Mighty AC Posted January 19, 2015 Report Posted January 19, 2015 News departments are strapped for cash and reporters are expensive. There are news wire services like Reuters and the Associated Press that allow subscribers to pay to run legitimate news stories for less than the cost of in-house news departments. Well now there is an even better deal. A publicity agency called News Canada writes advertisements that pose as news and then offers them to newspapers and websites for free. The goal is to pass off ads as real news. A real news item purchased from the Associated Press is preceded by (AP). The only way to tell the advertisement sourced from News Canada isn't real news is the (NC) prefix. This is a sleazy attempt to legitimize ads, fool readers and cheaply fill pages. What's worse is the Harper Government is writing and producing it's own propaganda pieces and routing them to news outlets via News Canada. The Harper Government is intentionally tricking the public by hiding the source of pure propaganda pieces. “We have a news service offering cash-strapped newspapers free content and it doesn’t tell the reader that this is from the Conservative propaganda machine. At least if it’s a press release, we know where it comes from, but there is a subversion of public trust when they go this route.” - Charlie Angus NDPhttp://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2014/12/19/tory_government_using_publicity_agency_to_create_distribute_news.html http://www.newscanada.com/ Quote "Our lives begin to end the day we stay silent about the things that matter." - Martin Luther King Jr"Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities" - Voltaire
guyser Posted January 19, 2015 Report Posted January 19, 2015 Relax, they are probably written the same way the in house Timmies ads are done, horribly and amateurishly. Quote
eyeball Posted January 19, 2015 Report Posted January 19, 2015 The medium is the message. Quote I said now watch what you say they'll be calling you a radical, a liberal, oh fanatical criminal
GostHacked Posted January 19, 2015 Report Posted January 19, 2015 More Parrot Media. Something systemically wrong with how news is reported and the medium(s) in which it is delivered. Follow the money, who paid for the ads, who created them? You might find some of Harper's associates in some key roles. Quote
Mighty AC Posted January 19, 2015 Author Report Posted January 19, 2015 Are there any examples? I posted the News Canada link. http://www.newscanada.com/ You can read the stories and watch the videos. Here is a video about how the Harper Government is doing great things for First Nations communities. Items like this air without the "Paid for by..." disclaimers necessary for government ads. Quote "Our lives begin to end the day we stay silent about the things that matter." - Martin Luther King Jr"Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities" - Voltaire
Boges Posted January 19, 2015 Report Posted January 19, 2015 It's called Canned Copy, it's nothing new. Quote
guyser Posted January 19, 2015 Report Posted January 19, 2015 It's called Canned Copy, it's nothing new.Like canned ham , only for idiots and those with no taste.....nor brains? Quote
Boges Posted January 19, 2015 Report Posted January 19, 2015 (edited) Like canned ham , only for idiots and those with no taste.....nor brains? I think the person with no brains would be anyone who doesn't realize it's really just filler. "5 Tips to for the Holiday" "Ways to Save Energy" "How to Stage your House for Sale". Yeah news publications are going to pay an actual journalists to come up with stories like that. *I just came up with those titles off the top of my head but that's the type of thing you see. Edited January 19, 2015 by Boges Quote
guyser Posted January 19, 2015 Report Posted January 19, 2015 I think the person with no brains would be anyone who doesn't realize it's really just filler. "5 Tips to for the Holiday" "Ways to Save Energy" "How to Stage your House for Sale". Yeah news publications are going to pay an actual journalists to come up with stories like that. *I just came up with those titles off the top of my head but that's the type of thing you see. I cant really doubt you on the filler aspect, however one easily could think its real news. I looked and nothing really to distinguish that in my one minute look. Now the Buchanan Group and thier ads for P&G seem to me pretty obvious but lots dont think so. Quote
Boges Posted January 19, 2015 Report Posted January 19, 2015 (edited) I cant really doubt you on the filler aspect, however one easily could think its real news. I looked and nothing really to distinguish that in my one minute look. Now the Buchanan Group and thier ads for P&G seem to me pretty obvious but lots dont think so. I'm sure a News Organization wouldn't be looking to endorse any company for Free. As for the Harper aspect, I don't see it as much different from reporting on a News Release from a Political Party or any PR Company. It's not like the service says you HAVE TO publish what they offer. Edited January 19, 2015 by Boges Quote
guyser Posted January 19, 2015 Report Posted January 19, 2015 As for the Harper aspect, I don't see it as much different from reporting on a News Release from a Political Party or any PR Company.You mean without the ' Brough to you by Steve Harper and the Conservatives' part? ' Thats the probs here boges. It's not like the service says you HAVE TO publish what they offer.True.............and? Quote
Boges Posted January 19, 2015 Report Posted January 19, 2015 You mean without the ' Brough to you by Steve Harper and the Conservatives' part? ' Thats the probs here boges. So you're opposed to reporting on News Releases then. This is largely the same. Quote
guyser Posted January 19, 2015 Report Posted January 19, 2015 So you're opposed to reporting on News Releases then. This is largely the same. Are they though? A news release has the real name of the issuer should it be a company Quote
Mighty AC Posted January 19, 2015 Author Report Posted January 19, 2015 I'm sure a News Organization wouldn't be looking to endorse any company for Free. As for the Harper aspect, I don't see it as much different from reporting on a News Release from a Political Party or any PR Company. It's not like the service says you HAVE TO publish what they offer. A news release is clearly identified as a message from the government. Those reporting on it often have the ability to ask follow up questions and add commentary. It seems a little sleazy when companies pass off ads as news stories and reviews, but it is far worse when governments do it. Spreading misleading information for political purposes is propaganda, whether or not news agencies are forced to run the ads. We already know that only a handful of companies own all of the media outlets and that they have biased political views. I suspect that those favourable to the government du jour will more readily run the propaganda content. And when consumers of that propaganda have no way of telling the difference between news, ads or opinion pieces, we have a problem. Governments should be above that kind of deceit. Unfortunately, it seems that the Harper government lowers the bar on standards of conduct every chance it gets. It is healthy to debate differences of opinion on political topics but it is dangerous and short sighted to defend practices designed to hide the truth. Quote "Our lives begin to end the day we stay silent about the things that matter." - Martin Luther King Jr"Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities" - Voltaire
