State-controlled media

Cartoon from the magnificent Tom Toles

Zachary Roth further explains

Numerous local television stations across the country presented, as news items, video news releases prepared on behalf of the Bush administration touting the benefits of the new Medicare law. The pre-packaged segments included public relations agent Karen Ryan posing as a reporter.

In another missive, Roth explains

If you connect it all up, you could say that the government is paying the media outlets. But there are enough steps in the chain that HHS can appear to have clean hands. It's laundering, basically.

Oh, whoops, that wasn't even what the cartoon was about! The cartoon was referring to Jeff Gannon, a "journalist" working for Talon News, aka GOPUSA. Who are they? Kos has the scoop on Gannon and GOPUSA.

It's a good thing we don't live in one of those totalitarian states where the state runs the media. Yep.