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Bush's 'covert propaganda'
A Times Editorial
Published October 12, 2005
In a highly critical report, the Government Accountability Office found that the Bush administration repeatedly violated federal law by trying to sway public opinion using "covert propaganda" at taxpayer expense. Among the underhanded attempts to buy itself good publicity, the government paid unethical journalists and commentators to speak well of key programs and packaged its own video news reports without attribution. Public money was also spent to monitor whether the media were carrying the message that Bush and the Republican Party are committed to education.
Last March, a Justice Department opinion said it was legal for federal departments to produce their own news reports without attributing them to the government as long as the news was factual. But the GAO report, issued late last month, saw right through the self-serving Justice Department opinion. It said that prepackaged news stories in which the agency fails to identify itself as the source "misleads the viewing public" and is contrary to law.
Does this White House get the message?
[Last modified October 12, 2005, 00:19:18]
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