Why are folks shocked? Doesn't anyone remember "Karen Ryan"?

[CornField]

In early October of this year, an AP News Article surfaced, detailing several interesting things within the Bush administration.

First, pseudo-reporter Karen Ryan is at it again. That's right. She first hit the scene during the medicare business and she's spoon-feeding us news on the President's educational fiasco, No Child Left Behind. Here's a RealMedia clip of Ryan in action once again.

You see, Ryan is no reporter, although she ends each of her 'segments' with "Karen Ryan reporting." She's an actress, hired for her voice and for her willingness to do what most self-respecting journalists will not: spew the the level of filth the Bush administration requires to keep failing programs afloat.

Although funded by our tax dollars, there is no mention in the advertising as to who is responsible and it is made to appear as a news item. It's sneaky and it's under-handed. I'm sure that's why the republicans love to do it. The Health and Human Services Department used the same method to deliver advertising to promote Medicare law. Those were judged covert propaganda by the Government Accountablity Office in May. Both videos promote laws that the administration has highlighted during Bush's re-election campaign as successes despite debate about how they are being implemented.

Unfortunately, this isn't all our tax dollars have funded. The Department of Education has also paid for ranking of newspaper coverage of the No Child Left Behind law. Points are awarded for stories that say Pres. Bush and the republican party are strong on education, among other factors.

The news ratings also rank individual reporters on how they cover the law, based on the points system set up by Ketchum, a public relations firm hired by the government. (Ketchum received $700,000 through their contract with the Education Department in 2003.)

In ranking newspaper coverage of No Child Left Behind, Ketchum developed a 100-point scale. Stories got five points each for positive messages, such as mentions that the law gives choices to parents and holds schools accountable.

Five points also went to stories that send a message that "The Bush Administration/the GOP is committed to education."

Stories lost five points for negative messages, including claims that the law is not adequately funded or is too tough on states.

The news review for the department also rated education reporters, giving higher scores to their stories if they were deemed positive.

In one period, for example, Ketchum rated reporters at USA Today and at newspapers in Atlanta; Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio; Harrisburg, Pa.; Louisville, Ky.; Portland, Ore.; Minneapolis; and Salt Lake City.

[MergeLeft]

1. Have a link to the AP article?

I didn't know about the money spent on that rating system. That really pisses me off!

[CornField]

4. I can't find that particular article

Some of this information has been re-covered in the Williams' articles from today:

"The Bush administration has promoted No Child Left Behind with a video that comes across as a news story but fails to make clear the reporter involved was paid with taxpayer money. It has also has paid for rankings of newspaper coverage of the law, with points awarded for stories that say Bush and the Republican Party are strong on education. The Government Accountability Office, Congress' auditing arm, is investigating those spending decisions."

From: http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050108/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush_commentator_11

And here is a similar AP article from October via Editor and Publisher: http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000663563

[newyawker99]

7. Hi MergeLeft!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Bluebear]

2. Did Bush not do the same with Medicare?

When he and the AARP sold out seniors to reward the pharm. companies? I seem to remember a slew of ads and "info" reports done on our dime.

[CornField]

5. Yes, that's when it started

They made the NCLB "news segments" while the GAO was still investigating the first sets. Personally, I think this is because they knew the ads were unethical and that the GAO would rule against them. They wanted the second set of ads out there before the ruling was issued.

[InvisibleBallots]

3. no one should be surprised by this

What is that saying, in certain times the first duty of good people is to repeat the plain and simple truth over and over again?

[tjdee]

6. I'm now thinking it has to be more people like this, women, black folks...

it has to be members of groups not usually down with Republicans.

The Log Cabiners....Bush supporting minorities....they're all looking real suspicious to me. Did someone say Michelle Malkin?