White House Defends VNR Use

In addition to defending its use of video news releases (VNRs), the White House has discounted a GAO advisory that their use may constitute "covert propaganda." The issue was highlighted in a New York Times expose on 13 March. Although the syndicated story did not run in many markets (Seattle and Kansas City were two exceptions), the White House spent much of Monday defending the practice. [take our poll]

The Justice Department:

... does not agree with GAO that the covert propaganda prohibition applies simply because an agency's role in producing and disseminating information is undisclosed or 'covert,' regardless of whether the content of the message is 'propaganda'... Our view is that the prohibition does not apply where there is no advocacy of a particular viewpoint, and therefore it does not apply to the legitimate provision of information concerning the programs administered by an agency.

Comptroller General David M. Walker:

This is more than a legal issue. It's also an ethical issue and involves important good government principles, namely the need for openness in connection with government activities and expenditures. We should not just be seeking to do what's arguably legal. We should be doing what's right.... Congress may need to provide additional guidance with regard to their intent in this overall area.

In his first term, President Bush's administration doubled federal government expeditures on public relations, compared with the last Clinton administration.

See AP via Yahoo! News, Washington Post