Activism

The San Francisco Independent Media Center reports that in response to escalating police sweeps and media vilification of homeless people, protesters plastered the front doors of the San Francisco Chronicle offices with copies of biased news coverage taken from the Chronicle's own pages and demanded an end to an editorial policy that is aiding and abetting the harassment and criminalization of homeless people.

Anxious to avoid another public relations calamity, the Italian government has agreed to allow a parliamentary inquiry into the horrific police violence that injured 240 protesters during recent globalization talks in Genoa. The violence included the secret torture of arrestees in police cells. "I heard my ribs break, like snapping matchsticks. I thought, my God, this is it, I'm going to die," said Mark Covell, one of the journalists injured when police attacked the school where he was staying.

Food First, also known as The Institute for Food and Development Policy, is fund-raising for $450,000 to undertake a three-year campaign "to rebut the questionable PR tactics used by the biotech industry to promote genetically engineered (GE) food. Specifically, we will counter the industry tactics of green washing — 'biotech is pro-environment,' poor washing — 'we need biotech to feed the hungry,' and hope dashing — 'there is no alternative.' " Ross S.

The Edelman PR firm has been conducting seminars driven by the realization that "Non-governmental organizations affect business like never before. From the WTO protests in Seattle to the battle over genetically-modified organisms and food, NGOs have become the new 'super brands' in global governance.