Stop Fake News Now

The General Motors segment to the right is not news. It's undisclosed corporate propaganda dressed up as the real thing.

This practice is illegal, and the FCC needs to do something about it.

Free Press has filed a letter at the FCC urging the agency to protect consumers from this deceitful practice. Take action now to protect consumers from fake news.

Sign the Petition

Tell the FCC:

I depend on my local TV station for news and information about the world around me. That's why I am deeply concerned about the prevalence of Video News Releases (VNRs) and other forms of embedded advertising on local TV news. 

The FCC's rules empower it to sanction stations that air fake news without disclosure. Yet broadcasters and PR firms continue to fool the public. Consumers have repeatedly asked the FCC to take action against this practice, to little effect. 

Now PR firms are developing new tactics to insert advertising into the news, like presenting spokespeople who pitch products they've been paid to promote as "experts" on local news shows. Broadcasters, for their part, are taking advantage of weak disclosure rules.

The FCC must strengthen and enforce its rules to ensure transparency on the public airwaves and protect TV news viewers from deceptive practices. We deserve to know when someone is paying to persuade us. 

    Not ? Click here.

    Sincerely,

    YOUR NAME

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