Seeking to build support among black families for its education reform law, the Bush administration paid a prominent black pundit $240,000 to promote the law on his nationally syndicated television show and to urge other black journalists to do the same.
The contract may be illegal "because Congress has prohibited propaganda," or any sort of lobbying for programs funded by the government, said Melanie Sloan of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. "And it's propaganda."
Williams' contract was part of a $1 million deal with Ketchum that produced "video news releases" designed to look like news reports. The Bush administration used similar releases last year to promote its Medicare prescription drug plan, prompting a scolding from the Government Accountability Office, which called them an illegal use of taxpayers' dollars.
Ketchum referred questions to the Education Department, whose spokesman, John Gibbons, said the contract followed standard government procedures. He said there are no plans to continue with "similar outreach."
~Harry Shearer on his LeShow pointed out that Williams runs a public relations firm, Graham Williams Group. Since when are PR people reliable experts on anything but PR?
Is Mr. Willliams able to keep his studied opinions separate from those he's been paid to promote? He's a pr-flack wearing a pundit's hat. (Or a pundit in a pr-flack-jacket.)
Update: Clarence Page: 'Payola Punditry' Has No Place in Serious Jounalism
~Truth in labeling laws must be enforced.
Posted by Cieciel at January 9, 2005 01:41 AM