Public Relations

SOA Watch Watchers

Submitted by Diane Farsetta on

At the trespassing trial of activists protesting the School of the Americas combat training base, "new information surfaced about a comprehensive plan devised by the U.S. Army to deflect criticism of the school, now known as the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation." Defendant Aaron Shuman introduced as evidence WHINSEC's "Strategic Communications Campaign Plan," which he obtained from an Army public affairs officer.

No
Main Source: 
National Catholic Reporter, February 18, 2005
Topics: 
Activism
Public Relations
War / Peace

The PR Plan Behind Big Tobacco's Big Victory

The tobacco industry won a big victory Friday when the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled in its favor, against the U.S. Justice Department. The court's ruling means that the Justice Department cannot force the industry to disgorge $280 billion in past profits, even if it wins its fraud and racketeering case against the cigarette makers.

Little media attention has been paid to this important decision in a landmark case concerning a major public health threat. The near-invisible nature of the ongoing federal trial to determine whether Big Tobacco engaged in a conspiracy of fraud and deceit may represent another aspect of that very conspiracy - the successful efforts of tobacco industry PR to influence journalists. Internal tobacco industry documents shed light on the largely hidden phenomena of corporate tobacco lobbyists courting favor with editorial boards.

No PR Firm Left Behind

Submitted by Laura Miller on

In the continuing saga of taxpayer money used to champion Bush administration policies, the Palm Beach Post reports, "A Florida State University center has used more than a half-million in education tax dollars to put a positive spin on President Bush's key school policies, including hiring a public relations firm to teach charter schools to be more media-savvy." As part of a 5

No
Main Source: 
Palm Beach Post, February 2, 2005
Topics: 
Education
Politics
Public Relations

Anti-Propaganda Propaganda?

Submitted by Diane Farsetta on

The Federal Propaganda Prohibition Act has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives, and the Stop Government Propaganda Act in the Senate, "to increase congressional oversight of federal PR contracts." Yet, "the reaction of the industry has been less than panicked." Why? "Neither bill is likely to become law." PR Week writes, "These anti-PR bills are mostly PR tools.

No
Main Source: 
PR Week (reg. req'd.), February 7, 2005
Topics: 
Politics
Public Relations

Burson-Marsteller's Bromine Front Groups

Submitted by Laura Miller on

As the European Parliament has come into power, the population of lobbyists, PR firms and front groups has boomed in Brussels. In a new report, the Corporate Europe Observatory exposes the work of global PR firm Burson-Marsteller on behalf of the bromine industry as it attempts to stymie bans on bromine-based flame retardants.

No
Main Source: 
Corporate Europe Observatory, January 2005
Topics: 
Environment
Lobbying
Public Relations

Pages

Subscribe to Public Relations