fake news

BBC to Issue Global Apology for Documentaries That Broke Rules

Lindsy Embree — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 08:48:48 -0500

Full article: The Independent
Ian Burrell
The BBC will apologize to an estimated 74 million people around the world for a news-fixing scandal, in which it broadcast documentaries made by a London TV company that was earning millions of pounds from PR clients which it featured in its programming.

FCC Seeks to Change Regulation of Corporate Interests Disclosures on TV News

Stevie Converse — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 12:44:53 -0500

Full article: Washington Post
Paul Farhi
Concerned that subtle “pay-for-play” marketing ploys are seeping into the news, the FCC has proposed a regulation that would require the nation’s 1,500 commercial TV stations to disclose online the corporate interests behind the news.

Pentagon Finds No Fault in Ties to TV Analysts

Stevie Converse — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 08:33:24 -0500

Full article: New York Times
David Barstow
A Pentagon public relations program that sought to transform high-profile military analysts into "surrogates" and "message force multipliers" for the Bush administration complied with Defense Department regulations and directives to "inform and educate," the Pentagon's inspector general has concluded after a two-year investigation that relied mostly on interviews with those involved in the scandal.

The Truth About Fake News

Lindsy Embree — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 11:33:20 -0500

Full article: SavetheNews.org
Libby Reinish
It sounds crazy, but passing an infomercial off as a news story is legal as long as stations disclose the paid pieces at the end of the program. But a lot of stations don't even manage that: They air fake news without providing any kind of disclosure to viewers — a clear violation of FCC rules. And these rules are so weak that stations that do provide disclosure information can get away with text that is barely legible. The public deserves to know if they're watching news or advertisements.

Living with AT&T: Wisconsin Fox Station Repackages AT&T Infomercial as a Feature Story

Lindsy Embree — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 10:32:42 -0500

Full article: Stop the Cap!
Phillip Dampier
A Fox affiliate in Green Bay, Wis., has some trouble drawing distinctions between informational programming and infomercials: It repackaged a four-minute ad for AT&T U-verse into a feature story on <em>Living With Amy</em>, its morning show targeting women viewers. The affiliate failed to disclose to viewers the four-minute segment was actually a paid commercial; AT&T doesn't appear anywhere on the show's sponsor page.

Despite Law Against It, Stealth Commercials Frequently Masquerade As TV News

Lindsy Embree — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 10:55:28 -0500

Full article: Washington Post
Paul Farhi
During the holiday season, TV news is often rife with stealth commercials dressed up as traditional product-review interviews -- a practice known as "payola" or "plugola" that is ostensibly illegal.

FCC Takes Belated Action on 'Fake News'

Lindsy Embree — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 09:18:56 -0400

Full article: Los Angeles Times
James Rainey
A little-reported FCC action has put TV stations on notice: They can't hand over airtime for commercial pitches unless they clearly label the sponsors. The agency moved toward fining an NBC affiliate in Atlantic City, N.J., and a Fox-owned station in Minneapolis for failing to provide "sponsorship identification announcements." The stations did not clearly tell their audiences that manufacturers were behind glowing news segments on a cold remedy called Zicam and on a line of General Motors cars.

WMGM-TV Fined for Airing News Release Without Identifying Sponsor

Lindsy Embree — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 09:57:00 -0400

Full article: pressofAtlanticCity.com
Elaine Rose
WMGM-TV 40 has been fined $4,000 for airing a video news release about a nasal spray during its weekly health segment without letting viewers know who sponsored it, the FCC says.

FCC Fines Fox $4,000 over 2006 Video News Release

Lindsy Embree — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 13:02:52 -0400

Full article: Broadcasting & Cable
John Eggerton
Dismissing First Amendment and other arguments, the FCC proposed fining Fox's KMSP-TV Minneapolis $4,000 for failing to identify a video news release it used in a June 2006 news story. The FCC said that the station should have identified the GM VNR, in a story about new cars, and that failure to do so violated its sponsorship violation rules.

KMSP-TV Fined by FCC

Lindsy Embree — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 13:01:18 -0400

Full article: Minneapolis Star Tribune
Neal Justin
The Fox 9 News team made a bit of news of its own when it got fined $4,000 Thursday by the FCC for using video without identifying where it came from.