This article in the NYT today reveals that the Bush administration used
actors pretending to be reporters in "video news releases" praising his
medicare reform (which puts more $$ in the pockets of drug companies) and broadcast as genuine news segments by local TV stations around the U.S.

For years now, news outlets more concerned with their bottom line than with getting to the bottom of things have been running stories written for them by public relations firms working for sundry interests, instead of spending money on researching, investigating, and otherwise gathering real news. The results are real and disturbing in a world where presidents can take their countries into immoral and poorly considered wars with 70% of their electorate incorrectly holding the targeted state responsible for a national tragedy.

What appears in print is one thing, but the airwaves are a
common good leased to operators and as citizens we have a say in how this
resource is used. To represent a piece of creative propaganda as
an actual news story over public airwaves, as some stations have apparently
done, is a crass violation of the public trust.

Privately owned media, such as cable, are not subject to regulation by the
FCC, which is one reason that certain folks are also working to privatize
the airwaves by allotting bandwidth to the highest bidder. Should that
nightmare scenario come to pass, we will all be pining for the days when
dollar-driven propaganda could still be distinguished from the truth!! For
example, see Buzzflash for a great transcript showing the media doing their job for once, catching Donald Rumsfeld
in a big fat lie.