Governmental publicity machines
If one watches television in El Salvador, or travels around its cities, you cannot help but be stuck by the great amount of money which goes into advertising the accomplishments of the party in power. Here are a few examples:
Television spot promoting Solidarity Net, the anti-poverty program pushed by Tony Saca:
Television spot promoting the Office for the Defense of the Consumer:
Each of these spots ends with the tagline -- "4 years of government with a human feeling" to celebrate 4 years of Tony Saca's administration.
Yet when the online periodical El Faro asked these agencies to provide the details of the amount of money spent on these ad campaigns, they were met with a brick wall and refusals to disclose the spending.
The use of government funds to promote the image of government bodies and those who lead them is not limited to ARENA, however. In San Salvador, the administration of Violeta Menjivar of the FMLN, promotes its role under the heading "A Government of Results" as the municipal government website shows, and as can be seen on signs throughout the city.
Television spot promoting Solidarity Net, the anti-poverty program pushed by Tony Saca:
Television spot promoting the Office for the Defense of the Consumer:
Each of these spots ends with the tagline -- "4 years of government with a human feeling" to celebrate 4 years of Tony Saca's administration.
Yet when the online periodical El Faro asked these agencies to provide the details of the amount of money spent on these ad campaigns, they were met with a brick wall and refusals to disclose the spending.
The use of government funds to promote the image of government bodies and those who lead them is not limited to ARENA, however. In San Salvador, the administration of Violeta Menjivar of the FMLN, promotes its role under the heading "A Government of Results" as the municipal government website shows, and as can be seen on signs throughout the city.
Comments
We need a constitutional amendment that prohibits the government from buying media. Will never happen in a million years because the politicos want to keep that tool in their arsenal and because there would be hell to pay to the mass media.
It's just so sad.