Last March, when The New York Times first described her role in a segment about new prescription drug benefits for Medicare patients, reaction was harsh. In Cleveland, The Plain Dealer ran an editorial under the headline "Karen Ryan, You're a Phony," and she was the object of late-night jokes by Jon Stewart and received hate mail.
"I'm like the Marlboro man," she said in a recent interview.
In fact, Ms. Ryan was a bit player who made less than $5,000 for her work on government reports. She was also playing an accepted role in a lucrative art form, the video news release. "I just don't feel I did anything wrong," she said. "I just did what everyone else in the industry was doing."
Where have I heard the I just did what everyone else in the industry was doing defense before. I don't think it worked.
Is there a problem?
Under the Bush administration, federal agencies appear to be producing more releases, and on a broader array of topics.
A definitive accounting is nearly impossible. There is no comprehensive archive of local television news reports, as there is in print journalism, so there is no easy way to determine what has been broadcast, and when and where.
Sounds like a problem.
So, who do we turn to within the gummint? The FCC. I can see it now.
Michael Powell: Hello?
POTUS: Moo Moo! George here! Howya hangin' Moo Moo?
MP: Hello, Mr President. I'm hangin' fine, thanks.
POTUS: Bet you are! Bet you are! Now Moo Moo, see here, my posse has been waging an insidious propaganda campaign, and, well, you know that I'm an exemplar all thats right. I need you to trot on over here and get medievil on their asses.
MP: Yes, sir, Mr President. You want me to watch Pulp Fiction before I do it, just to be sure I get it right?
POTUS: Yeah, sure, Moo Moo whatever. Just get on it. I've gotta run to my 11 oclock with the Secretary of State in the White House sauna. Bye.
MP: Bye, Mr President.
Completely plausible except turning on his posse.
What do journalists think? I don't know about all of them, but check:
Mike Stutz, news director at KGTV, the ABC affiliate in San Diego, was equally opposed to putting government news segments on the air.
"It amounts to propaganda, doesn't it?" he said.
The P word. That's bold talk from a SoCal TV guy!
The no shit moment:
Even so, as a senior department official, Patricia Harrison, told Congress last year, the Bush administration has come to regard such "good news" segments as "powerful strategic tools" for influencing public opinion.
What? Me worry?
And a review of the department's segments reveals a body of work in sync with the political objectives set forth by the White House communications team after 9/11.
Yeah, me worry.
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