FCC+vs.+VNR

= The issue with the ethics of Video News Release is that they appear to be genuine news. The FCC has noticed this and is taking action. According to //Video News Releases: The Ball's in the FCC's Court//, The FCC has announced a Public Notice against Video News Releases claiming they are impossible to differentiate from actual news reports. The FCC doesn’t mind that VNRs are being played but are saying that they should disclose their information. VNR companies are claiming that they agree with the idea of disclosure but feel that these actions aren’t required. “The Public Relations Society of America expressed the belief that current regulations, along with ‘vigorous self regulation by all those involved at every level in the production and dissemination of prepackaged broadcast materials,’ would do the trick,”(Video News Releases: The Ball's in the FCC's Court). One Video News Release company is contesting that these allegations and investigations into VNRs are in a serious breach of their first amendment rights. A way of identifying Video News Releases is that VNR’s tend not to have opposing view critics. Government funded Video News Releases don’t make despicable claims but are ultimately just one sided. There is no yin or yang to their arguments. Some surprising facts I found from this article is that the Neilson studies in the years 1992, 1996, 2001 found 100% of stations aired VNRs. In 2004 VNRs were getting aired 80% more on medical topics than in 2003. Disclosure to the actual audience with VNRs is 5% or less. Many VNRs were broadcasted all over the country with many having no idea the government’s role in production. Since the decline of our economy local news stations are relying more on Video News Release because they are cheap and fill in time slots. Local stations also do this because they are trying to compete with national stations. Some stations aren’t even sure they are obtaining VNRs because the material arrives second hand from a satellite feed or regional network. Another interesting fact I found out from the //Video News Releases: The Ball's in the FCC's Court// article is that news claims many of the VNRs and their largest provider Pathfire is connected to 2/3 of all the news rooms across America. According to the FCC they recently just issued a $4000 fine to New Jersey station for a VNR in violation of the Communications Act. The station is located in Wildwood New Jersey and although the fine might be diminutive compared to others it just shows the FCC cracking down on Video News Release. =



Video News Release, The Dark Side of News