Here in this country, there is news of more scrutiny of Video News Releases — corporate propaganda that is presented as real “news” to unknowing audiences. The Federal Communications Commission has sent letters to nearly eighty television broadcasters asking whether they have properly identified video news releases, or VNRs, before putting them on air. Stations face up to a $32,500 fine for failing to properly label VNRs. The FCC sent the letters to seventy-seven stations identified in a study released in April by the Center for Media and Democracy. The stations are scattered throughout 30 states and are affiliated with all of four major networks: ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox. And many of the stations are owned by some of the country’s largest media companies including Clear Channel, News Corp, Viacom, the Tribune Company and Sinclair Broadcast. Companies funding the video news releases include General Motors, Intel and Pfizer. In a statement, FCC commissioner Jonathan Adelstein, said: “The public has a legal right to know who seeks to persuade them so they can make up their own minds about the credibility of the information presented. Shoddy practices make it difficult for viewers to tell the difference between news and propaganda.”