Ethics of Video News Releases: A Study of VNR Usage Policies at Local Television News Stations (2007)

This study uses quantitative and qualitative methods to examine television newsroom policies regarding video news release (VNR) usage. Some news directors will use VNRs under three conditions: (1) lack of alternative footage; (2) if it is packaged as news, as opposed to highly commercial, content; and (3) clear source identification. A significant portion of newsrooms have no formal policy on VNRs—pointing to a lack of consensus across US broadcast journalism. As newsrooms grapple with VNR use, news workers will need to move beyond issues of VNR construction and attribution toward determining what makes a VNR an ethical avenue for fulfilling journalistic obligations.