Submitted by Sheldon Rampton on
Alastair Campbell, the communications director for British Prime Minister Tony Blair, is at the center of a major controversy sparked by BBC reports that he and other British government officials "sexed up" their Iraq weapons dossier to justify the government's war plans. Campbell fought back by accusing the BBC of lying and demanding an apology.
Submitted by Sheldon Rampton on
Through a whistleblower, the Center for Media & Democracy has obtained a list of financial contributors to the "Center for Consumer Freedom," a front group for the tobacco, restaurant and liquor industries that represents itself as an advocate for consumers' rights. Highlights of the list, which we have added to the group's profile on our Disinfopedia, include $200,000 apiece from Coca-Cola, Excel/Cargill, Monsanto, Tyson Foods and Wendy's International; $164,000 from Outback Steakhouse, and $100,000 from Pilgrim's Pride Corporation.
Submitted by Sheldon Rampton on
This spring, the Dr. Pepper company recruited bloggers to talk up "Raging Cow," a flavored-milk drink. "The company hoped to work up Internet buzz about the beverage - and it was OK, by the way, if the bloggers didn't mention that Dr Pepper had given them freebies and flown them to Dallas for a pep session," writes James Hebert, who examines several examples of the old PR trick of "getting a supposedly independent third party to tout your product."
Submitted by Sheldon Rampton on
Former celebrity publicist Lizzie Gruman has changed careers. Grubman spent 37 days in jail following an infamous temper tantrum in which she backed her Mercedes SUV into a crowd outside a Hamptons nightspot, injuring 16 people. She now works as a gossip and entertainment reporter for a New York radio station.
Submitted by Laura Miller on
The U.S. Supreme Court voted, 6 to 3, to dismiss Nike's appeal of a California Supreme Court decision on commercial speech. The Court said the case raised "novel constitutional questions" but was not ready for the high court's attention. The case, Nike v. Kasky, centered on whether or not Nike violated California's truth-in-advertising laws with its statements about the working conditions in its overseas factories.
Submitted by Sheldon Rampton on
Frustrated by survey results showing that "the bottom has fallen out of support for America in most of the Muslim world," Congress is asking the State Department to explain why U.S. image-enhancement efforts are failing. "When you consider that the State Department (DoS) has devoted more money and attention to public-diplomacy efforts in these regions in the past two years than anywhere since the Soviet Union's collapse, it's a sign that something's not working," writes Douglas Quenqua.
Submitted by Laura Miller on
Following a trend reported in PR Watch, 3rd Quarter 2002 of using PR to improve the image of global capitalism, PR giant Hill & Knowlton has formed a corporate social responsibility (CSR) group. PR Week reports,
"The CSR unit will attempt to focus on providing strategic counsel and communications support to CSR programs in areas including public outreach, internal communications, financial communications, community investment, public affairs, and environmental and CSR reporting.
Submitted by Laura Miller on
"The Supreme Court should decide a case by the end of this month that seemingly pits multiple issues -- all dear to liberal hearts -- against each other: the First Amendment versus decent working conditions overseas and consumer protection," Lisa J. Danetz writes for TomPaine.com. The case, Nike v. Kasky, centers on whether or not Nike violated California's truth-in-advertising laws with its statements about the working conditions in its overseas factories.
Submitted by John Stauber on
"What seemed to be a groundswell of protest materialized last week when WorldCom Inc. lawyers arrived at federal court for a hearing on whether the company's agreement to pay a $500 million fine was sufficient punishment for its mammoth fraud. ... Outside the courthouse, a small group of demonstrators rallied" including the Gray Panthers. "The outpouring, though, was hardly spontaneous. Several of the opponents, including protest organizers and petitioners, had ties to Issue Dynamics Inc.
Submitted by Laura Miller on
"At the request of Congress, the State Department is launching an inquiry into its campaign to polish America's image in Muslim countries over the past two years," PR Week writes.
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