Media Duped by False Chamber of Commerce Release

(AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Reuters, Fox Business Network, CNBC and other media outlets were tricked Monday into falsely reporting that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the business lobbying group, had shifted its position and was now supporting the climate change legislation being debated in Congress.

An activist group known as the Yes Men – which recently put out a fake version of the New York Post proclaiming "WE'RE SCREWED" – sent a fake press release, complete with Chamber of Commerce logo, to reporters this morning. The release was quickly picked up by the Reuters wire service, which released a story proclaiming that the Chamber had dropped its opposition to the legislation and was calling for the inclusion of a carbon tax within it.

The story, which you can see here, included a quote from someone identified as a spokesman for the Chamber, Hingo Sembra. Someone calling himself Sembra held a press conference at the National Press Club today to trumpet the ostensible shift in policy. The event included "fake handouts on chamber letterhead, at least a couple of fake reporters, and a podium adorned with the chamber logo," the Washington Post reports. Several reporters -- as well as, presumably, the National Press club -- were reportedly unaware that the event was a hoax.

The press conference began normally but dissolved into a surreal scene when a legitimate Chamber official burst into the event, having heard about it from a reporter, and exclaimed that "Sembra" was a phony. The activist holding the press conference then called the Chamber official, Eric Wohlschlegel, a fake and demanded his business card.

The Yes Men's Andy Bichlbaum told MarketWatch that the stunt was designed to call attention to the Chamber's opposition to the climate bill. He said he welcomed legal action from the business group for using its logo because "it would bring even more attention to the issue."

Reuters eventually corrected its story amid assurances from the Chamber that it continues to oppose the House legislation that passed over the summer. A number of prominent businesses, among them Apple Inc., have left the Chamber in recent weeks in protest of its position on climate change legislation.

The group insists it backs strong reform. It said it was asking law enforcement to investigate Monday's stunt.

"These irresponsible tactics are a foolish distraction from the serious effort by our nation to reduce greenhouse gases," the Chamber said in a release. "The U.S. Chamber believes that strong climate legislation is compatible with the goals of improving our economy and creating jobs."

The White House has been trying to bypass the Chamber, the Post reports, by meeting directly with business leaders and questioning the group's position as the chief representative for big business.

Dow Jones notes that the name of the last name of the media contact listed in the fake press release, "Erica Avidus," is the Latin root for greed.

On their Web site, The Yes Men say their goal is "impersonating big-time criminals in order to publicly humiliate them."

"Targets are leaders and big corporations who put profits ahead of everything else," they write.

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[pubsrtoast]

The big story here isn't that the media was duped. The big story here is that our media feels that hard hitting investigative reporting is nothing more than presenting as news, a press release or position paper from a corporate funded think tank. How sad for the country.

[imprisoncheney]

Ohhh! The crocodile tears from the reichwingers!!

Such a horrible deed -- perpetrated on THEM (for a change)!!!

The CofC was exposed a few days ago for inflating their membership numbers . . . by 2.7 million! -- and THEY'RE whining about being punked???

And Fauxnewz -- getting a taste of their own medicine (finally!) -- grousing about being "lied" to . . .

The irony is deliciously obscene.

[stuart-johns2]

I could'nt agree with you more.

However, the press should be confirming everything they print or air. No excuse for not doing that. I think one poster said it best when she alluded to the fact that for the press, being first to air a story trumps credibility.

[endurorob_5]

Whats the big deal? The media has been duped by the Obama campaign since it began.

[bertsch101]

Put this in the same catagory with the White House cabinet, advisors and czars who maintain that embarrassing reports were drafts or internal memos were not approved for release. Splendid salary for ineptness, don't you think? Checking and double checking sources is elementary and unexcuseable. But, perhaps it wasn't a mistake rather a purposeful and destructive tactic.

[faceofus]

I'd like to hear how the MSM feels about Anita Dunn's claim that they controlled the media during the presidential campaign.

[credibility2]

Unfortunately the media is being run mostly by younger, not very bright individuals who are reactionary, rather than deliberative. Media should have at the ready all of the phone numbers, names, email addresses, etc. for public relations agencies to verify first and then strategize as to whether or not something is in fact a fact-checked and valid release to push into the news.

[corpgovnet]

Turn up the heat on the Chamber. There is no denying global climate change. We don't need another "monkey trial" to prove it. Through the phone company, Credo, you can quickly send an e-mail to every CEO on the Chamber's board to let them know you want them to change their policy. See http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/chamber_of_c
ommerce

E-mail the Chamber's top leaders directly:
Chamber President Tom Donohue: [e-mail]
Executive Vice President David C. Chavern: [e-mail]
Executive Vice President Bruce Josten: [e-mail]

Use tools like http://proxydemocracy.org http://isuffrage.org http://www.fundvotes.com http://www.corpgov.net & http://www.shareowners.org to help determine which funds are voting your values and to find out how you can get involved in shareowner issues.

Corporations largely determine what we buy, what we read, the quality of the air we breathe and the water we drink. Isn't it about time they were accountable?

[djseavy]

Let's see - that's two in four days - that the media has been "duped." This reminds me of when Dan Rather took it on the chops for the false report about GW's military record. When will the media get back to collecting the facts before plastering ridiculous garbage over the air, cable and internet? I was a member of the media for many years, a fact that I'm almost ashamed to admit these days.

[SkirtLifter]

I've got a better title for the piece, "Media Duped."