{ "id": "RL32750", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "number": "RL32750", "active": false, "source": "EveryCRSReport.com, University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "versions": [ { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 304333, "date": "2005-05-24", "retrieved": "2016-04-07T19:44:05.622029", "title": "Public Relations and Propaganda: Restrictions on Executive Agency Activities", "summary": "Controversies recently have arisen over certain executive branch agencies' expenditures of\nappropriated funds on public relations activities, some of which have been characterized as\npropagandistic. Generally speaking, there are two legal restrictions on agency public relations\nactivities and propaganda. 5 U.S.C. 3107 prohibits the use of appropriated funds to hire publicity\nexperts. Appropriations law \"publicity and propaganda\" clauses restrict the use of funds for puffery\nof an agency, purely partisan communications, and covert propaganda. No federal agency monitors\nfederal public relations activities, but a Member or Committee of Congress may ask the Government\nAccountability Office (GAO) to examine an agency's expenditures on public relations activities with\na view to their legality. Any effort to reform current statutory restrictions on agency public relations\nactivities will face three challenges: tracking public relations activities by agencies, defining\n\"propaganda,\" and enforcing laws against agency use of funds for publicity experts and propaganda. \n On January 26, 2005, H.R. 373 was introduced in the House of Representatives. \nThe bill would require a federal agency to notify the Congress no later than 30 days after entering\ninto a public relations contract, codify the publicity and propaganda clause and provide penalties for\nviolations of it, and require federal agencies to label their communications as having been paid for\nwith appropriated funds. \n On February 2, 2005, S. 266 was introduced in the Senate. The bill would define\n\"publicity and propaganda,\" codify the types of communications that constitute publicity and\npropaganda, provide financial penalties for executive agency officials who authorize the use of\nappropriated funds for publicity and propaganda, empower both the Attorney General and private\ncitizens to bring civil actions against agency officials who authorize the use of appropriated funds\nfor publicity and propaganda, and provide \"whistleblower protection\" from agency retribution for\nemployees who take actions in support of this law. \n S. 967 was introduced on April 28, 2005. The bill would amend Part I of Title III\nof the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 301 et seq.) to require audio and video news releases\nto contain announcements that inform viewers that the media segment they are viewing was\n\"produced by the U.S. government.\" S. 967 was referred to the Senate Committee on\nCommerce, Science, and Transportation.\n This report will be updated as events warrant.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/RL32750", "sha1": "16179111ca51c1c514d21d835441e21c32625fc2", "filename": "files/20050524_RL32750_16179111ca51c1c514d21d835441e21c32625fc2.pdf", "images": null }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20050524_RL32750_16179111ca51c1c514d21d835441e21c32625fc2.html" } ], "topics": [] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs6293/", "id": "RL32750 2005-03-21", "date": "2005-03-21", "retrieved": "2005-06-12T02:24:27", "title": "Public Relations and Propaganda: Restrictions on Executive Agency Activities", "summary": null, "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20050321_RL32750_8257512334b3d3e7ecf28f5eefe15a2ab1fe2fcd.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20050321_RL32750_8257512334b3d3e7ecf28f5eefe15a2ab1fe2fcd.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Politics and government", "name": "Politics and government" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Executive departments - Public relations", "name": "Executive departments - Public relations" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Public relations and politics", "name": "Public relations and politics" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Communications", "name": "Communications" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Executive departments", "name": "Executive departments" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs6292/", "id": "RL32750 2005-02-08", "date": "2005-02-08", "retrieved": "2005-06-12T02:23:52", "title": "Public Relations and Propaganda: Restrictions on Executive Agency Activities", "summary": null, "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20050208_RL32750_3089ff1ac57b459c8998241133800960ae2869d9.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20050208_RL32750_3089ff1ac57b459c8998241133800960ae2869d9.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Politics and government", "name": "Politics and government" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Executive departments - Public relations", "name": "Executive departments - Public relations" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Public relations and politics", "name": "Public relations and politics" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Communications", "name": "Communications" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Executive departments", "name": "Executive departments" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs6291/", "id": "RL32750 2005-02-02", "date": "2005-02-02", "retrieved": "2005-06-12T02:23:19", "title": "Public Relations and Propaganda: Restrictions on Executive Agency Activities", "summary": null, "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20050202_RL32750_9648115e675b77ceee8109487d155624c4ed5182.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20050202_RL32750_9648115e675b77ceee8109487d155624c4ed5182.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Politics and government", "name": "Politics and government" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Executive departments - Public relations", "name": "Executive departments - Public relations" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Public relations and politics", "name": "Public relations and politics" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Communications", "name": "Communications" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Executive departments", "name": "Executive departments" } ] } ], "topics": [ "American Law", "Appropriations", "Constitutional Questions", "Economic Policy" ] }