Guest guest Posted September 2, 2004 Report Share Posted September 2, 2004 > 1 Sep 2004 05:00:01 -0000 > weekly-spin > The Weekly Spin, Wednesday, September 1, > 2004 > weekly-spin-admin > > THE WEEKLY SPIN, Wednesday, September 1, 2004 > --- > sponsored by the Center for Media and Democracy > (www.prwatch.org) > --- > The Weekly Spin features selected news summaries > with links to > further information about current public relations > campaigns. > It is emailed free each Wednesday to rs. > > SHARE US WITH A FRIEND (OR FIFTY FRIENDS) > Who do you know who might want to receive Spin of > the Week? > Help us grow our r list! Just forward this > message to > people you know, encouraging them to sign up at this > link: > > http://www.prwatch.org/cmd/_sotd.html > > --- > THIS WEEK'S NEWS > > 1. GCI Groups Does RNC PR > 2. Swift Boat Vets' Book Gets PR Help > 3. PR 101 - How to Slime a War Hero > 4. Gone Fishing for Publicity > 5. Keeping Jesus Off Camera > 6. Ghostwriters for Bush > 7. Auto Industry Front Group Opposes California > Clean Air Proposal > 8. Block the Vote > 9. Press Conference From Hell > 10. This Song Is Your Song > 11. Media to Blame for Swift Boat Hype > 12. More Ads, Less Journalism > 13. Lower than Journalists > 14. Greenwashing Ford's SUVs > 15. Political Football > ---- > > 1. GCI GROUPS DOES RNC PR > http://www.holmesreport.com/holmestemp/story.cfm?edit_id=4426 & typeid=1 > " The New York City Host Committee for the > Republican National > Convention has retained GCI Group to provide > on-site media services > for members of the press throughout the > convention, " PR trade > publication the Holmes Report writes. " GCI Group > will be working > from the James A. Farley Building, which will > house 10,000 members > of the media during the convention. 'The advantage > of having the > media covering the convention in one location is > that it allows the > Host Committee to provide excellent services to > the press,' said > Host Committee president Kevin Sheekey. 'Perhaps > the most > important service we will provide to reporters is > the ability to > access helpful information about the convention > and New York City > quickly and easily, and we are very happy that the > GCI Group will > be providing this vital service.' " > SOURCE: Holmes Report, August 30, 2004 > To discuss this story in the PR Watch Forum, visit: > > http://www.prwatch.org/forum/discuss.php?id=1093838401 > > 2. SWIFT BOAT VETS' BOOK GETS PR HELP > http://www.odwyerpr.com/members/0830novak.htm > " Conservative columnist Bob Novak has touted the > Swift Boat > Veterans for Truth book Unfit for Command without > revealing that > his son heads marketing and PR for its publisher, " > O'Dwyer's PR > Daily reports. The New York Times writes that > Novak has " lauded " > the book in his syndicated columns and on CNN's > 'Crossfire.' > " Unmentioned in Mr. Novak's columns and television > appearances, > however, is a personal connection he has to the > book: his son, Alex > Novak, is the director of marketing for its > publisher, the > conservative publishing house Regnery, " the Times > writes. > SOURCE: O'Dwyer's PR Daily (sub. req'd), August 30, > 2004 > More web links related to this story are available > at: > > http://www.prwatch.org/spin/August_2004.html#1093838400 > To discuss this story in the PR Watch Forum, visit: > > http://www.prwatch.org/forum/discuss.php?id=1093838400 > > 3. PR 101 - HOW TO SLIME A WAR HERO > http://www.alternet.org/mediaculture/19695/ > The Swift Boat attack on Kerry uses a classic > [third party] > propaganda tactic: have PR professionals [such as > Merrie Spaeth] > organize and launch a well-funded smear attack, an > ad hominem > barrage against Kerry's integrity, and do it > through a front group > with enough separation from the Bush campaign to > pretend > independence. Then use the right-wing echo chamber > to keep the > issue alive and churning, spitting plenty of mud > and confusion. > It's a strategy that is virtually guaranteed to > hurt Kerry in the > polls. > SOURCE: Alternet > More web links related to this story are available > at: > > http://www.prwatch.org/spin/August_2004.html#1093704619 > To discuss this story in the PR Watch Forum, visit: > > http://www.prwatch.org/forum/discuss.php?id=1093704619 > > 4. GONE