Public Relations

When Journalists Embrace 'Reform'

Submitted by Bob Burton on

Reviewing the language used by journalists used to describe legislative changes designed to marginalise Australian unions, Deirdre Macken writes that stories in Rupert Murdoch's News Limited publications and by the publicly funded Australian Broadcasting Corporation often use the term "workplace reform." A dictionary definition of "reform", she notes, is making something "better by removal of faults or errors." "Governments will

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Main Source: 
Australian Financial Review (sub. req'd.), July 2, 2005
Topics: 
Labor
Media
Public Relations

Perception of Success Determines Public Support for War

Submitted by Laura Miller on

George W. Bush's Tuesday night national address reflected "a purposeful strategy based on extensive study of public opinion about how to maintain support for a costly and problem-plagued military mission," the Washington Post's Peter Baker and Dan Balz write. The White House consulted the work of Duke University political scientists Peter D. Feaver and Christopher F.

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Main Source: 
Washington Post, June 30, 2005
Topics: 
Public Relations
U.S. Government
War / Peace

When Is a Commercial Not a Commercial?

Submitted by Laura Miller on

When is a video news release in danger of looking or sounding like a commercial?

"A VNR is aired on the news at the discretion of news personnel," Amy Goldwert Eskridge of AGE Productions told PR Week. "So it's important to produce a story that looks and sounds like it was done by the station."

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Main Source: 
PR Week, June 27, 2005
Topics: 
Media
Public Relations

Do Not Ask for Whom the Poll Trolls

Submitted by Diane Farsetta on

This spring, a poll that found half of adult Americans have frequent sleeping problems was reported on "by virtually all of the country's major newspapers and television networks," as well as international media. "Lost in the somber warnings and survey results, however, was that the poll, the proclamations and the press kits that spread the information were paid for by sleeping pill manufacturers," reports the Sacramento Bee.

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Main Source: 
Sacramento Bee, June 26, 2005
Topics: 
Corporations
Health
Public Relations

RJR Hoped Tomlinson and Readers Digest Could Rescue Its Dying Cigarette

In January 1989 the R.J.Reynolds Tobacco Company (RJR) was desperately trying to salvage its 'smokeless' Premier cigarette from marketing oblivion. On behalf of RJR Matt Swetonic, then a Senior Vice President in Hill & Knowlton's New York office, set out to court Kenneth Tomlinson, the then Executive Editor of Readers Digest, in the hope of garnering favorable media coverage. (These days Tomlinson is the controversial Chairman of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting).

For RJR the attraction of pitching the Premier story to the Readers Digest was precisely because for decades it had relentlessly highlighted the deadly impact of smoking. Favorable media coverage of Premier could not only undermine tobacco control activists arguments against cigarettes but could help reverse the relentless march to market share dominance of Philip Morris's Marlboro brand.

Video News Releases: The Ball's in the FCC's Court

Whither the fight against fake news?

In April, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) published a Public Notice on video news releases (VNRs), video segments designed to be indistinguishable from actual TV news reports. According to the FCC, current regulations mandate that viewers be told the source of a VNR only when stations are paid to air it, or when the VNR deals with a political matter or controversial issue. The Public Notice also asked for further information on the use of VNRs.

In response, nine comments were filed by the FCC's June 22 deadline. Two were filed by individuals supporting additional measures to ensure disclosure. Six were filed by VNR companies and associations of broadcasters and public relations practitioners. Not surprisingly, these argued against strengthening disclosure rules.

Propaganda's War on Human Rights

Submitted by Sheldon Rampton on

British public relations consultant Liz Harrop, who specializes in "public awareness activity for human rights campaigning organisations and humanitarian projects," has written a report that analyzes the relationship between war propaganda and human rights, focusing on the U.S. and British governments in relation to the Iraqi rabbit hole.

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Main Source: 
Tiger Tail Communications
Topics: 
Human Rights
Public Relations
War / Peace

Deals On Wheels

Submitted by Bob Burton on

At a preview of Hyundai's new Sonata sedan last week the company's local boss, Bong Gou Lee, announced a special offer for Australian motoring journalists in attendance: "Half price for journalists, tonight only." Sydney Morning Herald reporter Tony Davis, who was not present, confirmed that "several journalists gave credit card numbers and specified models and colours on a deal that would have saved more than $A17,000 and delivered a new car at below cost." After Davis began making inquiries Lee withdrew the

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Main Source: 
Sydney Morning Herald, June 21, 2005
Topics: 
Marketing
Media
Public Relations

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