Big Media: Masters of Deception
Posted October 24th, 2008 by Joe Torres
Whether it’s the military co-opting news programs to win support for the Iraq War, advertisers using deceptive ad practices in TV shows, or producers airing exploitative music videos, the media is consistently misinforming the public.Earlier this month, the Federal Communications Commission announced it was investigating whether TV stations and cable networks failed to disclose its pundits’ conflicts of interest.In April, the New York Times broke a story revealing a Pentagon strategy – with the compliance of TV networks – to place pro-war military officers as experts on news programs. While stumping for the Pentagon, the pundits were also lobbying for military contracts. According to Media Matters, the Pentagon pundits have appeared on TV or been quoted in the press more than 4,500 times since 2002.Bombarded with AdsThat’s just one glaring example of media deception. The FCC is also considering whether to adopt new rules that would require greater transparency from broadcasters to disclose embedded advertising and product placements on programs they air.Embedded advertising is when ad appears as part of a story line; product placements are used as props. Most viewers are unaware that they are being bombarded with these types of commercials when they watch sit-coms and reality shows — since the only acknowledgement of these ads appear in those impossible-to-read credits that race across your TV set at the end of the program.Advertisers claim that digital video recorders have reduced the number of viewers watching traditional spots. But the truth is that embedded advertising and product placement is a more effective way to sell products. During the first six months of this year, there were 21,427 instances of product placement on the top 10 primetime programs, compared to 17,370 last year.These commercials are particularly harmful for children, who are unable to distinguish advertising from programming. Children’s advocates are calling on the FCC to ban embedded ads from kids programs. Other groups have called on broadcasters to instantly disclose whenever an embedded product appears on the screen.It is unacceptable for the public to be purposefully deceived or subjected to subversive marketing without their knowledge. It is critical for the FCC to demand that media companies disclose any conflicts of interest from pundits that appear on news programs or demand greater transparency whenever product placements are used.Trafficking in StereotypesWhile deceptive media strategizes leave viewers vulnerable to government or corporate propaganda, viewers are also harmed by the constant airing of offensive and stereotypical programming.Recently, BET announced the cancellation of its afternoon music program “Rap City,” which has been on the air for the past 20 years. BET has received a great deal of criticism for the impact of its programming on African-American youth. In fact, the National Association of Black Journalists gave BET its “thumbs down” award in 2007 for its failure to cover the funeral of Corretta Scott King.Rev. Delman Coates launched the “Enough Is Enough” campaign last year to protest BET’s programming, particularly its music shows. Groups like Industry Ears have also denounced the denigration of black women by BET and other networks.Last spring, Rev. Coates and the Parents Television Council released a report which found that music videos airing on BET’s “Rap City” and “106 & Park,” as well as MTV’s “Sucker Free,” depicted an act of sex, violence or profanity every 38 seconds. Both channels are owned by Viacom.Breaking Big Media’s GripInstead of working to foster a more responsible media environment that serves the news and informational needs of the public, our leaders in Washington have rewarded big media companies by allowing for greater consolidation.As a result, independent voices have been pushed off the air and out of the picture. Good luck trying to find independent news programs or independent cable networks owned by people of color that are committed to serving these communities.It is time for the FCC to demand greater transparency from broadcasters that allow viewers to know who’s paying for what they see. Better yet, they should break the vice grip that Big Media have on the programming we watch. We need real choices and diverse voices — not more hidden sales pitches, destructive stereotypes and covert propaganda.
