to Patty Alman who helped with this post.