Actors needed

[FluffyMcDeath]

Need an acting gig but you just don't have the look? No problem - actors are now wanted to act for radio - and you don't even need to go to the studio, you can do your acting over the phone.

 

[cecilia]

no surprise.

 

[Robert]

“We supply voice talent to take/make your on-air calls, improvise your scenes or deliver your scripts. Using our simple online booking tool, specify the kind of voice you need, and we’ll get your the right person fast. Unless you request it, you won’t hear that same voice again for at least two months, ensuring the authenticity of your programming for avid listeners.”

Should be illegal.

 

[ilwrath]

Well, turfing has been around forever. Its certainly not just one side or the other doing it. And its already very wide spread. (Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised to learn there are several accounts here used as alternates by various folks to churn the pot a bit more.)

One of the big fallouts from the HBGary fiasco discussed in another thread was about HBGary having a combination of scripts that when fed with some information from agents, they allow a very small group of people to turf multiple news sources and blogs with thousands of accurate sounding "local personalties". These accounts are then used to swing opinion in whichever direction agents want.

I'm very much against banning any type of speech, and, honestly, it isn't a bad thing for discussions to occasionally contain some counter-points. The real question becomes how to accurately identify turfing, and reliably inform people of it.

 

[FluffyMcDeath]

One of the big fallouts from the HBGary fiasco discussed in another thread was about HBGary having a combination of scripts that when fed with some information from agents, they allow a very small group of people to turf multiple news sources and blogs with thousands of accurate sounding "local personalties".

Since you mentioned it ... more on the HBGary cyber-sock-puppetry.

 

[metalman]

Obama's "Ellie Light" letters to the editor astroturfer, her letters appeared in at least 62 newspapers in 29 states and the District of Columbia; a Yahoo link; and 2 foreign publications. for each letter she claimed being a registered voter at each local addresses she provided. The letters use nearly identical phraseology as used by Organizing for America template letters. She replies to email, but either is an international airline stewardess or uses an IP spoofer.

“Who is Ellie Light?
Who is Mark Spivey? (another Ellie spoofer)

Ellie is journalist slang for "letter to the Editor"
Ellie awards are given yearly by The American Society of Magazine Editors.

 

[Robert]

I'm very much against banning any type of speech, and, honestly, it isn't a bad thing for discussions to occasionally contain some counter-points. The real question becomes how to accurately identify turfing, and reliably inform people of it.

I *think* we're in agreement here.

I'm all for freedom of expression but passing fiction off as fact veers beyond that. A polite word for it is propaganda.

If the so-called news is lying to you, that's not just free speech.

I'd put this type of thing in the same category.

 

[Robert]

Obama's "Ellie Light" letters to the editor astroturfer, her letters appeared in at least 62 newspapers in 29 states and the District of Columbia; a Yahoo link; and 2 foreign publications. for each letter she claimed being a registered voter at each local addresses she provided. The letters use nearly identical phraseology as used by Organizing for America template letters. She replies to email, but either is an international airline stewardess or uses an IP spoofer.

“Who is Ellie Light?

Unless she's an actress, paid by the publications in question to write to them, this is a slightly different discussion. (albeit an interesting one - new thread perhaps?)

 

[ilwrath]

I'm all for freedom of expression but passing fiction off as fact veers beyond that. A polite word for it is propaganda.

Well, it's an opinion being stated during an opinion portion of, what let's face it, is an entertainment "news" show. Actual news doesn't involve getting meaningless inputs from call-ins, twitter, and facebook.

If the so-called news is lying to you, that's not just free speech.

Well, it's not really lying -- it's a perfectly valid opinion, presented on an opinion show. Just in this case, it's a paid for, carefully focus group tested opinion. But I don't think that makes it any less of an opinion or discussion point. People just need to be aware of it. And I think your use of "so-called news" says it all. You're already aware of it happening, and you realize it's not real news, as well.

Actually, the more I think about it, the more I think the core problem is that people aren't demanding quality reporting and real news. Journalistic integrity doesn't get ratings, anymore. Opinions and wacky pundits do.

 

[Robert]

I'm all for freedom of expression but passing fiction off as fact veers beyond that. A polite word for it is propaganda.

Well, it's an opinion being stated during an opinion portion of, what let's face it, is an entertainment "news" show. Actual news doesn't involve getting meaningless inputs from call-ins, twitter, and facebook.

[quote:2eug4oi7]If the so-called news is lying to you, that's not just free speech.

Well, it's not really lying[/quote:2eug4oi7]
Isn't it? At the very least it's deliberately misleading.

-- it's a perfectly valid opinion, presented on an opinion show. Just in this case, it's a paid for, carefull focus group tested opinion. But I don't think that makes it any less of an opinion or discussion point.

Nor do I.

People just need to be aware of it.

This is the crux of it for me -people are not made aware.
That's why I said I *think* we're in agreement. ;-)

As long as it's made clear that these 'opinions' are bought and paid for, I have no problem with it.

If that's not made explicitly clear then it's deliberately misleading and, in my opinion, should be illegal.

And I think your use of "so-called news" says it all. You're already aware of it happening, and you realize it's not real news, as well.

Actually, the more I think about it, the more I think the core problem is that people aren't demanding quality reporting and real news. Journalistic integrity doesn't get ratings, anymore. Opinions and wacky pundits do.

No argument from me here.

 

[metalman]

Ed Schultz admits he used staged calls

Now I have to tell you, this has been done. It's been done on the Ed Schultz radio show when we first started. (laughs) But as we gained stations, we never did it again. Look, this is show business, although we venture into some more serious bidness as the world goes on.

But I remember when we started our show in 2004, and I have no problem admitting this, our business manager Vern Thompson at the time was the head of the Democratic Party in the great state of North Dakota. And a year after we started he joined our team here on the Ed Schultz radio show and has been with us ever since. And when we started on two stations, one in Langdon, N.D., and the other one in Needles, Calif., and we had about 500 people listening on the Internet, this was before we were on XM and Sirius.

I mean, let's face it, nobody knew who the hell I was or where we were from and guess what? There weren't any callers. And so what we did through my good buddy Vern who now works for the program? We used to have a few people call in. And it got to be kind of fun because I was trying to guess who the hell Vern was getting to call into the program. But we were trying to start a program. We were grassroots. And this happens from time to time, I think, with small radio stations across the country that are trying to create talk shows.

Its the new shows that "need staged" calls, to prime the pump, so to speak, established talk shows don't need them.

 

[metalman]

Need an acting gig but you just don't have the look? No problem - actors are now wanted to act for radio - and you don't even need to go to the studio, you can do your acting

Premiere's service is actually for FM morning shows who need fake callers for staged on-air stunts, since the FCC no longer allows gags involving unsuspecting individuals. Paid actors eliminate the potential of FCC fines that are issued for non-compliance. It has nothing to do with syndicated talk radio programs.

 

[Robert]

Its the new shows that "need staged" calls, to prime the pump, so to speak, established talk shows don't need them.

Then they should be obliged to make it clear that they are doing so.