Does Our Media Support Deception? (VNR’s)

One example I find particularly disappointing is the way the media continues to support deception on the part of our government. In this case, the gov. primes the media outlets by offering so called “video news releases” (VNRs) which are nothing more that gov. produced propaganda. News stations often pick these up as cheap (free) filler and incorporate them into newscasts so that there is no way for the average citizen to know the difference. Newscasts of important gov. business are therefore framed in a perspective that causes the viewers the least amount of dissension.

Another way this takes place is in gov. briefings. While these are deceivingly framed in a way that causes the viewers to feel like it is an open question and answer session with the person holding the conference, behind the scenes only those reporters who follow the rules and ask the right questions are invited back by gov. officials. Most of the time questions also need to be provided ahead of time and approved. This allows for those in power to prime news officials to produce the stories that fit best with their agenda.

Much like in the case of the Iraq war, if the media is not allowed to film our soldiers coming back in caskets and the government limits the news coverage of events on the battlefield by selecting only a small group of reporters to work alongside the military, there is no way for Americans to formulate an accurate analysis and make knowledgeable decisions.

In regards to priming and government propaganda I think some good research questions are:
1. On average how many VNRs does the gov. produce daily and how far removed are they from an accurate description of the event?
2. Does strategic communication by the gov. only persuade those who do not take the time to look at multiple sources or does it have an overall effect on all of society?
3. Is strategic communication by the govt. a fundamental property of a capitalist democracy or a infectious cancer?