Is GM's Earth Day Ad a New Kind of Greenwashing?

A new video featuring General Motors touts the virtues of auto recycling. Titled "Earth Day 2008: Recyclable Cars," the 2-minute clip tells us that 95% of all automobiles are recycled, outpacing the numbers for paper and plastic bottles. It goes on to note that the Big Three automakers formed the Vehicle Recycling Partnership to improve the recycling process and that the companies continually work to improve the post-life reuse of their vehicles. The narrator also tells us that auto recycling is a $25 billion a year industry.

The report is presented like a news piece, but it was produced for GM by a public relations firm called Medialink. The company has been criticized in the past for its 'video news releases' (called 'fake news' by some), which are are produced by PR firms and often placed in regular news broadcasts. In the past, the problem withVNRs has been that these "reports" are not differentiated from actual news stories, so viewers may believe that the segments are objective accounts when they are really more akin to paid advertisements.

It is great that recycling is so integrated into the auto industry and that it's a profitable business. Still, with the ad's VNR roots and GM's history of blocking environmental regulations on fuel efficiency and CO2 emissions, the clip smacks of greenwashing. The piece is plainly hosted with Medialink and the web page states "Produced for General Motors," so it isn't on par with traditional VNR's. However, I would argue that it doesn't have to be. That's because the web is a perfect home for VNR-type advertising.

Although, "I saw it on the internet" carries about as much credibility as an Eliot Spitzer home late excuse, that's where a large and growing proportion get their news and information. When facts become a blur of internet news sites, blogs, and interest groups, it  becomes hard to keep track of exactly which factoid came from which source. This is an ideal breeding ground for misinformation, whether by individuals pushing an ideology or corporations pushing a product.

As companies try to create earthier images, we may see more shiny PR ads dressed up in green clothing. Ultimately, it's up to the reader to ensure that the sources of their web quotes are accurate. Or we can all starting wearing bigWikipedia-inspired [citation needed] stickers on our foreheads.