WisconsinEye Public Affairs Network Calls for Refrain From Using Archived Video in Negative Campaign Advertising
A disappointing trend in political campaign advertising has created a challenge for WisconsinEye Public Affairs Network that needs to be addressed.
WisconsinEye archived video is being harvested and used as the centerpiece of negative attack ads and campaign messages appearing throughout Wisconsin on commercial television stations and social media.
This use is not approved or endorsed by WisconsinEye.
The fallout for WisconsinEye is that the network is being accused of, or assumed to be, directly assisting political campaigns and candidates.
The mission of WisconsinEye is to provide citizens with access to the actions of state government and a range of civic and policy forums and events from across Wisconsin – all without editing, filtering, or otherwise distorting content.
WisconsinEye video content is copyrighted to guard against illegal commercial uses. At the same time, federal Fair Use guidelines do allow for secondary uses by outside interests for educational purposes. However, all WisconsinEye video users are required on the network’s website to affirm our User Agreement and agree to NOT use harvested video in negative fashion.
In recent days advocacy groups and political organizations have requested high-resolution video of specific archived video. These requests have been denied. Unfortunately, those parties are likely to follow the example set by others who simply download the video in violation of the user agreement and disservice to the WisconsinEye mission.
WisconsinEye is a strident advocate for free speech and civil dialogue. The network is built on a platform to provide free, 24/7/365 access to events and interviews in totality, from beginning-to-end without editing or commentary.
Our mission has no space for negative attack ads, out-of-context messaging, or quick-hit sound bites.
Jon Henkes, WisconsinEye president
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
