WCIA-3, CBS (TV Station)
| Fake TV News: A CMD Special Report |
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| This article is part of the Center for Media and Democracy's special report, Fake TV News: Widespread and Undisclosed. Click here to read the report summary. |
WCIA-3 is a Champaign, Illinois television station and an affiliate of the CBS television network.
Contents
Station Owner
Use of Video News Releases and/or Satellite Media Tours
In the 5am news bulletin on January 17, 2006 the station broadcast an edited video news release (VNR) produced by Medialink Worldwide for Siemens AG on 'advances' in ethanol. The Medialink publicist appeared on-screen. [1]
The New York Times documented WCIA-3's use of government VNRs. The March 2005 Times article reported that WCIA's news director, Jim P. Gee, said of VNRs from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, "We don't think they're propaganda. They meet our journalistic standards. They're informative. They're balanced." The Times reported, "WCIA, based in Champaign, has run 26 segments made by the Agriculture Department over the past three months alone." [2] [3]
Contact Details
WCIA
509 S. Neil Street
Champaign, IL 61820
Phone: (217) 356.8333
Phone (news): (217) 373.3650
Fax: 217-373-3663
Email: news AT wcia.com
Web: http://www.wcia.com
SourceWatch Resources
- Audio news releases
- B-Roll
- Brand Hype
- Branded Entertainment
- Media releases
- Satellite Media Tours
- Radio Media Tours
- Public Service Announcements
- Video news releases: PR for California's Schwarzenegger administration
External links
- David Barstow and Robin Stein, "Under Bush, a New Age of Prepackaged TV News," New York Times, March 13, 2005.
- Diane Farsetta and Daniel Price, "Fake TV News: Widespread and Undisclosed: A multimedia report on television newsrooms' use of material provided by PR firms on behalf of paying clients", Center for Media and Democracy, April 6, 2006.
