|
|
NavigationTopicsUser login |
astroturfAnother Ghost-Written Op/ed Traced to LMGTopics: astroturf | internet | media | third party technique
If there's a questionable opinion column promoting a corporate viewpoint, chances are the secretive Washington DC public affairs firm LMG -- also known as LawMedia Group -- is involved. As the Center for Media and Democracy reported previously, LMG helped place a column attributed to the president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, which he didn't write and which criticized some SCLC donors. Now, it appears LMG is behind another column. The author supposedly was Mel King, a community organizer and network neutrality advocate. However, his column questions the need for net neutrality provisions. King admitted that LMG was involved and refused to say whether "he was paid for the use of his name," reports Declan McCullagh. LMG's clients include Comcast, which opposes net neutrality, and Microsoft, which hired LMG in an attempt to block a Google-Yahoo advertising deal. Another strange aspect of King's anti-net neutrality column is that "portions are identical to a Rainbow Push coalition statement attributed to the Rev. Jesse Jackson and dated three months before." A source told McCullagh that "LMG has a relationship with Jackson that includes ghost-written articles on behalf of corporate clients." Weekly Radio Spin: Dick's Army of Angry RentersSubmitted by Judith Siers-Poisson on Fri, 05/23/2008 - 13:41.
Topics: astroturf | children | corporations | crisis management | environment | front groups | health | internet | journalism | politics | propaganda | public relations | pundits | think tanks | U.S. government | war/peace | Weekly Radio Spin
Armey's Angry RentersTopics: astroturf | front groups | internet
"AngryRenter.com looks a bit like a digital ransom note, with irregular fonts, exclamation points and big red arrows -- all emphasizing prudent renters' outrage over a proposed government bailout for irresponsible homeowners," writes Michael M. Phillips. In fact, however, "the people behind AngryRenter.com are certainly not renters. Though it purports to be a spontaneous uprising, AngryRenter.com is actually a product of an inside-the-Beltway conservative advocacy organization led by Dick Armey, the former House majority leader, and publishing magnate Steve Forbes, a fellow Republican. It's a fake grass-roots effort -- what politicos call an AstroTurf campaign -- that provides a window into the sleight-of-hand ways of Washington." Where There's PR Smoke, There's Grassfire.org, DudeTopics: astroturf | environment | front groups | global warming | public relations | right wing | science
Columnist Dimitri Vassilaros received a news release about a grassroots "petition to stop climate alarmism" and attacking Al Gore's work. He checked it out and found that "for an organization that claims 'we are grassroots to the core,' Grassfire.org acts as if it is hiding a lot of Astroturf. The politically conservative nonprofit is happy to talk about its worthy online petition campaigns," but is "very tight-lipped about talking about itself. ... The Maxwell, Iowa, address for donations to the grassroots organization is clearly displayed on its Web site. But its 2006 IRS 990 form states its address is Bethesda, Md., near Washington, D.C." The SourceWatch article on Grassfire revealed its relationship to Craig Shirley and his "slick Washington-area PR firm, Shirley & Banister Public Affairs. ... When asked a few times about the organization's finances, [Grassfire's] Mr. De Jong first said he didn't know the size of the organization that he speaks for. He also said he 'could ask around' about that 990 form. When I offered to ask the bookkeeper for him, De Jong said, 'She will call, dude. Relax. I'll take care of it for you. I am a man of my word.' As of Thursday noon, no one had called this dude." Featured Participatory Project: Outing Front GroupsTopics: astroturf | citizen journalism | front groups | internet
The Legion of Lobbyists Behind a "Consumer" GroupSubmitted by Bob Burton on Mon, 04/07/2008 - 23:50.
Topics: astroturf | citizen journalism | democracy | front groups | lobbying | politics | public relations | U.S. government
Canada's Canned Conservative CallsTopics: astroturf | democracy | media | politics | third party technique
Yes He Can... Create Front GroupsTopics: advertising | astroturf | corporations | ethics | front groups | secrecy | Election 2008
Senator Barack Obama's chief campaign strategist, David Axelrod, "moonlights" from his political PR firm AKP&D Message & Media. Working from the same office, "Axelrod operates a second business, ASK Public Strategies, that discreetly plots strategy and advertising campaigns for corporate clients," reports Howard Wolinsky. Axelrod's ASK partners are John Kupper and Eric Sedler, previously of AT&T and Edelman. Chicago Alder Brendan Reilly called ASK "the gold standard in Astroturf organizing." In 2005, as ComEd was "preparing to ask [Illinois] state regulators for higher electricity prices," ASK advised the company to form "Consumers Organized for Reliable Electricity." The front group, which described itself as "a coalition of individuals, businesses and organizations," funded ads that warned of blackouts unless rates were raised. Around the same time, ASK helped Cablevision, which owns Madison Square Garden, oppose the New York Jets's plans to build a new stadium in Manhattan. Cablevision formed the "New York Association for Better Choices," and ran anti-stadium ads in its name. ASK's other work includes helping AT&T defeat municipal broadband referenda. Monsanto-Funded Front Group Fights Milk LabelingTopics: agriculture | animal rights | astroturf | biotechnology | corporations | food safety | front groups | issue management | lobbying | third party technique
A new "grassroots" farmers' group with close ties to Monsanto has been formed to outlaw labels that would notify consumers they are buying milk from cows not treated with recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH). Monsanto genetically engineers rBGH, called Posilac, which is injected into cows, forcing them to produce more milk. The front group American Farmers for the Advancement and Conservation of Technology (AFACT), which receives funding from Monsanto, was organized by Osborne & Barr, an agri-marketing firm started by two former Monsanto employees in 1988. The founding client of Osborne & Barr was Monsanto. Consultant Monty G. Miller of Estes Park, Colorado, also helped organize AFACT, which was formally launched in California in February 2008. The only contact information AFACT lists on its website is a fax number listed as belonging to "Outer Office." Outer Office provides secretarial and operational support (such as scheduling, newsletters and message-taking) to small consulting businesses. A call to Outer Office seeking the address and telephone contact information for AFACT was not returned. The Truth About LyingTopics: astroturf | environment | ethics | public relations
Gawker.com, the media gossip blog, recently had a testy exchange with Richard Edelman, CEO of the giant Edelman public relations firm, after Gawker published an item which quoted an unnamed Edelman employee who reportedly advised a client, "Sometimes, you just have to stand up there and lie. Make the audience or the reporter believe that everything is ok." Richard Edelman responded by telling Gawker that the report was "completely false and needs to be taken down. You bet we take ethics seriously." This in turn prompted a rejoinder from Gawker blogger Hamilton Nolan, who retorted that Edelman himself had been dishonest about the nature of his company's work for Wal-Mart. "You lied and said that the 100% company-controlled Astroturf group 'Working Families for Wal-Mart' was 'A real group of people, as far as I know,'" Nolan stated. "I made the case that that was a blatant lie when I was at PRWeek, and I still believe it." Nolan also pointed to a detailed report in New Yorker magazine, which detailed Edelman's work for Wal-Mart, including its effort to "co-opt liberals" with the help of former Environmental Defense board member and PR pro Leslie Dachs. |
Weekly SpinRecent blog posts
Upcoming events |