Public Relations

Pentagon Seeks New Information Warriors

U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM) is "fostering competition" for a "lucrative contract to analyze foreign media coverage and handle strategic communications for its operations and the so-called global war on terrorism," reports O'Dwyer's. The work involves tracking "media in broadcast, print and online in Arabic, Urdu Pashtu" and other languages, as well as "building databases of key communicators and media outlets, analyzing the perception of U.S.

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How to Fake Your Own Town Hall

Once again, a parody news segment on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" is offering better journalism than much of what you'll find coming from "real" newsrooms. CC's Samantha Bee interviews Republican media strategist Frank Luntz for advice on how to create her own fake town hall meetings, like the ones that President Bush has been using to promote his Social security privatization scheme.

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Fleishman-Hillard's Glass Half Empty

Fleishman-Hillard "agreed to pay $5.7 million to settle a lawsuit" brought against it by the city of Los Angeles, which claimed the firm "defrauded city departments by inflating monthly bills." The firm will pay $5.5 million to the Department of Water and Power, the main contract in question, with the remainder going to city agencies "that oversee the airports, harbor and visitors bureau." Fleishman-Hillard wanted to avoid "damage to its reput

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Porter Novelli's Pyramid Schemes

"Missions that might be considered conflicting are not new for Porter Novelli," a PR firm that "has worked for both the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and for Guinness stout and Johnnie Walker Scotch." But Porter Novelli's $2.5 million contract with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to update the food guide pyramid concerns some.

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