Front Groups

"Consumer Freedom's" Corporate Funding Exposed

Submitted by Sheldon Rampton on July 1, 2003 - 11:00pm

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.

Main Source:

http://www.disinfopedia.org/wiki.phtml?title=Center_for_Consumer_Freedom

Topics:

Food Safety

Front Groups

Corporations

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PR Firm Gets 'Public Interest' Groups Fronting for Industry

Submitted by John Stauber on June 1, 2003 - 11:00pm

"[T]he Gray Panthers, a public interest group that defends the rights of senior citizens, took out full page ads in newspapers around the country calling on federal officials to stop awarding federal contracts to MCI WorldCom -- which committed one of the largest corporate frauds in history. ... At the bottom of the ads, in small type, is this: 'This ad was paid for by Gray Panthers.' In fact, the $200,000 spent by the Gray Panthers to place the newspaper ads was raised by Issue Dynamics Inc., a

Main Source:

Corporate Crime Reporter, June 2, 2003

Topics:

Front Groups

Corporations

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INC Seeks Enhanced Credibility

Submitted by Laura Miller on May 4, 2003 - 11:00pm

"Burson-Marsteller is working to enhance the credibility of the Iraqi National Congress as it seeks to establish
itself as a legitimate force in postinvasion Iraq," writes The Holmes Report, a PR trade publication. "B-M has been working with the Congress, led by highprofile
Iraqi exile Ahmed Chalabi, since 1999, under a state department contract. Chalabi and the Congress have close ties with the Bush administration,

Main Source:

The Holmes Report, May 5, 2003

Topics:

Iraq

Front Groups

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Burson-Marsteller Buffs Iraqi National Congress Image

Submitted by Laura Miller on April 16, 2003 - 11:00pm

"Burson-Marsteller is working to buff the image of the Iraqi National Congress," O'Dwyer's PR Daily reports. BKSH & Associates, Burson-Marsteller's lobbying wing is working for the Iraqi National Congress Support Foundation. With the assistance of the Pentagon, INC head Ahmad Chalabi and 'free Iraqi forces' arrived in Bagdad last week. Chalabi and the INC hope to be part of a new government in Iraq.

Main Source:

O'Dwyer's PR Daily, April 17, 2003

Topics:

Iraq

Front Groups

Public Relations

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SUV Owners Group a Front for Industry

Submitted by Laura Miller on April 6, 2003 - 11:00pm

"The Sport Utility Vehicle Owners of America, a grassroots [read: industry front] group started in 1999, is in the midst of a major membership push and revamping of its website as it seeks to become a source of pro-SUV information that the media can turn to," PR Week writes.

Main Source:

PR Week, April 7, 2003

Topics:

Front Groups

Corporations

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Can a PR Front Group Run Iraq?

Submitted by Sheldon Rampton on February 20, 2003 - 11:00pm

PR Watch has previously written about the origins of the Iraqi National Congress (INC) as a PR front group created by the Rendon Group, which has nevertheless become the Bush administration's preferred source for "intelligence" about Iraq. Now an internal fight is bubbling over INC's plan to actually become the government of Iraq after a U.S. invasion.

Main Source:

The Guardian (UK), February 21, 2003

Topics:

Iraq

Front Groups

U.S. Government

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Bogus "Consumer Group" Stripped of Domain Names

Submitted by Sheldon Rampton on February 19, 2003 - 11:00pm

The Center for Consumer Freedom, a front group for the restaurant, alcohol and tobacco industries, has been forced to give up the domain names of two web sites used to attack the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), in what CSPI called an "Orwellian" effort to create confusion among Internet users looking for CSPI's websites.

Main Source:

CSPI news release, February 20, 2003

Topics:

Food Safety

Internet

Front Groups

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AARP Examines Drug Industry Front Groups

Submitted by John Stauber on February 9, 2003 - 10:02am

AARP, the huge non-profit membership and business organization that bills itself as the senior lobby is now headed by corporate PR veteran Bill Novelli.

Main Source:

AARP Bulletin, February, 2003

Topics:

Front Groups

Health

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Republicans Seek a Few Good African Americans

Submitted by John Stauber on February 1, 2003 - 11:00pm

Washington Post columnist Gene Weingarten feels "sorry for African American Republicans. They've never had it real good ... So I was heartened when I happened on a Web site last month run by a group called the African American Republican Leadership Council. ... The honorary chairman of the panel is listed as former U.S. senator Edward W. Brooke III, a Republican from Massachusetts. So I called up Brooke, who confirmed the important fact that he is black. Alas, he is not in any way associated with the group.

Main Source:

Washington Post, February 2, 2003

Topics:

Right Wing

Front Groups

Race / Ethnic Issues

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The Fake Parade

Submitted by Laura Miller on December 2, 2002 - 11:00pm

Outside the World Summit on Sustainable Development held in August in Johannesburg, there were poor street vendors and farmers holding signs and wearing t-shirts reading: "Save the Planet from Sustainable Development", "Say No To Eco-Imperialism", "Greens: Stop Hurting the Poor" and "Biotechnology for Africa." The problem, according to environmental reporter and activist Jonathan Matthews is that the anti-environmentalist demonstration was organized by the corporations that environmentalist wanted to be held accountable.

Main Source:

The Freezerbox, December 3, 2002

Topics: