Thanks to you and tens of thousands of other activists, the FCC has taken the first step in penalizing TV stations that air fake news.

The FCC just fined Comcast for airing several fake segments on its CN8 channel without disclosing that corporations had actually paid for and produced the “news.”

While the fines are a start, they are only the tip of the fake news iceberg.

1 Tell the FCC to Crack Down on Fake News

Last year, the Center for Media and Democracy captured more than 100 “video news releases” — segments promoting commercial brands and products — that had been dressed up as real news and aired as a part of regular news programming.

They just caught another station in Michigan airing several video news releases in their entirety. WGTU-TV even pretended the publicist narrating the story was one of their reporters.

By disguising advertisements as news, stations violate both the spirit and the letter of their broadcasting licenses. This deception is not only illegal — it’s a serious breach of the trust between these stations and the communities they serve.

Today Free Press and the Center for Media and Democracy filed a complaint with the FCC showing these abuses continue unabated, despite the ongoing FCC inquiry. It’s time the FCC stepped up its efforts. Tell your friends to take action and stop fake news:

2 Tell Your Friends to Help Stop Fake News

We need your help again to send a strong message to the FCC: Crack down on local news stations that abuse the public trust by airing fake news.

Onward,

Craig Aaron
Communications Director
Free Press
www.freepress.net

1. The latest report — “Know Fake News” — is available at www.prwatch.org/fakenews3/summary.

2. Join the conversation. See what activists are doing locally to stop fake news at the Free Press Action Network: www.freepress.net/action.

3. Don’t forget to tell your friends about this important campaign: www.action.freepress.net/campaign/fakenews3/forward