Educating Armstrong Williams
The Department of Education paid Armstrong Williams $240,000 for advertisements on his radio program. This is a legitimate use (well legal anyway) of government funds. Our government sometimes needs to educate us on certain issues. Sometimes it is only able to do so in this manner. (It is too bad that we as Americans do not always pay enough attention, and our government sometimes feels the need to do this.)
Advertising is one thing, but this contract goes much further than that. This contract states that Mr. Williams was to “comment regularly on NCLB during the course of his broadcasts" and in addition "encourage the producers" of a TV program “ America's Black Forum” to comment upon it as well. This is during the program. NOT an advertisement. This may have lead some listeners to think that this topic was constantly on Mr. Williams' mind when, in fact, satisfying an advertiser really was. He has stated that he agrees with no child left behind and would have commented on the subject anyway, but now we can never know.
Rod Paige, the Secretary of Education stated that this is “standard practice” in order to explain such a complex idea. Standard practice? Who set this standard for our government? Is this standard practice in other departments of our government as well? Are there other radio/TV programs over the years which have had their subjects chosen by our government without our knowledge?
Shame on the department of education for contracting with Mr. Williams to promote no child left behind during his show. Shame on Mr. Williams for not disclosing the compensation. And shame on each and every member of the Bush administration who allowed this to happen.
President Bush stated the obvious, “There needs to be a clear distinction between journalism and advocacy..." Real action needs to be taken, heads NEED to roll. Our government buys commercials on radio, television, in print, and on the Internet every day. It even purchased legitimate ads on his program. This is fine. At the end of the commercial it is disclosed who purchased the ad. This is the way a free government with a freedom of the press MUST do things. If our government directly influences the content of the media without our knowledge we cannot use our brains to come to the correct conclusions.
This is totally unacceptable. Tell Americans the truth. Be up front about it. Convince us you are correct. Do not deceive us.
The former Soviet Union used to make up news for its people. This was widely condemned by the free world for having done so. Regardless of the perhaps honorable intention, we debase ourselves when we resort to propaganda tactics.
An old cold war joke went something like this: The US and USSR were in a two way race. The US won. Government controlled Pravda (Russian for truth) newspaper had this headline, "USSR Comes in Second, US Next to Last."
Comrades let us not become that which we have sacrificed so much to defeat.
Educate yourself on the subject and…
Yahoo! News - President criticizes Education Dept.'s payout to Armstrong: "'There needs to be a clear distinction between journalism and advocacy,' "
Think for yourself!
Make up your own mind!
Advertising is one thing, but this contract goes much further than that. This contract states that Mr. Williams was to “comment regularly on NCLB during the course of his broadcasts" and in addition "encourage the producers" of a TV program “ America's Black Forum” to comment upon it as well. This is during the program. NOT an advertisement. This may have lead some listeners to think that this topic was constantly on Mr. Williams' mind when, in fact, satisfying an advertiser really was. He has stated that he agrees with no child left behind and would have commented on the subject anyway, but now we can never know.
Rod Paige, the Secretary of Education stated that this is “standard practice” in order to explain such a complex idea. Standard practice? Who set this standard for our government? Is this standard practice in other departments of our government as well? Are there other radio/TV programs over the years which have had their subjects chosen by our government without our knowledge?
Shame on the department of education for contracting with Mr. Williams to promote no child left behind during his show. Shame on Mr. Williams for not disclosing the compensation. And shame on each and every member of the Bush administration who allowed this to happen.
President Bush stated the obvious, “There needs to be a clear distinction between journalism and advocacy..." Real action needs to be taken, heads NEED to roll. Our government buys commercials on radio, television, in print, and on the Internet every day. It even purchased legitimate ads on his program. This is fine. At the end of the commercial it is disclosed who purchased the ad. This is the way a free government with a freedom of the press MUST do things. If our government directly influences the content of the media without our knowledge we cannot use our brains to come to the correct conclusions.
This is totally unacceptable. Tell Americans the truth. Be up front about it. Convince us you are correct. Do not deceive us.
The former Soviet Union used to make up news for its people. This was widely condemned by the free world for having done so. Regardless of the perhaps honorable intention, we debase ourselves when we resort to propaganda tactics.
An old cold war joke went something like this: The US and USSR were in a two way race. The US won. Government controlled Pravda (Russian for truth) newspaper had this headline, "USSR Comes in Second, US Next to Last."
Comrades let us not become that which we have sacrificed so much to defeat.
Educate yourself on the subject and…
Yahoo! News - President criticizes Education Dept.'s payout to Armstrong: "'There needs to be a clear distinction between journalism and advocacy,' "
Think for yourself!
Make up your own mind!