House Passes Bill to Ban Propaganda Techniques

The House has passed a bill that would ban government agencies from hiring journalists and public relations firms to secretly promote policies as news.

How unfortunate that Congress actually has to pass a law to prevent the executive branch from resorting to propaganda. Shouldn’t the White House already know that paying journalists and faking news reports is unacceptable? Good government requires clarity. New policies shouldn’t be sold as one would sell a new product but should be transparently presented and open to public debate. Underhanded marketing techniques have no place in government.

This is a good bill but one that should never have been needed.