Open Letter to the Media

For some time the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and various congressional committees have undertaken initiatives geared at restricting the media’s use of video news releases and other materials supplied by corporations, institutions, government and other entities. The recent Center for Media and Democracy study describing the prolific use of prepackaged materials by news organizations that did not disclose the sources of those materials appears to have reinvigorated those efforts.

The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) fully supports the intent of those initiatives – to provide to the public full disclosure of the sources and sponsorship of all information conveyed to the public via any broadcast outlet. In fact, our organization has repeatedly called for full disclosure to the media by all of those who prepare such materials, not just those working at the behest of government agencies. However, PRSA opposes any additional government regulation which would impose requirements on media organizations regarding the specificity of how they should disclose the materials they use.

Certainly part of PRSA’s interest in this issue is apparent: many members of PRSA and the public relations profession are involved with preparation of these materials, usually with full knowledge of the media. With the exception of proposed regulations directed solely at preparers of government-sponsored materials, it would appear that the complaints primarily are directed at the media who use the materials without disclosure. Our underlying concern is that overzealous regulation of how media can use and identify materials they do not create for themselves will create chilling consequences on the flow of information in our society.

- Karen