Fake News Lobby Group Gears Up

Printer-friendly versionSend by email

A group of producers of video news releases (VNRs) have formed the National Association of Broadcast Communicators (NABC) to campaign against the mandatory disclosure of fake news. NABC Vice-President Mike Hill, who is is President of News Broadcast Network, told PR Week that "disclosure is something that TV and radio stations should do as they feel necessary from a news standpoint." Mandatory disclosure, Hill claimed, "would be unworkable." The new group is supported by the Public Relations Society of America. "We all play an important role in the news gathering and dissemination process," said Michael Cherenson, the chair of PRSA's advocacy practice. NABC has hired the Washington D.C. law firm Keller and Heckman and the lobbying firm Bryan Cave Strategies to counter a Federal Communications Commission investigation into the use of VNRs. On October 16, Keller and Heckman filed a comment with FCC Chair Martin on behalf of NABC that claims that the Center for Media and Democracy's "Fake TV News" report "unfairly tarnishes a host of broadcasters along with the entire VNR industry."