Guest guest Posted May 19, 2005 Report Share Posted May 19, 2005 18 May 2005 15:42:01 -0000 weekly-spin The Weekly Spin, May 18, 2005 THE WEEKLY SPIN, May 18, 2005 --- sponsored by the nonprofit Center for Media and Democracy http://www.prwatch.org To support our work now online visit: https://www.egrants.org/donate/index.cfm?ID=2344-0|1118-0 --- The Weekly Spin features selected news summaries with links to further information about media, political spin and propaganda. 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 == BLOG POSTINGS == 1. FCC Commissioner Adelstein Issues Fake News Challenge 2. U.S. Senate Holds " Fake News " Hearing: PR Industry Imitates Big Tobacco == SPIN OF THE DAY == 1. Bill Moyers Blasts CPB Chair Tomlinson 2. The Squeaky Wheel Gets the Oil Money 3. The K Street Project Bears Fruit 4. Ecomagine That: GE Stalls on PCB Cleanup 5. Drug Industry Prescribes Self-Regulation 6. Blogging Puts PR in a Spin 7. Is " Return on Investment " Armstrong's Lesson? 8. Empowering Secrecy 9. The Junkman Judgeth 10. More Government-Grown " News " : USDA Pays Writer ---- == BLOG POSTINGS == 1. FCC COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN ISSUES FAKE NEWS CHALLENGE by Laura Miller " We need to fight one of [media consolidation's] most pernicious symptoms, I think, which is the increasing commercialization of media, " the Federal Communications Commission's Jonathan Adelstein told an audience of nearly two thousand at the National Conference on Media Reform. Adelstein listed as examples " thinly disguised payola " and " video news releases, masquerading as news. " Also guilty of commercializing media are " PR agents pushing political and commercial agendas, squeezing out real news coverage and local community concerns " and product placements, which are " turning news and entertainment shows alike into undisclosed commercials for an unwitting public, " he said. For the rest of this story, visit: http://www.prwatch.org/node/3671 2. U.S. SENATE HOLDS " FAKE NEWS " HEARING: PR INDUSTRY IMITATES BIG TOBACCO by Diane Farsetta Anyone who's ever looked at a package of cigarettes in the United States since 1965 is familiar with the Surgeon General's warning labels. The tobacco industry did not want their product being labeled with, " Smoking causes lung cancer, heart disease, emphysema, and may complicate pregnancy. " However, Congress determined that the public interest was best served by ensuring that everyone purchasing cigarettes knew of their ill effects. Providing this information didn't end smoking (today, 22 percent of U.S. adults use cigarettes), but it helped balance years of Big Tobacco's deceptive PR by simply presenting the facts in an appropriate, immediate and universal way. Congress is now engaged in a similar debate about labeling " fake news. " On May 12, public relations and broadcasting industry representatives testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation about the Truth in Broadcasting Act (S 967). Their remarks were reminiscent of how the tobacco industry responded to the threat of cigarette labeling four decades ago. For the rest of this story, visit: http://www.prwatch.org/node/3667 == SPIN OF THE DAY == 1. BILL MOYERS BLASTS CPB CHAIR TOMLINSON http://www.freepress.net/press/release.php?id=70 Television journalist Bill Moyers harangued Corporation for Public Broadcasting chair Kenneth Tomlinson at the recent National Media Reform Conference. Tomlinson is " aggressively pressing public television to correct what he and other conservatives consider liberal bias, " according to the May 2 edition of the New York Times. " The more compelling our journalism, the angrier the radical right of the Republican Party gets, " Moyers told the audience of 1,400. " That's because the one thing they loathe more than liberals is the truth. And the quickest way to be damned by them as liberal is to tell the truth. " The veteran journalist skewered Tomlinson (mp3) for spending $10,000 of public money to monitor PBS's " Now with Bill Moyers " and refusing to release the results. " That great mob that is democracy is rarely heard, and that's not just the fault of the current residents of the White House and Capitol, " Moyers said. " There is a great chasm between those of us in the business and those who depend on TV and radio as their window to the world. We treat them too much like audiences and not enough like citizens. " SOURCE: Free Press, May 15, 2005 For more information or to comment on this story, visit: http://www.prwatch.org/node/3677 2. THE SQUEAKY WHEEL GETS THE OIL MONEY http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=12236 In 2001, Russian businessman Mikhail Khodorkovsky (now on trial for fraud and tax evasion) hired APCO Worldwide, " to restore investors' trust in the company, " reported O'Dwyer's at the time. Lucy Komisar writes that, at APCO's suggestion, Khodorkovsky's Yukos Oil Corporation " created the Open Russia Foundation ... to build cooperation between Russia and the West. " Yet, the foundation's activities " seemed aimed more at cultivating powerful friends. " Last year, Yukos retained the Burson-Marsteller firm BKSH, " to keep Washington abreast of political, legal and business developments. " In March 2005, APCO " launched