FISHING FOR PUBLICITY > http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/archive.html?blog=/politics/war_room/2004\ /08/27/fishing_ad/index.html > Anglers on their way into the north woods of > Wisconsin this Labor > Day weekend won't be seeing one important message > about the Bush > administration's environmental record. This month > Environment 2004 > tried to place an advertisement on two billboards > along a Wisconsin > highway that declared, " Mercury. It's what's for > dinner. Served up > by the Bush Administration. " The ads were refused > by the billboard > company, Lamar Advertising of Central Wisconsin. > SOURCE: Salon.com, August 28, 2004 > More web links related to this story are available > at: > > http://www.prwatch.org/spin/August_2004.html#1093665601 > To discuss this story in the PR Watch Forum, visit: > > http://www.prwatch.org/forum/discuss.php?id=1093665601 > > 5. KEEPING JESUS OFF CAMERA > http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/08/28/MNG\ 4G8G43C1.DTL > " Don't expect to see the reverends Jerry Falwell, > Pat Robertson or > Franklin Graham at the podium during next week's > Republican > National Convention, whose planners hope to keep > fire, brimstone > and the Christian Right offstage at Madison Square > Garden. About > the only big name Christians making prime-time > noise at Madison > Square Garden at next week's Republican gathering > will be Third > Day, a popular [pro-Bush] evangelical Christian > rock band. .. . > Some say the prominent role of Christian > conservatives at the 1992 > convention turned moderate voters away from the > Republican ticket. > This year, President Bush's campaign strategists > have made > extraordinary efforts to mobilize conservative > evangelical and > conservative Catholic voters -- hoping the > president's stand > against abortion rights and same-sex marriage will > get them to the > polls and into the Republican column. But the > four-day convention > that opens in New York on Monday will highlight > moderate > Republicans -- such as California Gov. Arnold > Schwarzenegger and > Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. " > SOURCE: San Francisco Chronicle, August 28, 2004 > More web links related to this story are available > at: > > http://www.prwatch.org/spin/August_2004.html#1093665600 > To discuss this story in the PR Watch Forum, visit: > > http://www.prwatch.org/forum/discuss.php?id=1093665600 > > 6. GHOSTWRITERS FOR BUSH > http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=\ 1000619873 > The Daily Kos recently uncovered an astroturf > (fake grassroots) > initiative by the George W. Bush campaign, which > generated > ghostwritten letters to the editor that found > their way into at > least 60 newspapers. This isn't the first time > that the Bush > administration has tried this trick, as we've > reported in the past. > According to Editor and Publisher, however, the > National Conference > of Editorial Writers (NCEW) is now taking the > issue seriously. " On > its NCEW e-mail listserv, some 600 rs who > are mostly > editorial page writers and editors, can alert one > another of > suspicious letters, " writes Charles Geraci. " In > fact, this is the > most consistent topic on the listserv. " Meanwhile, > the Columbia > Journalism Review's Campaign Desk critiques the > Washington Post's > coverage of the topic, showing how an " obsession > with > 'even-handedness' " led the Post to falsely claim > that the Kerry > campaign is doing the same thing. > SOURCE: Editor and Publisher, August 27, 2004 > More web links related to this story are available > at: > > http://www.prwatch.org/spin/August_2004.html#1093579200 > To discuss this story in the PR Watch Forum, visit: > > http://www.prwatch.org/forum/discuss.php?id=1093579200 > > 7. AUTO INDUSTRY FRONT GROUP OPPOSES CALIFORNIA > CLEAN AIR PROPOSAL > file:///Users/lauramiller/Desktop/Ad%20Firm%20Targets%20Emissions%20Proposal.htm\ l > " A public relations firm with ties to the > automobile industry has > launched ads suggesting that a proposed California > rule to cut > carbon dioxide exhaust could cause more people to > die in traffic > accidents, " the Los Angeles Times reports. > " Starring 'Squeezy the > Clown,' the radio and newspaper advertisements by > the Sport Utility > Vehicle