GM-NO?

[Guest guest]

GM-NO?

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/local/vote04/local/02gmo_b1.html

" A consortium of the nation's biggest agribusinesses Monday

reported pumping $150,000 in last-minute contributions into a

campaign to defeat a Mendocino County initiative that would ban

genetically engineered farm products, " the Santa Rosa Press

Democrat reports. CropLife America -- a Washington, D.C., group

representing global agrichemical and biotech companies, including

Monsanto, Syngenta, and DuPont -- has now donated $500,000 over a

two-month period to fight Measure H. The anti-H campaign has spent

the money on opinion polling, intensive radio advertising, PR

consultants, legal advise and direct mail appeals to all voters.

Self-described corporate activist Ross Irvine argues on

ePublicRelations that even though a pro-biotech trade group can

outspend supporters of Measure H by a more than 6-to-1 ratio, they

still are at a disadvantage. " While leaders of the anti-biotech

forces in Mendocino County can be identified, activists do not

insist on 'designated spokesmen' as being primary or sole sources

of information. As result, there are numerous anti-biotech 'voices'

to be heard and quoted in the media. ... Not only are there more

spokesmen, they are autonomous and independent. They don't have to

funnel questions to a centralized, designated spokesman. As a

result, they can respond more quickly and more efficiently to media

and other inquiries. " The biotech industry representatives fears

that Measure H if it passes could become a precedent, triggering

similiar efforts across the nation.

SOURCE: Santa Rosa Press Democrat, March 2, 2004

More web links related to this story are available at:

http://www.prwatch.org/spin/March_2004.html#1078203602

To discuss this story in the PR Watch Forum, visit:

http://www.prwatch.org/forum/discuss.php?id=1078203602

 

 

 

 

 

 

Search - Find what you’re looking for faster.