The Bush Administration has become notorious for its use of fake news reporters, paid pundits, and paid messages inserted in television shows and movies. In
Administration is Warned about its 'News' Videos by Anne Kornblut, the NY Times reports today (2/19/05) on a recent letter released by the Comptroller General of the GAO. One line that stands out from the letter is this one:
... in violation of federal law, failed to disclose the administration's role ...
From the Times:
The comptroller general has issued a blanket warning that reminds federal agencies they may not produce newscasts promoting administration policies without clearly stating that the government itself is the source.
Twice in the last two years, agencies of the federal government have been caught distributing prepackaged television programs that used paid spokesmen acting as newscasters and, in violation of federal law, failed to disclose the administration's role in developing and financing them.
And those were not isolated incidents, David M. Walker, the comptroller general, said in a letter dated Thursday that put all agency heads on notice about the practice.
According to the Comptroller General as reported by the Times, there has been "a violation of federal law". The C.G. in his letter spells out just what activities are forbidden for the Bush Administration to engage in:
"While agencies generally have the right to disseminate information about their policies and activities, agencies may not use appropriated funds to produce or distribute prepackaged news stories intended to be viewed by television audiences that conceal or do not clearly identify for the television viewing audience that the agency was the source of those materials."
"It is not enough," he added, "that the contents of an agency's communication may be unobjectionable."
Can there be any doubt that the various arms of the Republican propaganda machine have engaged in every one of the above illegal activites?
The letter does not tell federal agencies they can't produce propaganda, but they must disclose the source and not attempt to pass if off as real news. It is this practice which is truly subversive to a free society.
If the Bush Administration has points it would like to make, or a message it wants to disseminate, then it should do so openly and without deceit. Surely the fact that these attempts to hide the origin of the propaganda suggest that the Republican administration is aware that their messages would not have the same power if their self-interested nature was apparent. So instead of being forthright with the American people they choose to hide their hand in producing propaganda in an effort to make people believe they are hearing from an unbiased source.
That's illegal, says the Comptroller General.
Democrats urged the Bush Administration to stop propagandizing the American people and be upfront about it's efforts to manipulate public opinion. From the Times:
But Democrats said they hoped the letter would lead to tougher scrutiny of what they describe as an aggressive publicity machine within the administration.
"The G.A.O. is sending a clear message to the Bush administration: shut down the propaganda mill," Senator Frank R. Lautenberg of New Jersey said in a statement on Friday. "The G.A.O. is simply telling the White House to stop manipulating media, stop paying journalists and be straight with the American people."
Senator Lautenberg has been out front on this issue of propaganda and recently called on the White House to release all documents relating to "Jeff Gannon", another cog in the propaganda mill that has been receiving headlines of late. In his letter on the Gannon matter Lautenberg had this to say about the larger propaganda scandal:
I have led the effort in the Senate to investigate a number of instances of troubling propaganda efforts by the Administration. The Government Accountability Office has agreed to my requests to investigate various attempts at media manipulation: fake television news stories touting both the new Medicare law and the "No Child Left Behind" education program; a study rating individual journalists on their "favorability" to Republican education policies; and the payment to journalist Armstrong Williams.
The Bush Administration is receiving well-justified criticism and scrutiny for its policy of deceiving the American public. However, given that many of these activites have been a "violation of federal law" the question must be raised as to why there have been no indictments on any of these matters. Clearly, the fact that Republicans control all branches of government is the most obvious reason why law-breaking is being tolerated.
There must be some Republicans who are troubled by this descent into a Soviet style propaganda state. I remain pessimistic, yet hopeful, that some Republicans will begin to stand up for American values instead of merely sitting on their hands as partisan Republicans while their comrades break the law.