They didn't have to prior to, they are corporations which are now considered PERSONS (corporations) under the law that was changed a long time ago allowing them "free speech" this was used previously by the pentagon in order to insert topics into the main stream news for decades! Propaganda being legalized only allowed them to do this in the light of day and allows government funded stories to be aired, where before they had to be paid in other ways, kick backs. Today they just cut a check. The taxpayers are paying for these stories!

They didn't have to prior to, they are corporations which are now considered corporations under the law that was changed a long time ago allowing them "free speech" this was used previously by the pentagon in order to insert topics into the main stream news for decades! Propaganda being legalized only allowed them to do this in the light of day and allows government funded stories to be aired, where before they had to be paid in other ways, kick backs. Today they just cut a check. The taxpayers are paying for these stories!