Submitted by John Stauber on
Center for Public Integrity examines the hidden power of the Koch brothers, the billionaires who launched the corporate front group Citizens for a Sound Economy. "CSE has found itself in hot water in recent weeks over charges it has been working illegally to get consumer activist Ralph Nader on the presidential ballot in Oregon.
Submitted by Diane Farsetta on
Several former employees of the giant public relations firm Fleishman-Hillard say F-H routinely overbilled the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power some $30,000 a month. One described F-H's attitude as, "Get as much as you can because these accounts may dry up tomorrow." Questionable charges include $50 for leaving a phone message and $850 for a two-hour business lunch (not including the cost of the meal). A former executive said that Douglas Dowie (then head of F-H's L.A.
Submitted by Sheldon Rampton on
According to the "PR Machine" blog, "blogging threatens the power of brands and their message control because blogs facilitate open dialogues with customers. ... The exact threat? Meta-sites, blogs, wikis, and the proliferation of RSS and related site syndication technologies, have all rapidly given a voice to people who previously had no way of expressing their opinions. ...
Submitted by John Stauber on
"Citizens for a Sound Economy, a national organization led by former House Majority Leader Dick Armey (R., Texas), is widening its efforts to help presidential candidate Ralph Nader get on the ballot in pivotal states.
Submitted by Laura Miller on
"Public relations should first understand that to the extent that its art is a form of 'spin' - whether it's reasonable spin, accepted spin, good spin, bad spin, terrible spin - it is selling a service for which there is less and less value, and less mind is paid to it.
Submitted by Diane Farsetta on
"A little known U.S. group headed by an advisor to President George W.
Submitted by Sheldon Rampton on
Ed McGovern, a Democratic political consultant in the San Francisco Bay area, is helping local developer Glenborough-Pauls as the company fights environmentalists opposed to a controversial condominium project. The PR campaign, calling itself the "Know All the Facts Coalition," is using print advertising and bringing together union representatives, elected officials and government employees in an effort to stymie a petition drive that seeks to halt the project.
Submitted by Diane Farsetta on
In Botswana, "hundreds of Bushmen evicted from their Kalahari homelands have suffered what some would see as the final indignity: being paraded before British [Parliamentarians] as part of a lavish public relations campaign." The indigenous rights group Survival International reported, "the visit was organised by the huge PR company, Hill & Knowlton, which has been contracted by the Botswana government and [di
Submitted by Sheldon Rampton on
"Perhaps no list of reporters has commanded such attention in Washington since Richard Nixon compiled his enemies list more than thirty years ago," writes Douglas McCollam, discussing the reporters whose names and phone numbers appear in a confidential July 2002 memorandum from the Iraqi National Congress (INC). The memo lists 108 news stories that were influenced by INC-supplied defectors.
Submitted by Sheldon Rampton on
Australian blogger Tim Lambert has taken a closer look at some of the think tanks that have emerged as critics of open source software, which threatens Microsoft's position in the marketplace. "Why are all these think tanks so down on Open Source?" Lambert asks. "Well, the Small Business Survival Committee is concerned that using open source will expose small business to the risk of lawsuits.
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