Submitted by Diane Farsetta on
"Fueled by tax-deductible donations and an explosion in philanthropic assets, think tanks have dramatically grown in size and influence during the past 100 years," writes J.H. Snider, himself a think tank fellow. "U.S. think tanks increased in number from eight in 1910 to 98 in 1960 and 1,106 in 2006. ...
Washington, D.C. lobbying scourge Richard B. "Rick" Berman is facing steadily increasing pushback these days, and some of it is coming from a surprising source -- his own son, musician David Berman.
Berman has long been the front man through which corporations have aggressively attacked their opponents without leaving fingerprints. Known to his own friends and enemies alike as "Dr. Evil," Berman has perfected the art of setting up non-profit "charitable" groups to advance corporate interests. The groups have deceptively helpful-sounding names, like "Guest Choice Network," the "Employment Policies Institute" or the "Center for Consumer Freedom," but really serve as well-funded attack dogs for the tobacco, alcohol, chain restaurant, tanning and other industries. The groups' non-profit status makes their funding hard to trace, which has permitted Berman to operate in the shadows for decades while pocketing millions from unpopular industries for his work thwarting public interest legislation.
Submitted by Diane Farsetta on
"Fiat, strapped for cash and struggling to draw attention to the Lancia, decided a few years ago to promote the brand as helping improve society," reports Aaron Patrick. So the company sponsored the Ninth World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates, held in Paris in December 2008. The laureates were driven to the summit in black Lancia Deltas, and filmed by the car company as they arrived.
Submitted by Sheldon Rampton on
There was a method behind now-former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich's decision to skip most of his impeachment trial and go on the talk show circuit, writes PR Week. "PR pros know," the magazine wrote, "that Blagojevich's goal likely wasn't to retain his seat as governor, but to defend his reputation and prepare for his next objective.
Submitted by Diane Farsetta on
Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich, who was impeached and faces a federal investigation into charges he tried to sell the former Senate seat of President Barack Obama, has hired a public relations firm.
Submitted by Diane Farsetta on
"Amazon.com runs a side business called Mechanical Turk ... where people can go, register, and get paid to do little tasks that computers can't do," explained blogger and film student Arlen Parsa. While on the site, Parsa saw a request to review Belkin International's consumer electronics products.
Submitted by Sheldon Rampton on
"An angry mob of investors and taxpayers is assembling, and they want to see some executives' heads on pikes," reports Fortune magazine's Roger Parloff. "The question for the courts will be, Who was just foolish with our money -- and who was lying, cheating, and stealing?" Under the law, corporate executives are guilty of securities fraud if they misrepresent the truth about their companies' financial condition.
Submitted by Bob Burton on
Former Fleishman-Hillard (F-H) public relations executives Doug Dowie and John Stodder are appealing their conviction for overbilling the city of Los Angeles on contracts with
Submitted by Anne Landman on
Submitted by Sheldon Rampton on
"Journalists and many others (rightly) lionizing the late W.
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