President Bush is expected to make an announcement soon about his plan for Iraq, but a PR war has been raging for several weeks to prepare the ground for a "surge" in troop levels for Baghdad and Iraq. Bush and surrogates Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Sen.
Submitted by Bob Burton on
After resigning from British Airways (BA) amidst an investigation into allegations of price-fixing in the airline industry, Iain Burns has been appointed as the head of Corporate Communications at Etihad Airways (EA). EA is the national airline of the United Arab Emirates. In June 2006 the U.K.
Submitted by Bob Burton on
Patrick Moore, a former environmental activist who left Greenpeace twenty years ago and is now a PR consultant, argues "it is now far more effective to work with governments and industries to encourage positive change." As a consultant, Moore has dismissed concerns about the impact of logging in the Amazon, supported Newmont Mining over controversies at its mines in the U.S., Ghana and Peru, defended the use of PVC in plastics and e
Submitted by Jonathan Rosenblum on
The Society of Professional Journalists is moving ahead on a joint venture with Market Wire, a PR industry firm that, among other services, distributes news releases. Columnist Michael Miner of the Chicago Reader exposed the deal last fall.
Submitted by Sheldon Rampton on
As a reporter for Environmental Science and Technology (ES&T), a small industry trade publication, Paul Thacker discovered an entire industry built around spinning science for the purpose of confusing the public while benefiting big business. He wrote exposés documenting the tobacco and oil industry ties of Steven Milloy's junkscience.com, which purports to debunk bad science about issues such as global warming.
Submitted by Sheldon Rampton on
Public relations consultant Alan Caruba, who runs the anti-environmentalist "National Anxiety Center," is anxious about the upcoming switch to Democratic Party control of the U.S.
Submitted by Jonathan Rosenblum on
Concerned about consumer backlash, the World Diamond Council (WDC) has pumped $15 million into a public relations and education campaign to respond to the new movie "Blood Diamond." The film, starring Leonard DiCaprio, opened to generally good reviews and ranked among the top ten in popularity during the holiday season.
Submitted by Jonathan Rosenblum on
U.S. safety regulations for produce have been relegated to the far reaches of government bureaucracies, tucked into an under-funded combination of U.S. Food and Drug Administration oversight and state agriculture bureaucracies.
Submitted by Diane Farsetta on
PR Week's "PR Toolbox" column has some helpful hints for placing audio news releases (ANRs), the radio cousin of video news releases (VNRs).
Submitted by Diane Farsetta on
Video news releases (VNRs) aren't just for television anymore. "Hurt by public criticism of VNRs, possible Federal Communications Commission oversight, and a shrunken news hole," broadcast PR firms "are looking for ways to survive -- and making the Internet a bigger part of their offerings could be the answer," writes PR Week.
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