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Daily Archives: October 9, 2006

Fake TV News Subject of Reports and FCC Investigation

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Press release: “Which would you think has more substantive news coverage — traditional broadcast network newscasts or The Daily Show with Jon Stewart? Would you believe the answer is neither? Julia R. Fox, assistant professor of telecommunications at Indiana University isn’t joking when she says the popular “fake news” program, which last week featured Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf as a guest, is just as substantive as network coverage. While much has been written in the media about The Daily Show’s impact, Fox’s study is the first scholarly effort to systematically examine how the comedy program compares to traditional television news as sources of political information. The study, “No Joke: A Comparison of Substance in The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and Broadcast Network Television Coverage of the 2004 Presidential Election Campaign,” will be published next summer by the Journal of Broadcast and Electronic Media, published by the Broadcast Education Association.”

  • “The Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) released today a full rebuttal of claims made against its April 2006 report, Fake TV News: Widespread and Undisclosed. The report tracked television stations’ use of video news releases (VNRs), narrated pre-packaged segments produced by public relations firms for their clients. The report documented 77 television stations airing VNRs or related materials; not once did stations disclose the client behind the segment. The report led the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to launch an investigation of the 77 stations named, in August 2006.” [Link]

    • CRS Report on Protection of Security-Related Information

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    Protection of Security-Related Information, September 27, 2006. “The terrorist attacks of September 11 prompted a reevaluation of how to balance public access to information with the need for safety and security. The accumulation of confidential business information from owners and operators of the nation’s critical infrastructures, 85% of which is reportedly owned by the private… Continue Reading

    AFL-CIO Political Portal

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    AFL-CIO Political Portal Political Info Site and News Tracker: “The political portal was designed to consolidate and disseminate political information about 2006 races, legislative information, key dates, and other relevant data.” Links to documents in the following categories: State Pages; Election 2006; Labor Links & Resources; Voter Info; and Campaign Finance Continue Reading

    CEO Seeks SEC Approval to Satisfy Fair Disclosure Requirement Using Websites and Blogs

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    Excerpt of letter sent by Sun Microystems, Inc. CEO Jonathan Schwartz to SEC Chairman Christopher Cox, on October 2, 2006: “As adopted, Regulation Fair Disclosure’s requirement of widespread dissemination can be met through the filing of a Form 8-K or “through another method (or combination of methods) of disclosure that is reasonably designed to provide… Continue Reading

    DOJ IG Audit of CODIS Standards Compliance at Wisconsin State Crime Lab

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    Compliance with Standards Governing Combined DNA Index System Activities at the Wisconsin State Crime Laboratory at Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, Audit Report GR-50-06-006, September 2006 (Executive Summary Only). “The Office of the Inspector General, Audit Division, has completed an audit of compliance with standards governing Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) activities at the Wisconsin State Crime… Continue Reading