Little Progress Cited In Identifying VNRs

LITTLE PROGRESS CITED IN IDENTIFYING VNRs
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
The Center for Media & Democracy (CMD) and Free Press Tuesday released a report on 46 TV stations they say are airing corporate video news releases (VNRs) without disclosure in violation of FCC rules. The stations include ones owned by News Corp., Tribune, Gannett, Disney, the Washington Post Co., Sinclair Broadcasting, Media General, and Univision. Free Press and CMD are filing a complaint with the FCC asking it to broaden its VNR inquiry, which was prompted in part by the two groups first report last April identifying 77 stations, some of whom also showed up in the second report, that were airing the undisclosed VNRs. Free Press is also asking the FCC to look at the relationship between media consolidation and the rise of VNRs. "Our new report shows that news audiences continue to be deceived by fake TV news," said Diane Farsetta, CMD senior researcher and co-author of the report, in announcing the report and complaint. "Of the 54 VNR broadcasts that we documented, only two offered clear disclosure of the client behind the segment [both from stations named in the first report]. Nearly 90 percent of the time, TV stations made no effort to disclose at all."
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6391055.html?display=Breaking...

** See "Still Not the News" http://www.prwatch.org/fakenews2/execsummary

** NABC Refutes Latest Claim by Group Alleging Improper TV Station Disclosures
http://www.broadcastcommunicators.org/

* New Report Shows Further VNR Misuse by Stations
http://www.tvweek.com/news.cms?newsId=11062

* TV Stations Still Airing Company Pitches as News, Study Says
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=axOs4.lxk4SU&refer=us

* FCC Commissioner Adelstein: "Many broadcasters are apparently ignoring the FCC and their own ethics guidelines in running VNRs without disclosure. All the warnings in the world don't help if nobody's listening. When the flock ignores the shepherd, it's time to build a fence. Since the industry is patently incapable of self-regulation, it's up to the FCC to enforce our disclosure rules."
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-268464A1.doc

** RTNDA Slams VNR Study, FCC Investigation
The Radio-Television News Directors Association says some of the allegations in a study released by the Center for Media and Democracy and Free Press citing more unidentified VNR's are "inaccurate or represent isolated incidents made in error and at variance with station policies that are consistent with RTNDA’s guidelines." RTNDA said in a statement late Tuesday that it had not reviewed all the findings, but that even if the allegations are true, "it provides no credible basis upon which the FCC can justify the extraordinary step of inserting itself into broadcast newsrooms and questioning their exercise of editorial discretion."
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6391211.html?display=Breaking...