Owners of America use humor to make a > questionable claim: > The regulation to combat global warming will > compel auto companies > to make smaller vehicles, forcing California > families into > diminutive cars and trucks that could endanger > their lives. ... But > SUV Owners of America is not a grass-roots > organization. It is run > by Strat@comm, a Washington, D.C., public > relations firm whose > clients have included General Motors, > DaimlerChrysler and Ford, as > well as the auto industry's two major trade > groups. " > SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, August 26, 2004 > More web links related to this story are available > at: > > http://www.prwatch.org/spin/August_2004.html#1093492802 > To discuss this story in the PR Watch Forum, visit: > > http://www.prwatch.org/forum/discuss.php?id=1093492802 > > 8. BLOCK THE VOTE > http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A33798-2004Aug25.html > The National Association for the Advancement of > Colored People > (NAACP) and other civil rights leaders say the > Republican Party is > mounting a campaign to keep African-Americans and > other minority > voters away from the polls this November. " In > recent years, many > minority communities have tended to align with the > Democratic > Party, " states a new report cosponsored by the > NAACP and People for > the American Way. " Over the past two decades, the > Republican Party > has launched a series of 'ballot security' and > 'voter integrity' > initiatives which have targeted minority > communities. ...Voter > intimidation is not a relic of the past, but a > pervasive strategy > used with disturbing frequency in recent years. > Sustaining the > bright promise of the civil rights era, and > maintaining the dream > of equal voting rights for every citizen requires > constant > vigilance, courageous leadership, and an active, > committed and > well-informed citizenry. " (We've reported > ourselves on efforts at > voter suppression in our latest book, Banana > Republicans: How the > Right Wing Is Turning America Into a One-Party > State.) > SOURCE: Washington Post, August 26, 2004 > More web links related to this story are available > at: > > http://www.prwatch.org/spin/August_2004.html#1093492801 > To discuss this story in the PR Watch Forum, visit: > > http://www.prwatch.org/forum/discuss.php?id=1093492801 > > 9. PRESS CONFERENCE FROM HELL > http://www.back-to-iraq.com/archives/000810.php > " I don't know what the news is from the rest of > Iraq or even what's > going on with the governor of Najaf, " writes Chris > Albritton, a > freelance journalist who has been covering the > fighting in Iraq. " I > do know what's happening with the police > department, however. > They're raiding the Sea of Najaf hotel and > rounding the 100 or so > journalists at gunpoint and subjecting them to > mass arrest. " > Albritton describes his recent experience, when > police " raided the > hotel and forced all the journalists out onto the > street. We were > terrified. The cops yelled at us and pointed their > weapons toward > us. Several large trucks were waiting and knew we > would be loaded > onto them. Then they started shooting. ... BANG > BANG! They fired > their weapons just over our heads forcing us to > crouch. " The > reporters were hauled off to the police station, > where they were > treated to what Albritton describes as " the most > bizarre press > conference of my life. " The police chief informed > them that " The > Shrine would be stormed tonight, ... and we would > be allowed to get > on a bus and go visit it tomorrow to see the > damage the Mahdi Army > had done to it. The Sistani protesters in Kufa > were really Mahdi > guys and they had to be killed. Oh, and thank you > for coming. " > Albritton says the Najaf police are " like the old > regime, only less > disciplined. They're terrifying and they're the > most dangerous > element in this conflict. ... The police here have > been engaging in > a systematic intimidation of us for three weeks > now. The governor > of Najaf has reportedly threatened to jail > journalists who don't > write down exactly what he says when he says it in > interviews. " > SOURCE: Back to Iraq, August 26, 2004 > To discuss this story in the PR Watch Forum, visit: > > http://www.prwatch.org/forum/discuss.php?id=1093492800 > > 10. THIS SONG IS YOUR SONG > http://news.com.com/JibJab+beats+copyright+rap/2100-1026_3-5322970.html?tag=st.p\ op > Ludlow Music, a humor-challenged company that > claimed to own the > rights to Woody Guthrie's " This Land is Your > Land, " has dropped its > lawsuit against JibJab Media, the Web animators > who adapted > Guthrie's song to create a wildly popular parody > of the U.S. > presidential campaign. > SOURCE: CNET, August 25, 2004 > More web links related to this story are available > at: > > http://www.prwatch.org/spin/August_2004.html#1093406403 > To discuss this story in the PR Watch Forum, visit: > > http://www.prwatch.org/forum/discuss.php?id=1093406403 > > 11. MEDIA TO BLAME FOR SWIFT BOAT HYPE > http://www.campaigndesk.org/archives/000851.asp > While the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth may have a > questionable > grasp of the facts, it has been extraordinarily > sophisticated in > its manipulation of the media, " observes the > Columbia Journalism > Review's Campaign Desk weblog. " To understand why > this campaign has > been hijacked by a small group of veterans bearing > a thirty-year > old grudge, it's worth examining the institutional > susceptibilities > of a campaign press corps that allowed the SBVFT's > accusations to > take on a life of their own. The SBVFT may have > put themselves in > the game, but it's a flawed media that made them > stars. Campaign > Desk has written many times about the perils of > 'he said/she said' > journalism, the practice of reporters parroting > competing rhetoric > instead of measuring it for veracity against known > facts. In the > wake of the first SBVFT spot early this month, > cable news programs > for the most part offered viewers two talking > heads, one on each > side of the issue, to debate the merits of the > claims. Verifiable > facts were rarely offered to viewers -- despite > the fact that > military records supporting Kerry's version of > events were readily > available. Instead of acting as filters for the > truth, reporters > nodded and attentively transcribed both sides of > the story, > invariably failing to provide context, background, > or any sense of > which claims held up and which were misleading. > ... There have been > dozens of press failures during this presidential > campaign. But > this one ... has to rank as a low point. " > SOURCE: Campaign Desk, August 25, 2004 > More web links related to this story are available > at: > > http://www.prwatch.org/spin/August_2004.html#1093406402 > To discuss this story in the PR Watch Forum, visit: > > http://www.prwatch.org/forum/discuss.php?id=1093406402 > > 12. MORE ADS, LESS JOURNALISM > http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=11504 > " Continuing a twenty-year trend that has seen > advertising expenses > skyrocket as traditional political party > organizing has fallen by > the wayside, the total for political ads this > election year is > estimated by most industry analysts at over $1.5 > billion, $400 > million of which will be spent by the presidential > campaigns, " > report Sakura Saunders and Ben Clarke. " Over the > last 24 years, > broadcast TV advertising alone has increased from > $90 million to > over a $1 billion. At roughly the same pace that > advertising > revenue has grown, broadcast TV coverage of > substantive electoral > issues has dwindled. Network convention coverage, > for example, has > fallen from around 100 hours in 1980 to > approximately 18 hours this > year. " > SOURCE: Corpwatch, August 25, 2004 > To discuss this story in the PR Watch Forum, visit: > > http://www.prwatch.org/forum/discuss.php?id=1093406401 > > 13. LOWER THAN JOURNALISTS > http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/media/story.jsp?story=554501 > Among the professions " less popular than > journalism, " notes Bill > Hagerty, the " furtive world of public relations " > is considered by > many people to be " a black art, inferior only to > child > slave-trading or body-snatching. " He cites a > recent survey showing > that British journalists hold PR people in > especially low esteem. > Nevertheless, he notes, " indications are that PR > and publicists are > becoming increasingly more influential and > powerful. " > SOURCE: Independent (UK), August 24, 2004 > More web links related to this story are available > at: > > http://www.prwatch.org/spin/August_2004.html#1093320002 > To discuss this story in the PR Watch Forum, visit: > > http://www.prwatch.org/forum/discuss.php?id=1093320002 > > 14. GREENWASHING FORD'S SUVS > http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0823-11.htm > " The launching of the 2005 Ford Escape Hybrid this > fall marks an > auto industry first: the coupling of a hybrid > electric engine, > containing the most energy-efficient fuel system > available, with an > SUV, the least efficient class of passenger > vehicle, " writes > Geoffrey Johnson. The Escape Hybrid won't do much > to improve the > environment, and Ford isn't expected to make money > on it either. > Johnson concludes that Ford, which has the worst > fleetwide fuel > economy of any major U.S. auto manufacturer, is > engaged in " a > clear-cut case of 'greenwashing.' Ford hopes to > mold a public > perception that Ford has gone green, that the > company is a model of > corporate responsibility. ... In the end, the > slick images and > exaggerated claims of greenwashing by Ford and > others divert our > attention from the corporate-fueled environmental > destruction > taking place all around us. And that means that > greenwashing, far > from promoting a better world, is itself a serious > environmental > problem. " > SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, August 22, 2004 > To discuss this story in the PR Watch Forum, visit: > > http://www.prwatch.org/forum/discuss.php?id=1093147200 > > 15. POLITICAL FOOTBALL > http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/olympics/2004/writers/08/19/iraq/ > Iraqi soccer players at the Olympic games in > Greece are angered at > the Bush campaign for using the Iraqi Olympic team > in Bush's latest > re-election campaign advertisements. " Iraq as a > team does not want > Mr. Bush to use us for the presidential campaign, " > said Iraqi > midfielder Salih Sadir. Another player, Ahmed > Manajid, had even > stronger words: " How will he meet his god having > slaughtered so > many men and women? " Manajid said. " He has > committed so many > crimes. " Sports Illustrated writer Grant Wahl > interviewed the > players. " To a man, " he reports, " members of the > Iraqi Olympic > delegation say they are glad that former Olympic > committee head > Uday Hussein, who was responsible for the serial > torture of Iraqi > athletes and?was killed ?four?months?after the > U.S.-led coalition > invaded Iraq?in March 2003, is no longer in power. > But they also > find it offensive that Bush is using ?Iraq for his > own gain when > they do not support his administration's actions. " > SOURCE: Sports Illustrated, August 19, 2004 > To discuss this story in the PR Watch Forum, visit: > > http://www.prwatch.org/forum/discuss.php?id=1092888001 > > > ---- > > The Weekly Spin is compiled by staff and volunteers > at the > Center for Media and Democracy. To or > unsubcribe, visit: > http://www.prwatch.org/cmd/_sotd.html > > Daily updates and news from past weeks can be found > at the > Spin of the Day " section of the Center website: > http://www.prwatch.org/spin/index.html > > Archives of our quarterly publication, PR Watch, are > at: > http://www.prwatch.org/prwissues > > PR Watch, Spin of the Day and the Weekly Spin are > projects > of the Center for Media & Democracy, a nonprofit > organization > that offers investigative reporting on the public > relations > industry. We help the public recognize manipulative > and > misleading PR practices by exposing the activities > of > secretive, little-known propaganda-for-hire firms > that > work to control political debates and public > opinion. > Please send any questions or suggestions about our > publications to: > editor > > Contributions to the Center for Media and Democracy > are tax-deductible. Send checks to: > CMD > 520 University Ave. #227 > Madison, WI 53703 > > To donate now online, visit: > https://www.egrants.org/donate/index.cfm?ID=2344-0|1118-0 > _____________ > Weekly-Spin mailing list > Weekly-Spin > http://two.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/weekly-spin > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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