Public Relations

PR Scandal in Hong Kong, But Not So In Washington

In Hong Kong, ex-legislator Gary Cheng Kai-nam has been convicted of corruption after he was caught double-dipping. While acting as a government official, Cheng set up his own PR firm and worked as a paid lobbyist. "It was bad enough that Cheng should have found it proper to set up a public affairs consultancy after becoming a legislator," observes the South China Morning Post.

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Burson-Marsteller Partners With Internet Spy Firm

Burson-Marsteller, one of the world's largest public relations firms, has formed an alliance with Cyveillance, a company that specializes in helping companies track what consumers, activists and other interested parties are saying about them on the Internet. ""Negative comments or dialogue, which can be devastating to large corporations, often begin unnoticed in the recesses of the Internet," explained Eric Letsinger of Cyveillance. According to B-M's Scott A.

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Giuliani Eyes Crisis Communications

Outgoing New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani may open his own high-end consulting firm. New York Daily News reports that Giuliani and 15 members of his administration are part of the start-up business plan. PR Week reports that NY public affairs academics and industry insiders are praising Giulianiis potential move to crisis consulting.

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From Hard Liquor to Diet Pills

Judy Blatman, who helped put cocktail hour on TV for the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (which represents some of the nation's largest hard-liquor companies), has been hired to represent the Council for Responsible Nutrition, which represents companies that sell diet pills and allegedly "natural" food supplements -- including ephedra, which has been linked to

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Omnicom Enters Corporate Spying Game

PR trade publication O'Dwyer's PR Daily reports: "Omnicom has established SafirRosetti to spearhead its foray into the 'business intelligence' and 'executive and personal protection' arenas. Former New York City Police Commissioner Howard Safir and ex-Kroll Assocs. and IBM Security Director Joe Rosetti head the operation that Omnicom CEO John Wren calls a 'natural extension' of the communications combine's business."

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New PR Watch Examines "Terrorism As Pretext"

Subscribers to our investigative quarterly PR Watch have just received the latest issue examining how the PR industry and its clients are exploiting the September 11th terrorist attacks. You won't find this issue on our website until early next year, but you can receive it now by subscribing. Please do subscribe, we need you. Not only will we mail you PR Watch first class four times a year, your contribution will also enable us to continue our work. Please also consider an end-of-the-year donation to the Center.

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PR Pats Self On Back

Peter Himler, who handles media relations for PR giant Burson-Marsteller, congratulated NY-based PR practitioners for acting "responsibly and sensitively in the face of these unprecedented and extraordinary events." O'Dwyer's PR Daily writes, "Himler said journalists turned to PR pros to get answers to questions, such as: Where do victims and their families go to seek assistance? Will insurance companies cover one's losses? How does one find out if his or her flight was canceled? Where can one seek professional grief counseling? What do I tell my kids?

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B-M Does "Ginger"

According to the PR trade press, PR giant Burson-Marsteller helped create the hype surrounding the unveiling of the Segway Human Transporter on December 3. B-M scored big media hits for the scooter-like vehicle nicknamed "Ginger" and its inventor, Dean Kamen. The 65-pound motorized vehicle appeared in the New York Times, and Good Morning America's Diane Sawyer and Charlie Gibson each gave "Ginger" a spin. Kamen, who has already made millions on his medical device inventions, raised about $90 million for the start-up of Segway.

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