Big Media Fakes It
The Center for Media and Democracy and Free Press just released the latest report on an epidemic of fake news on local TV stations across the country.
So far this year, they’ve uncovered more than 100 stations dropping corporate “video news releases,” or VNRs — sponsored segments produced to mimic independent news reports — into their newscasts without disclosure.
More than 80 percent of the stations snared in the probe are owned by large conglomerates. A list of the worst offenders reads like a who’s who of Big Media, including stations owned by Tribune Company, Sinclair Broadcasting, News Corp./Fox Television and CBS.
The evidence suggests a strong tie between media consolidation and the use of deceptive, pre-packaged propaganda. There’s a reason for this: VNRs are free. Reporting news that’s meaningful to local communities isn’t. By opting to air a VNR instead of sending a reporter into the field, station owners save a fortune.
Find out more:
See if stations near you aired fake news
