Journalism professor Jay Rosen has written a commentary about Karen Ryan, the public relations consultant who got caught posing as a reporter in a video news release produced for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to praise the Bush administration's controversial new Medicare bill. "If Karen Ryan belonged to a real profession, responsible members of that fraternity would denounce her fakery, and renounce the practice of sticking simulated reporters into video clips so as to maximize the illusion of independent journalism and serious fact-finding," Rosen writes. "A real profession would be criticizing the government for abusing the practice of public relations. ... PR's 'just fake it' mentality has advanced so far into normal practice, all over our public culture, left, middle and right, that it usually seems pointless to object. Yet in the case of Ryan we find someone so saturated with the PR mentality, with fakery as a normal condition in life, that she cannot distinguish between criticism of her creepy practice, ('I'm Karen Ryan reporting') and the world shouting at her: you're such a horrible person, Karen! ... Could most Americans - Republicans, Democrats, Bush haters, Bush supporters, white collar, blue collar - even complete the kind of act in question, which involves lying with smooth demeanor about who you are, falsifying what you do for a living, tapping the remaining credibility of another profession to promote your own, and hoping you make it on the air to complete the government's deception?"

"The United States-led occupation in Iraq has enlisted a British public relations firm to help promote the establishment of democracy in the country. The firm, Bell Pottinger, based in London, is creating television and radio commercials that will explain to Iraqis how and why the United States is handing over sovereignty to an interim Iraqi government in June. The campaign will begin next week on local and satellite stations in Iraq. Bell Pottinger, a subsidiary of Chime Communications, has decades of political experience. The chairman, Lord Tim Bell, ran publicity campaigns for Margaret Thatcher. ... Some advertising experts said they were wary about the idea of using television spots to push political change and encourage the growth of democracy. ... 'I hope Bell Pottinger learns from the real fiasco that was Charlotte Beers' campaign,' said a London Business School professor, Patrick Barwise. Bell Pottinger should be sure to ask basic questions, he said, including 'Why are we here?' and 'Why is there a problem?' "

Seven nuclear power companies announced a joint effort to "apply for a license to build a new commercial power plant" -- the first in 30 years. The consortium will "test a simplified licensing system created by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission... to help the industry go from reactor order to electricity production in 5 years, as opposed to the 10 or 12 years" it used to take. The consortium is integral to the Bush administration's "Nuclear Power 2010" program, a "joint government/industry cost-shared effort" hoping to "deploy" new plants "in the 2010 timeframe." In other news, a two-year study by 30 environmental, health and safety groups faulted the Energy Department for "the seepage of radioactive and toxic byproducts" from nuclear weapons complexes "into vital water resources."