Video news releases are indeed a controversial issue. Aside from them being a great way to stay on the update. Most of the time they do have some sort of spin on them. Whether or not the video news release practice is ethical, is completely up to the viewer. However they do provide breaking news, and helpful information to stay on top of things as well.
Video news releases are often put out by individuals somewhat involved in public relations, or even advertisement. While they are informative, they also offer information on a specific product or concept they are trying to promote to the public. This is what makes these free press releases so controversial, and often considered propaganda.
An interesting, and quite possibly unnerving piece of information in relation to video news releases, is the fact that the government, including the Census Bureau and the Department of Defense have been involved in them. Often times without any knowledge to the general population that the government was involved.
You may wonder why these video news releases are such a big deal, but fact is when you turn on your television, or even look up news reports online, they are tainted with spin. When you see a news reporter interviewing a random person on the street, it may not be so random after all. Considering may have reported especially in the case of video news releases that there are indeed actors involved.
However these video news releases do often involve professionals supplying accurate data, whether there is a bias spin put on it or not. Video news releases are both informational and advertisements. While they may be a great advertising opportunity for businesses, keep it mind that they are indeed advertisements and formulate opinions of your own.