"Don't let union bosses eliminate your right to privacy!" warns an ad from the Center for Union Facts, one of many front groups associated with lobbyist Rick Berman. With the U.S. Senate deliberating over a bill that "would give employees at a workplace the right to unionize as soon as a majority signed cards saying they wanted to do so," Berman & Co. are busy. The Center for Union Facts has spent "$500,000 on newspaper and broadcast advertisements this week alone," reports the New York Times. The House has already passed the bill, but not by enough votes to override a presidential veto. In the Senate, "Republicans and their business allies are predicting that they can prevent even an up-or-down vote on the measure." Like the Center for Union Facts, many Republicans are saying that "majority sign-up is less fair than secret-ballot elections," and warning that labor organizers will intimidate "workers into signing pro-union cards."

"Today's video PR campaigns must include both traditional and online components," counsels PR Week. "Leave nothing on the cutting-room floor ... put it on YouTube or another video-sharing site. ... The use of viral video and other new-media initiatives is essential in connecting with teens," but "equally important is engaging parents, educators, and other adult influencers via traditional broadcast vehicles," such as video news releases (VNRs), B-roll video and satellite media tours. For example, Boston Market hired Fleishman-Hillard and On the Scene Productions to promote its "Time for Your School" program. The PR campaign included a partnership with Students Against Destructive Decisions, a page on the MySpace social networking site, and "traditional broadcast components" such as TV satellite and radio media tours. To promote its PlayStation 3, Sony had the PR firm Medialink Worldwide issue VNRs, B-roll, "multimedia offerings distributed via its digital newsroom," and viral videos posted to social networking sites.

The two lobbying firms unflatteringly profiled in a Harper's Magazine article on Washington DC lobbyists for foreign dictators -- APCO Worldwide and Cassidy & Associates -- are not amused. In researching the piece, Harper's reporter Ken Silverstein presented himself to the firms as someone interested in rehabilitating the poor image of Turkmenistan, "one of central Asia's most repressive countries." APCO's B.J. Cooper called the Harper's piece the "most unethical reportorial project" he's ever seen, saying Silverstein "lied to" his firm and published information "out of context." Using the "no news here" crisis management tactic, Cassidy issued a statement expressing surprise that "a reporter would go to such extraordinary lengths to gather information in such a deceptive way that really isn't all that new or interesting." Both firms say that Harper's should have at least given them an opportunity to comment. Silverstein admits to "trickery," but defends the article as a "public service."

David Hancocks, a former director and architect of zoos in the United States and Australia, is skeptical of the conservation benefits often claimed by zoos. While many zoos tout breeding as a success story, Hancocks sees it as "merely basic zoo business: zoos must breed their animals to preserve their collections. Hardly any animals born in zoos are introduced to the wild." Despite this, he wrote in an opinion column, "They nonetheless loudly position themselves as leaders in wildlife conservation. In truth, government and non-government agencies are most successful in restoring habitat and reintroducing wild species. Zoos play an occasional minor role - and want all the glory." While a supporter of what he describes as a handful of the "best zoos," he is not persuaded by the claims of many zoos that their re-designed enclosures improve conditions for the animals: "The new zoos, sans cages, make visitors feel better, but it is all deception. The animals typically have no contact with living plants, separated from them by electric wires." Yet such greenwashing attracts more visitors.

BP advertisement from 2004The High Court of Australia has dismissed a bid by BP to have the green Pantone colour 348C used in its logo registered as its trademark. BP's barrister, David Shavin, requested leave to appeal the lower court's decision that the company can't trademark the colour. However, Justice William Gummow was skeptical: "It might be inherently adapted to mislead, might it not? ... What is nature [sic] and healthy about the production or consumption of petroleum products?" BP's Shavin asserted, "To the consumer in the context of oil, your Honour, green indicates BP, not environmental friendliness." Justice Michael Kirby commented that "it was a clever colour to have chosen so many years ago because it is now very much associated with the environmental movement." A majority of the three judges rejected BP's application and awarded costs against the company. Despite the setback, BP has registered the colour green in over 20 countries.