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Bush administration questioned on Medicare "news" item

The Department of Health and Human Services hired producer Home Front Communications to put together a short video piece intended to be a plug-in item for local TV stations to use, offering a report on the new Medicare prescription drug benefit, according to the New York Times.

However, the report uses actors playing news reporters. Opponents of the controversial Medicare package say it is amounts to a propaganda piece or advertisement disguised as hard news.

This marks the second time when the administration has drawn fire for trying to tout the controversial program. Last month, Viacom briefly pulled which the administration touted as a PSA, while opponents saw it as an advertisement (2/17/04 RBR Daily Epaper #31).

An administration spokesman said the spots were simply designed to publicize the changes in the Medicare system. Opponents said they were an attempt to "manipulate the press."

The spots end with actors identifying themselves as reporters. One of the news spots is delivered in Spanish.