Third Party Technique

Working to Make A Difference (In Their Favor): The Arts Dollars of Philip Morris

by Anne Landman — October 10, 2007 - 6:59pm
  • Topics: Third Party Technique, Health, Public Relations, Tobacco

    • Is it Art, or Is It Philip Morris?Cigarette maker Altria/Philip Morris (PM) recently announced that it is moving its New York headquarters to Richmond, Virginia, and that it will end its corporate sponsorship of the arts in New York. Predictably, New York arts organizations are crying over the loss of cigarette dollars. These organizations sadly believe that their acceptance of PM dollars has been benign. In truth, these organizations have helped PM advance its credibility and legitimacy with policymakers, and have done tremendous harm to the country.

    We can no longer put our heads in the sand about the implications of accepting tobacco dollars. Tobacco industry documents are rife with insights about the public relations benefits tobacco companies derive from sponsorship of arts, culture, sports, and music.

    Mercenaries for Mercury

    by Sheldon Rampton — October 9, 2007 - 5:54pm

    "A nonprofit group backed by the seafood industry urged pregnant women and nursing mothers to eat more fish than recommended by U.S. officials concerned that mercury contamination can hurt babies," reports Avram Goldstein.

    Main Source: 
    Bloomberg News, October 4, 2007

    TV "Expert" Doesn't Disclose His Fellow Travelers

    by Diane Farsetta — October 8, 2007 - 12:48pm

    Florida's Broward County paid a travel writer $10,000 to mention Fort Lauderdale, "during a summer media tour that took him to 16 news stations in 37 days," reports the Miami Herald. Joel Widzer "seemed to have little trouble finding stations willing to interview him and air the footage of Fort Lauderdale's coral reefs and spas that the public relations firm, Plus Media, provided producers. A follow-up report ...

    Main Source: 
    Miami Herald, October 7, 2007

    Follow the Money, Eh? Canadian Reporters' Glowing Failure

    by Bob Burton — September 26, 2007 - 1:35am
  • Topics: Journalism, Issue Management, Nuclear Power, Third Party Technique, Environment, Ethics, International, Media, Public Relations

    • Patrick Moore"Much of the environmental movement, including Greenpeace, has lost its way when it comes to nuclear power, caught up in politically correct ideology and stooping to sensationalism to garner support," declared a recent media alert announcing the visit of one-time Greenpeace activist Patrick Moore to Toronto. The alert continued, "In Ontario, CANDU nuclear energy is the greatest single contributor to carbon reduction relative to all other energy producing technologies."

    The alert, which was distributed by Laurie Weir and Josh Turner from the Canadian PR company Trillium Corporate Communications, prominently featured Moore's claim that was a "founding member" of Greenpeace. It didn't mention who was sponsoring his tour or that Moore works as a consultant to the Nuclear Energy Institute in the U.S. The day following the Toronto event, Moore promoted nuclear power at an event hosted by the Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce in the province of Saskatchewan.

    The debate over nuclear power and uranium mining involves major questions of potentially massive economic costs to consumers and taxpayers, the safety of the population, the potential for weapons proliferation, the creation of a long-term radioactive legacy and significant impacts on indigenous communities. With such potentially large downsides, probing journalism is essential to ensure that citizens can make informed choices rather than be served a diet of nuclear industry spin dressed up as news.

    Of course, any journalist with internet access would be easily able to check out a little on Moore's background, his history of nuclear advocacy and ask some questions about who exactly he was working for. After all, the Canadian Association of Journalists statement of principles sets out that journalists "will report all relevant facts in coverage of controversies or disputes." But how often does this happen?

    Perk Poppers

    by Bob Burton — September 13, 2007 - 5:08am

    Ben Goldacre, a London-based doctor and writer, was a little "surprised" by a recent offer posted in an email on a science writers' mailing list.

    Main Source: 
    British Medical Journal (sub req'd), September 8, 2007

    It's a Tobacco Thing, You Wouldn't Understand: Virginia Commonwealth University and the Tobacco Industry

    by Anne Landman — September 12, 2007 - 1:25am
  • Topics: Genetic Engineering, Third Party Technique, Health, Public Relations, Tobacco
    • Interested in researching and exposing tobacco industry spin? Visit our Tobacco Portal on Sourcewatch, sponsored by CMD and the American Legacy Foundation. Join our team of citizen journalists researching and exposing tobacco industry secrets.

    It's no secret that Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) shares a cozy relationship with the tobacco industry. In fact, VCU and the industry have long supported each other in a number of ways.

    In 1991, while other medical schools including Harvard and Johns Hopkins were divesting their tobacco stocks, VCU's longtime President, Dr. Eugene Trani, was working to make VCU more tobacco-friendly, negotiating a new smoking policy that explicitly permitted smoking in 41 out of 42 of the University's facilities. The one area where smoking was not permitted was VCU's hospital, since this would have made it ineligible for accreditation, and hence government Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements. Philip Morris CEO Michael Szymanczyk was the keynote speaker at VCU's graduation ceremony in 2003. In 2005, USA Today reported that PM had endowed a Chair of International Business in the University's School of Business, and that PM was at that time funding 12 studies at VCU accounting for $4.4 million. Also in 2005, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported that PM was investing $300 million in a new Virginia Biotechnology Research Park and that VCU had been closely involved in the negotiations to create the facility. The Dispatch wrote that, thanks to the Biotech Park, "VCU is poised to become a partner in key areas of compatible research with Philip Morris."

    Featured Participatory Project: Help Expose the Attempts to Spin Wikipedia (Week 2)

    by Conor Kenny — September 5, 2007 - 1:24am

    Last week we started a new participatory project to expose the government agencies, corporations and lobbying groups that have been censoring, whitewashing or otherwise spinning Wikipedia.

    Main Source: 
    SourceWatch Project on Tracking Attempts to Spin Wikipedia

    Outsourcing Firms Bring Lobbying Business to the U.S.

    by Diane Farsetta — August 29, 2007 - 4:06pm

    "As the 2008 U.S. election starts to sizzle, the Indian outsourcing firms have returned to win Washington over as veritable insiders, slicker and better connected than ever," reports Anand Giridharadas.

    Main Source: 
    International Herald Tribune, August 15, 2007

    NPR Urged to Follow the Money on Nuclear Issues

    by Diane Farsetta — August 23, 2007 - 1:15pm

    During an August 15 news segment on nuclear power, why did National Public Radio's John Ydstie say "many environmentalists ... who began their careers opposed to nuclear power ... are now reconsidering nuclear power in the face of global warming"?

    Main Source: 
    Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, August 22, 2007
    Syndicate content