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B-304272 1 (2005-02-17)

handle is hein.gao/gaocrptaraq0001 and id is 1 raw text is: SGAO Accountability - Integrity * Reliability United States Government Accountability Office Washington, DC 20548 B-304272 DATE: February 17, 2005 TO: HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS, AGENCIES, AND OTHERS CONCERNED SUBJECT: PREPACKAGED NEWS STORIES Since 1951, Congress has enacted an annual, governmentwide prohibition on the use of appropriated funds for purposes of publicity or propaganda. During the past year, we found that several prepackaged news stories produced and distributed by certain government agencies violated this prohibition.! In the course of our work, we learned that prepackaged news stories have become common tools of the public relations industry, and that some federal agencies are adopting them as well. The purpose of this letter is to remind agencies of the constraints imposed by the publicity or propaganda prohibition on the use of prepackaged news stories and to advise vigilance to assure that agencies' activities comply with the prohibition. Importantly, prepackaged news stories can be utilized without violating the law, so long as there is clear disclosure to the television viewing audience that this material was prepared by or in cooperation with the government department or agency. Prepackaged news stories are complete, audio-video presentations that may be included in video news releases, or VNRs.2 They are intended to be indistinguishable from news segments broadcast to the public by independent television news organizations. To help accomplish this goal, these stories include actors or others hired to portray reporters and may be accompanied by suggested scripts that television news anchors can use to introduce the story during the broadcast. These practices allow prepackaged news stories to be broadcast, without alteration, as television news. 'B-303495, Jan. 4,2005 (Office of National Drug Control Policy); B-302710, May 19, 2004 (Department of Health and Human Services). 2 Among other things, typical VNRs may also contain B-roll video clips, advertisements, and public service announcements. As a general matter, B-roll video clips of government officials discussing programs do not violate the prohibition. Advertisements and public service announcements that include the appropriate disclosures are also not objectionable. E.g., B-343495, Jan. 4, 2004, n.8; B-302710, May, 19, 2004, n.27; B-302504, Mar. 10, 2004.

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