jacee Posted January 19, 2015 Report Posted January 19, 2015 More Parrot Media. Something systemically wrong with how news is reported and the medium(s) in which it is delivered. Follow the money, who paid for the ads, who created them? You might find some of Harper's associates in some key roles. This is pure Harper, paid for by us posing as "news" but not acknowledged as coming from the government. The federal government has a standing offer worth up to $1.25 million annually with News Canada Ltd., which provides content free and without copyright to editors through its website.The articles must be credited to News Canada, but there is usually nothing in the so-called news articles or television and radio scripts that would explicitly let readers or viewers know it is sponsored content. Partisan use of taxpayer dollars. . Quote
Boges Posted January 19, 2015 Report Posted January 19, 2015 (edited) If a Media organization has no quams about endorsing the views of a certain political party, what obligation would they have by publishing propaganda from them. They wouldn't have to publish that it was from a News Release. But they would put the (NC) bylime. This is outrage for nothing. Because it can happen doesn't mean it IS happening. I'd like examples of ACTUAL news organization passing off advertising without identifying them as advertorials from a service like News Canada. (what's the benefit of giving free advertising to a news organization?) A site like News Canada is simply offering filler for News Organizations largely to just put text around actual paid ads for promotional content. Edited January 19, 2015 by Boges Quote
guyser Posted January 19, 2015 Report Posted January 19, 2015 Wonder why they dont call Conservative News and Views? Why would anyone....gosh.....use a name not their own? Quote
eyeball Posted January 19, 2015 Report Posted January 19, 2015 It's called Canned Copy, it's nothing new. Canned Spam would be more accurate. Quote I said now watch what you say they'll be calling you a radical, a liberal, oh fanatical criminal
Michael Hardner Posted January 20, 2015 Report Posted January 20, 2015 I'm really pleased that this was picked up here. I'd like examples of ACTUAL news organization passing off advertising without identifying them as advertorials from a service like News Canada. (what's the benefit of giving free advertising to a news organization?) I recommend you listen to the latest canadaland podcast: http://canadalandshow.com/podcast/governments-secret-newswire They talk about it quite a bit. NC claims to be used by many news outlets in Canada. The advantage to a news outlet in using NC is that they get free content. There are also other reasons that newspapers may use planted stories, including being paid to do them. Quote Looks like someone has a new patronizing catch phrase ! Michael Hardner
PIK Posted January 20, 2015 Report Posted January 20, 2015 We all pay for the CBC to bash harper all the time ,so what. I do love how the left is trying to deal harper a blow ,but without any scandals worth talking about ,they keep trying to make new ones up. Quote Toronto, like a roach motel in the middle of a pretty living room.
Mighty AC Posted January 20, 2015 Author Report Posted January 20, 2015 We all pay for the CBC to bash harper all the time ,so what. I do love how the left is trying to deal harper a blow ,but without any scandals worth talking about ,they keep trying to make new ones up. You don't have a problem with governments hiding the source of propaganda pieces? Picture a left leaning government inserting self made advertisements disguised as news stories directly into papers, websites and news casts. This is something that should be a problem for everyone. Quote "Our lives begin to end the day we stay silent about the things that matter." - Martin Luther King Jr"Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities" - Voltaire
GostHacked Posted January 20, 2015 Report Posted January 20, 2015 I'm really pleased that this was picked up here. I recommend you listen to the latest canadaland podcast: Thanks for the recommendation. Lots of good points being made in that ep. They talk about it quite a bit. NC claims to be used by many news outlets in Canada. The advantage to a news outlet in using NC is that they get free content. There are also other reasons that newspapers may use planted stories, including being paid to do them. To sum up the podcast, some kind of control of the message/story via these news agencies with government planted stories. Who knows which story is planted (meaning fake or contriving of facts) and what is genuine. I also get a sense of social conditioning through these soft stories like the direct payment method the guest speaks about. I look at this as propaganda instead of their term 'sponsored news' or 'advertisement'. If a government agency needs to resort to these methods to justify it's worth, then what is the agency's real focus and why waste my money telling me false information? Quote
drummindiver Posted January 22, 2015 Report Posted January 22, 2015 You don't have a problem with governments hiding the source of propaganda pieces? Picture a left leaning government inserting self made advertisements disguised as news stories directly into papers, websites and news casts. This is something that should be a problem for everyone. I watched a few videos. Pretty obvious they are "paid for", unlike the less obvious "reporting" done on CBC. Quote
Mighty AC Posted January 22, 2015 Author Report Posted January 22, 2015 I watched a few videos. Pretty obvious they are "paid for", unlike the less obvious "reporting" done on CBC.So as long as it's poorly produced propaganda then you're alright with it? Now there's the unethical conservative response I was expecting. Quote "Our lives begin to end the day we stay silent about the things that matter." - Martin Luther King Jr"Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities" - Voltaire
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