developer
10,268
edits
Changes
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
SW: adding info on fines
A study published called [http://www.stateofthenewsmedia.org/2007/ "The State of the News Media 2007"], a work of the "Project for Excellence in Journalism", by two University professors and a former journalism doctoral student, says that "there is increasing pressure from advertisers to integrate ads in newscasts" [http://media.www.dailyemerald.com/media/storage/paper859/news/2007/07/18/News/Study.Finds.stealth.Ads.In.Newscasts-2924797.shtml]
==VNR fines== In September 2007, the U.S. [[Federal Communications Commission]] issued two notices of apparent liability, announcing its intention to fine [[Comcast Corporation]] $4000 for each of its regional cable channel [[CN8, (TV Station)|CN8]]'s five undisclosed VNR broadcasts that were documented in the Center for Media and Democracy's "Still Not the News" report [http://www.prwatch.org/fakenews2/execsummary], for a total of $20,000. [http://www.prwatch.org/node/6504] In the first notice, for CN8's broadcast of the Nelson's Rescue Sleep VNR [http://www.prwatch.org/fakenews2/vnr54], the FCC said that the "extensive images and mentions of the product" triggered the need for VNR disclosure. [http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-07-4005A1.pdf] The second notice was for CN8's broadcast of the General Mills (Wheaties) [http://www.prwatch.org/fakenews2/vnr56], Trend Micro [http://www.prwatch.org/fakenews2/vnr59], Allstate [http://www.prwatch.org/fakenews2/vnr60], and General Mills (Bisquick) [http://www.prwatch.org/fakenews2/vnr61] VNRs. In it, the FCC broadened its explanation for the need for VNR disclosure, saying that "the VNR itself was the 'valuable consideration' provided to CN8." The second notice also faults CN8's broadcast of the four VNRs, saying their promotional content goes far beyond the acceptable "fleeting or transient references to products or brand names." [http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-07-4075A1.pdf] ==Under Viewersviewers' Radarradar==
While expensive compared to the cost of a traditional news releases, they allow a sponsor to present its message without being filtered by journalists. They are commonly used unedited by small regional television stations that have limited budgets for news production or are understaffed. While some stations have a policy of not using VNRs, [[public relations]] practitioners commonly cater for this by also providing a series of clips designed to be used as stock footage.
Public relations firms that produce video news releases (VNRs) aren't just targeting national news, writes Craig McGuire of ''PR Week''. Increasingly, they're working to place their videos on local and cable stations as well as websites. "Today VNRs are much more than just broadcast placement tools. They are being targeted to a variety of audiences through web syndication, strategic placements in broadcast, cable, and site-based media in retail outlets and hospitals," says Tim Bahr, managing director of MultiVu, a leading VNR producer. And some clients are opting for "guaranteed placement," a relatively new trend in which PR firms and production houses pay media channels outright to carry what they call "branded journalism." [http://www.prweek.com/us/sectors/crisis/article/521853]
==Production and Distributiondistribution==
"Working closely with clients, Medialink's team of highly experienced
The head of Medialink's VNR production unit, Michelle Williams, told ''PR Week'' "the viewer will take away something visual before they take away something audio. Instead of plugging a product by talking about it, showing it in use."
== VNRs in the Newsnews==
In a February 1992 cover article titled "Fake News" in ''TV Guide'', David Lieberman took the media and PR industry to task over the use of VNRs. He argued that if footage from VNRs was used in news it should be labelled so that viewers were aware of its origin. If not, he argued, media outlets risked undermining their own credibility if they "pretend out of pride that what they broadcast is real news, instead of labeling it for what it is."
In April 1993, TV Guide once more returned to the subject with an article titled "Fake News: All the PR that News Can Use."
== Bush White House Defends defends VNRs==
Following a March 2005 ''New York Times'' report on the use by government of VNRs, White House spokesman [[Scott McClellan]] was asked at a media briefing whether their use was "legal and legitimate ... without disclaimers that they're government productions, as long as they meet some standard of factual basis?"
A few days later Bush made it clear that the government had no intention of ensuring each VNR was captioned so that stations had no option but to disclose the origin of video material to viewers. "...Local stations ought to - if there's a deep concern about that, ought to tell their viewers what they're watching," Bush said when asked if the government would ensure all VNR footage was identified. [http://www.onthemedia.org/transcripts/transcripts_031805_newshole.html]
== VNRs and TV Stations' Bottom Linebottom line==
Why do local TV news stations use fake video news releases in place of real news? KEF Media Associates states on its website that the "opportunity" for the use of VNRs has expanded due to financial pressure on news rooms. "Over the last decade, network and local market newscasts have been placed under increasing pressure to become profitable. This has led to significant cost cutting in newsrooms. Because many of the cuts have been among producers and technicians whose job it is to fill the newscast time, demand has grown for news content supplied by outside sources," KEF explains. [http://kefmedia.com] On its website, VNR producer [[Gourvitz Communications]] states that that a "typical VNR costs around $18,000, and a B-Roll Package costs around $17,000." [http://www.gourvitzcommunications.com/services-video-news-releases.html]
*[http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Image:GAOMedicareVNR.pdf Download GAO report on VNRs touting the Medicare law] (120 kb PDF file).
==Case Studiesstudies==
*[http://www.prwatch.org/books/tsigfy10.html How PR Sold the War in the Persian Gulf]
*[[Video news releases: No Child Left Behind]]
*[[Video news releases: Selling changes to U.S. Medicare]]
==PR Firms and Agencies That Produce firms that produce and/or Distribute distribute VNRs and B-roll==
*[[APTN Corporate Services]]
*[[D S Simon Productions]]
*[[World Television]]
==Public Websites websites with VNRs==
*The U.S. military maintains DVIDS, an online [http://www.dvidshub.net "Digital Video & Imagery Distribution System"] that features video and other public relations materials regarding its operations in [[Iraq]], [[Afghanistan]], Kuwait and Qatar.
*[http://newspath.cbs.com/ CBS Newspath Navigator] provides a list of available video feeds to CBS station affiliates, with descriptions of the stories and footage. Video itself is not available from this site. Some of the video spots are actual news, and others are fairly obvious PR (particularly in the entertainment and medical sections).
*[[VMS]] is a commercial service. For a fee, it tracks and provides copies of VNRs appearing in the news to its corporate clients.
==SourceWatch Resourcesresources==
*[[Audio news releases]]
*[[B-Roll]]
*[[Karen Ryan]]
==U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Hearing hearing on VNRs==
*[http://commerce.senate.gov/archive.vnr051205.ram Archived video of entire hearing]: "[[U.S. Senate]] Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation, May 12, 2005.
:*[http://commerce.senate.gov/hearings/testimony.cfm?id=1497&wit_id=3969 Testimony] of U.S. Senator [[Daniel K. Inouye]], Committee Co-Chairman (D-HI), U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation, May 12, 2005.
