According to a new article from the Chicago Tribune, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has been issuing video news releases promoting CAFTA. In the last year the Agriculture department has produced three dozen radio and three TV news segments (viewable here, here and here) promoting the signing of CAFTA. The segments are designed to look and sound like actual news stories and have been given to over 600 radio and tv stations in rural areas to air during news shows. The news pieces do include a mention at the end of each segment that they are from the Department of Agriculture, although the Tribune article mentions that some news broadcasters have run the stories without the identifying tagline. Many of the segments seem designed to refute or dismiss the concerns of the sugar industry over CAFTA. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns is featured in many of the TV and radio spots, actively promoting CAFTA. In one radio segment he says "I can't imagine how any senator or House member from ag country could stand up and vote against CAFTA. It makes no sense to me. It's voting against our producers."

In response to these taxpayer subsidized VNRs, Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii) and Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.), whose states produce sugar, sent a letter to Johanns objecting to these pro-CAFTA news reports. In the letter they say:

These releases, which are produced and distributed with taxpayer dollars, are provided to 675 rural radio stations and numerous televisions stations where they are run, without disclosure of their source, as news reports. We are concerned that many listeners in rural America may believe these releases are objective news reports, rather than political statements from the USDA which are intended to advance a specific trade agenda.

For more on information about CAFTA, be sure to check out the Stop CAFTA campaign page.