Video
News Releases: Promoting the News or Deceptive Advertising?
[Case Study 6]
[Case Study 6]
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A
video news release (VNR) is a video segment created by PR firm, advertising
agency, marketing firm, corporation, or government agency and provided to
television news stations for the purpose of informing, shaping public opinion,
or to promote and publicize individuals, commercial products and services, or
other interests. VNR walked a thin between news and advertising
In
the VNR a PR professional posed as a journalist and used broadcast commentator
as a journalist. Because the public relations professional was not identified,
democrats cried foul, calling the VNR is covert advertising, fake news, and
other not so nice things. FCC issued a directive that broadcasters must clearly
disclose the nature, source, and sponsorship of VNR. But not everyone is happy
about the new disclosure requirements. Many nonprofits and major marketers also
use VNR to get their stories told.
The
most popular news source frequently air VNRs without disclosure to viewers,
without conducting their own reporting, and even without fact checking the
claims made in the VNRs. VNRs are overwhelmingly produced for corporations,
as part of larger public relations campaigns to sell products, burnish their
image, or promote policies or actions beneficial to the corporation.
FCC
still need a full disclosure outweighed the potential risks associated with
increase restriction. The existing federal laws and regulations coupled with
self- enforcement and ethical standards will ensure that disclosure take place
in the future. And some believe labeling has gone too far because people need
to judge for themselves how much information they need.
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