Last Thursday, in an E-Media Tidbits posting I discussed the problem of video news releases (VNRs) airing on newscasts without disclosure.

On that topic, it's also worth noting that on April 26, the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) posted this warning: SPJ condemns careless use of video news releases. SPJ calls for for "extreme caution and full disclosure" when airing VNRs, and said the failure to do so is "irresponsible, misleading and could lead to increased control of the content of news reports by federal regulators."

(Thanks to Andy Schotz, member of SPJ’s Ethics Committee for the reference.)