A ‘disturbing example of unethical’ PR
And the worst part is it may have been done with taxpayer money. Get ready to slap your forehead.
![Ragan Insider Content](https://s39940.pcdn.co/wp-content/themes/ragan-theme/img/insider_600x350_lockdown.jpg)
“A USA Today reporter and editor investigating Pentagon propaganda contractors have themselves been subjected to a propaganda campaign of sorts, waged on the Internet through a series of bogus websites.”
After Pentagon reporter Tom Vanden Brook started asking questions in January about government-backed marketing campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan—which cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars—a website bearing Vanden Brook’s name, as well as fake social media accounts, showed up online.
A similar website created by the same company appeared weeks later when the byline of Vanden Brook’s editor, Ray Locker, appeared with a story.
If the smear campaign was paid for with taxpayer money, it could violate a federal law, according to USA Today. The Pentagon has denied knowledge of any activity.
Become a Ragan Insider member to read this article and all other archived content.
Sign up today
Already a member? Log in here.
Learn more about Ragan Insider.
![Ragan Insider Logo](https://s39940.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/ragan-insider-logo.jpg)