The social security tour: news or propoganda?

[ariellyn]

How can it be news, hyped by the corporate media, when ** visits prescreened audiences who clap on command for the evening news? Isn't it a misuse of the taxpayer's money to use our money and shut us out of forums about issues that affect all citizens?

There should be some law making this illegal.

[punpirate]

1. Any president is entitled to promote...

... his programs. He's not entitled to use taxpayer funds to manipulate the process in order to influence the evening news--that's propagandizing.

[ariellyn]

2. So you agree then? n/t

[punpirate]

6. There is a law in place already...

... the Smith-Mundt Act, which says that using taxpayer funds to propagandize the American public is illegal (the Act's primary purpose was to provide funding for propaganda services directed toward other countries). Regardless of what I think about this being propaganda (because of the way it's done), is the administration's Department of Justice going to prosecute the administration for exceeding the limits of that law? Doubtful.

All presidents try to manipulate the press to their advantage--the issue here is the means of doing so--selective admission of only supporters and coaching supposedly randomly-chosen individuals in their comments--for the purposes of having that broadcast by the supposedly free press--is a propaganda technique.

It's clearly unethical, but is it illegal enough to take the White House to court? I don't know. But, the surest way to stop it is for the press to stop covering these dog-and-pony shows, or to call them what are if they do report on them.

Cheers.

[Lisa]

7. interesting!

Remember this gem from a while back? He's evidently familiar with the word.

"I asked them the other day, would it be okay if I cut a 30-minute tape, a piece of propaganda, no questions, just here -- here it is, here's 30 minutes of me talking. Please run it, not only across your airwaves but run it internationally, if you don't mind. I've got something to say about the conflict and our fight against evil. They said, no, they're not going to do that. If I'm going to get on the news, they've got to ask me questions."
--Bush press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Nov. 13, 2001


This is all particularly ironic, since Dubya always claimed to be free of "Washington insider" pretense and "Hollywood" deception. But there he is, manipulating people in order to get pretty pictures for the news.

[BlueEyedSon]

3. It's neither, it's "facts"

It's a FACT that the president went to such and such place and said blah blah whatever.

The news part is that it's a waste of taxpayer $$$ and all f'in' LIES.

[baldguy]

4. If Bush is doing it then it's propaganda.

Republicans can do no other.

[ray of light]

5. It should be illegal to have a "war room" at the treasury dept. funding

the propaganda "Bamboozala tour".

Google "Laura Mechler" A.P. "War room".