Woerner
05-20-2004, 08:12 AM
The GAO released its report showing federal funds were used improperly by HHS when it created several promotional videos Medicare. The report called the productions “covert propaganda” for the Bush Administration, using government money. The White House stands by the videos and insists they were not political.
“The Department of Health and Human Services illegally spent federal money on what amounted to covert propaganda by producing videos about the Medicare changes that were made to look like news reports. Portions of the videos, which have been aired by 40 television stations around the country, did not make clear that the announcers were paid by HHS and not real reporters.”
“The GAO decision said the story packages ran afoul of the law forbidding federal spending on covert propaganda because "in each news report, the content was attributed to an individual purporting to be a reporter but actually hired by an HHS subcontractor."
To read more go to: http://www.sltrib.com/2004/May/05202004/nation_w/168233.asp
“The Department of Health and Human Services illegally spent federal money on what amounted to covert propaganda by producing videos about the Medicare changes that were made to look like news reports. Portions of the videos, which have been aired by 40 television stations around the country, did not make clear that the announcers were paid by HHS and not real reporters.”
“The GAO decision said the story packages ran afoul of the law forbidding federal spending on covert propaganda because "in each news report, the content was attributed to an individual purporting to be a reporter but actually hired by an HHS subcontractor."
To read more go to: http://www.sltrib.com/2004/May/05202004/nation_w/168233.asp