Saturday, February 19, 2005
Bush Administration Defends Fake News Broadcasts
Claims they were meant to be funny
WASHINGTON -- Responding to a warning from the Government Accountability Officethat White House-sponsored fake news broadcasts violate federal laws against propaganda, spokesman for the Bush Administration have asserted that the news broadcasts, while fake, were "meant to be humorous."
"The GAO obviously wouldn't know a funny joke if it came up and hit them in the face," said White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan. Last Thursday, the GAO's chief, Comptroller General David M. Walker, issued a letter warning federal agency heads against the practice of issuing "prepackaged news stories" that "are intended to be indistinguishable from news segments broadcast to the public by independent television news organizations."
The GAO warning appears to be a reaction to two instances of phony news videos, one issued by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy and one by the Department of Health and Human Services, in which actors, impersonating newscasters, touted Bush administration policies relating to federal anti-drug policy and Medicare reform proposals. The tapes were sent to local television stations for use in news programs.
But the White House has vigorously defended the use of fake news to get a good healthy laugh from the public. At the same time, the White House press secretary attacked the GAO for falling prey to "the liberal media bias."
"If the Comptroller General is so concerned about fake news broadcasts, why isn't he cracking down on The Daily Show?" retorted McClellan. "Notice how it's okay to have funny fake news so long as it's liberal propaganda. Can't the White House be funny too? Hahahahahaha!"
McClellan charged that the distinction between "fake" and "so-called real" news broadcasts is not as great as one might think. "After 'Rathergate,' I'd say it's all pretty fake," he said.
WASHINGTON -- Responding to a warning from the Government Accountability Officethat White House-sponsored fake news broadcasts violate federal laws against propaganda, spokesman for the Bush Administration have asserted that the news broadcasts, while fake, were "meant to be humorous."
"The GAO obviously wouldn't know a funny joke if it came up and hit them in the face," said White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan. Last Thursday, the GAO's chief, Comptroller General David M. Walker, issued a letter warning federal agency heads against the practice of issuing "prepackaged news stories" that "are intended to be indistinguishable from news segments broadcast to the public by independent television news organizations."
The GAO warning appears to be a reaction to two instances of phony news videos, one issued by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy and one by the Department of Health and Human Services, in which actors, impersonating newscasters, touted Bush administration policies relating to federal anti-drug policy and Medicare reform proposals. The tapes were sent to local television stations for use in news programs.
But the White House has vigorously defended the use of fake news to get a good healthy laugh from the public. At the same time, the White House press secretary attacked the GAO for falling prey to "the liberal media bias."
"If the Comptroller General is so concerned about fake news broadcasts, why isn't he cracking down on The Daily Show?" retorted McClellan. "Notice how it's okay to have funny fake news so long as it's liberal propaganda. Can't the White House be funny too? Hahahahahaha!"
McClellan charged that the distinction between "fake" and "so-called real" news broadcasts is not as great as one might think. "After 'Rathergate,' I'd say it's all pretty fake," he said.
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