a series of advertisements " on the New York Times website, " designed to look like a newsletter named 'Russia in Focus.' " One issue " included an attack on the Khodorkovsky prosecution co-authored by Stuart Eizenstat (incidentally a member of APCO's international advisory board) and Jonathan Winer - both former Clinton State Department officials. " SOURCE: CorpWatch, May 10, 2005 For more information or to comment on this story, visit: http://www.prwatch.org/node/3676 3. THE K STREET PROJECT BEARS FRUIT http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/16/AR2005051601334_\ pf.html The Washington Post reports on how House Majority Whip Roy Blunt " has converted what had been an informal and ad hoc relationship between congressional leaders and the Washington corporate and trade community into a formal, institutionalized alliance. " Blunt's " organization of whips and lobbyist vote counters ... has delivered more than 50 consecutive victories for the GOP leadership on tough fights over issues including tax and trade bills, District of Columbia school choice and tort reform. " The " de facto 'executive committee' " of " the Republican leadership's K Street lobbying arm " includes Ed Gillespie of Quinn Gillespie & Associates; Mark Isakowitz and Samantha Poole of Fierce, Isakowitz and Blalock; Rudy of Alexander Strategy Group and Greenberg Traurig; Lyle Beckwitch of the National Association of Convenience Stores; and Ralph Hellmann of the Information Technology Industry Council. SOURCE: Washington Post, May 17, 2005 For more information or to comment on this story, visit: http://www.prwatch.org/node/3675 4. ECOMAGINE THAT: GE STALLS ON PCB CLEANUP http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050517/NEWS01/50\ 5170325/1006 " The National Academy of Sciences would investigate the effectiveness of dredging PCB-contaminated sediment under a directive written largely by General Electric Co. and attached to a House of Representatives spending bill last week, " reported the Poughkeepsie Journal. A GE spokesperson said, " We think the public and regulators will benefit from knowing more about these issues. " But environmentalists and Senator Charles Schumer say the study would needlessly delay the cleanup of New York's Hudson River, which was contaminated by PCBs from GE plants in the 1970s. An Environmental Protection Agency spokesperson said, " We have the data to prove [dredging] is the best thing for this river, for the environment, and for the communities here. " GE's efforts to delay the Hudson River cleanup contrast with its recently launched $90 million pro-environmental PR and ad campaign, called " Ecomagination. " SOURCE: Poughkeepsie Journal, May 17, 2005 For more information or to comment on this story, visit: http://www.prwatch.org/node/3674 5. DRUG INDUSTRY PRESCRIBES SELF-REGULATION http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/17/politics/17drug.html? According to former member of Congress Billy Tauzin, now the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America's head lobbyist, " drug companies [are] trying to develop a voluntary code of conduct for the advertising of prescription medicines on television and in print. " Tauzin said " a good strong code " would likely be issued this June or July. However, " one purpose " for the code " is to fend off more stringent federal regulation, " according to the New York Times. " Better to self-regulate than to have someone else tell you how to conduct your business, " one pharmaceutical marketing chief told Advertising Age. PhRMA's announcement comes as mounting evidence suggests " drug sales don't necessarily rise or fall as TV ads are boosted or reduced, " because, unlike other products, " a consumer can't buy a prescription drug without a doctor's signature, " reported the Wall Street Journal. Drug ads have come under increasing scrutiny following " the safety controversy over highly advertised painkillers Vioxx from Merck & Co. and Celebrex from Pfizer. " SOURCE: New York Times, May 17, 2005 For more information or to comment on this story, visit: http://www.prwatch.org/node/3673 6. BLOGGING PUTS PR IN A SPIN http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/8.30/mediarpt/stories/s1364821.htm Jay Rosen, who is an Associate Professor at New York University's Journalism Department and author of the PressThink blog, believes the rise of blogging is posing a major challenge to the PR industry. Rosen argues that because PR is " totally about control, " the PR industry will struggle to cope with the proliferation of sources of information and opinions available on the Internet. Journalists, Rosen says, have become " quite reliant on public relations people, " while " bloggers don’t really care " about them. Two weeks ago, Richard Edelman, the CEO of Edelman, wrote with alarm about bloggers' disdain for PR people. Earlier this year, his company released a report on some of the implications of blogging for companies, while Issue Dynamics has created a blogger practice group. SOURCE: Australian Broadcasting Corporation, May 12, 2005 For more information or to comment on this story, visit: http://www.prwatch.org/node/3669 7. IS " RETURN ON INVESTMENT " ARMSTRONG'S LESSON? http://prweek.com/news/news_story.cfm?ID=238048 & site=3 Just weeks after the Department of Education's Office of Inspector General's damning report on the Ketchum / Armstrong Williams contract to promote the No Child Left Behind legislation, the department " is looking for a vendor to help it measure how well it is communicating with the public. " According to PR Week, a major concern is the department's failure to get adequate " return on investment. " The new Education Department contractor will " compile a daily list of placements and transcript summaries of local and national news programs that mention the department and its officials, " and " provide an analysis of the audience that each broadcast outlet reaches. " SOURCE: PR Week (sub. req'd.), May 12, 2005 For more information or to comment on this story, visit: http://www.prwatch.org/node/3665 8. EMPOWERING SECRECY http://www.odwyerpr.com/members/0512rendon.htm The conservative legal group Judicial Watch filed a lawsuit against the Defense Department, for not responding to their March 2004 Freedom of Information Act request on what " strategic influence, perception management, strategic information warfare and/or psychological operations " contracts the Pentagon has signed since September 11, 2001. Judicial Watch is especially concerned with " Empower Peace, " an Internet-based program run by the secretive Rendon Group, to link " American school age children with their counterparts in the Arab world. " Judicial Watch says the site might be " propagandizing the American public, " and maintains that the Pentagon has spent $40 million on the project, " while guys are running around getting killed in Iraq. " Rick Rendon calls Judicial Watch's charges " absolutely not true, " saying Empower Peace receives no Pentagon funding. SOURCE: O'Dwyer's PR Daily (sub. req'd.), May 12, 2005 For more information or to comment on this story, visit: http://www.prwatch.org/node/3664 9. THE JUNKMAN JUDGETH http://pubs.acs.org//journals/esthag-w/2005/may/business/pt_junkscience\ ..html One of PR Watch's " usual suspects, " Steven J. Milloy, managed to get himself invited to be a judge for the 2004 American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Journalism Awards: Online Category. Milloy, who calls himself " The Junkman, " is an adjunct scholar at the Cato Institute, a commentator for FoxNews.com, and the creator of JunkScience.com. He earns his living attacking scientific research and public health activism that goes against industry interests. While Milloy claims the judgeship on his website, the AAAS does not list Milloy as a judge in last year’s competition. " According to AAAS spokesperson Ginger Pinholster, Milloy was invited to be a judge but quickly notified the other panelists that he had conflicts of interest due to his affiliation with the Cato Institute, [a] libertarian think tank, " journalist Paul Thacker writes. " 'It was just kind of a snafu, and he had a nice lunch on us,' she said in a phone message. 'We've already dealt with it. This is a sponsored, nonprofit program, and I just want it to go away.' 'This is somewhat like discovering that Karl Rove [President Bush's chief political adviser] was a judge in a contest for political journalism,' says Seth Borenstein, a national correspondent who covers the environment, science, and health for the Washington, D.C., bureau of Knight Ridder. " SOURCE: Environmental Science and Technology Online, May 11, 2005 For more information or to comment on this story, visit: http://www.prwatch.org/node/3663 10. MORE GOVERNMENT-GROWN " NEWS " : USDA PAYS WRITER http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/10/AR2005051001593.\ html " An Agriculture Department agency paid a freelance writer at least $7,500 to write articles touting federal conservation programs and place them in outdoors magazines, " reports the Washington Post. In 2003, the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service hired Dave Smith to " research and write articles for hunting and fishing magazines describing the benefits of NRCS Farm Bill programs. " None of the three articles Smith published, in the Outdoor Oklahoma and Washington-Oregon Game & Fish magazines, disclosed the USDA payments. An NRCS public relations staffer offered the position to Smith because, according to NRCS head David Gagner, " We truly didn't think we had somebody who was a good enough expert on these issues, and that type of writer. " Gagner said NRCS would consider similar contracts in the future, but would ensure articles disclosed " that that writing was done by, for " the USDA. SOURCE: Washington Post, May 11, 2005 For more information or to comment on this story, visit: http://www.prwatch.org/node/3662 ---- The Weekly Spin is compiled by staff and volunteers at the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD), a nonprofit public interest organization. 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 CMD also sponsors SourceWatch, a collaborative research project that invites anyone (including you) to contribute and edit articles: http://www.sourcewatch.org PR Watch, Spin of the Day, the Weekly Spin and SourceWatch 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 ______________________________ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.