Bob Burton's News Articles

The Heartland Institute's Quest for "Real Science" on Global Warming

by Bob Burton — June 2, 2009 - 6:51am
  • Topics: Global Warming, U.S. Congress, Think Tanks

    • The Heartland Institute, a Chicago-headquartered think tank that has taken on the role of trying to coordinate the disparate global warming skeptics, has organized yet another conference to be held in Washington this week dis

    The Cato Institute's Generous Funding of Patrick Michaels

    by Bob Burton — May 24, 2009 - 11:08pm
  • Topics: Global Warming, Science, Think Tanks

    • Patrick Michaels, a senior fellow with the the Cato Institute, a Washington D.C. think tank, is one of the leading global warming skeptics.

    Don't Worry About Larry

    by Bob Burton — May 5, 2009 - 4:35pm
  • Topics: Video News Releases, Economy, Fake TV News

    • Medialink Worldwide, the largest producer of video news releases and audio news releases, may be crashing and burning with the market downturn but the company's President, CEO and Chairman, Larry M

    Lots of Opinion, Not Much Disclosure

    by Bob Burton — April 1, 2009 - 12:34am
  • Topics: Nuclear Power, Third Party Technique, Pharmaceuticals

    • The Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) and Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) have more in common than being major industry lobby groups.

    The Monkeys and Their Organ Grinders

    by Bob Burton — March 6, 2009 - 6:26am
  • Topics: Global Warming, Energy, Think Tanks

    • Corporations wanting help in advancing their agendas often turn to think tanks.

    Edelman Likes It Hot

    by Bob Burton — August 1, 2008 - 1:26am
  • Topics: Activism, Corporate Social Responsibility, Issue Management, Global Warming, International

    • Over the next week, campaigners from around the United Kingdom will converge on the site of a proposed expansion of the coal-fired Kingsnorth Power Station and participate in civil disobedience protests. The company behind the proposal, E.ON UK, a subsidiary of the German energy company E.ON, is so worried by the prospect of the planned civil disobedience campaign that it has hired the PR firm Edelman, to see if it can help ensure that the company's proposal retains government support.

    Colombia's Three Amigos Rustle Up Support for Free Trade Deal

    by Bob Burton — April 11, 2008 - 5:46pm
  • Topics: Election 2008, U.S. Congress, International, Labor, Lobbying, Politics, Public Relations, U.S. Government

    • Clumsy maneuvering by Burson-Marsteller CEO Mark Penn -- who met with Colombian officials about the U.S. - Colombia Free Trade Agreement while serving as the chief campaign strategist for trade deal opponent Hillary Clinton -- drew unwanted publicity to the controversial pact.

    Colombia's $300,000 a year contract (pdf) with Burson-Marsteller stated the PR firm would "provide ongoing strategic communications counsel to the Ambassador and key Embassy officials"; develop "key messages, talking points and briefing materials"; give "advice and communications counsel to the Ambassador and Embassy staff"; and "co-ordinate media interviews and public events with relevant news media in Washington D.C. on behalf of the Embassy."

    Colombia ended the contract after Penn described his meeting as "an error in judgment." But the country isn't hurting for lobbying power in Washington, D.C. -- especially among Democrats.

    The Legion of Lobbyists Behind a "Consumer" Group

    by Bob Burton — April 8, 2008 - 12:50am
  • Topics: Astroturf, Citizen Journalism, Front Groups, Democracy, Lobbying, Politics, Public Relations, U.S. Government

    • Consumers for World Trade (CWT), which describes itself as being a "network of consumers," is enthusiastic about everything from the right of the U.S. President to negotiate free trade agreements, slashing import duties and quotas on items such as footwear and apparel and opposing mandatory country-of-origin labeling. You'd be right in thinking this doesn't sound like a normal consumer group, but exactly who they are is not immediately obvious. A little digging though, reveals that CWT is just another front group trying to wrap a self-serving corporate message in a public interest name.

    Line rental

    by Bob Burton — October 16, 2007 - 9:44pm

    An extract from Bob Burton's Inside Spin: The Dark Underbelly of the PR Industry.

    "It's a little bit like my yacht club" is how Mike Nahan, the former veteran activist with the Melbourne-headquartered Institute of Public Affairs (IPA), described the process of hand-picking members for the Australian think tank. "We go out and say 'would you like to become a member' and they do." 1 The IPA, however, is not in the business of organising genteel sailing trips for its 54 members.

    McDeaths

    by Bob Burton — October 10, 2007 - 7:41am
  • Topics: Food Safety, Crisis Management, Cause-Related Marketing, Corporate Social Responsibility, Journalism, Corporations, Ethics, Health, International, Lobbying, Public Relations, Secrecy

    • An extract from Bob Burton's Inside Spin: The Dark Underbelly of the PR Industry.

    Brian Page, a 42-year-old railway worker, had been busy before Easter 1992 buying furniture for a house he had just moved into at Mt Pritchard, a south-western Sydney suburb. On their way home, his daughter Melissa wanted to stop at McDonald's in Fairfield for lunch. Shortly after returning home, Brian Page began vomiting and had diarrhoea. As Page's symptoms were initially indistinguishable from a bout of the flu, his doctor gave him a medical certificate and sent him home. Page took to bed for the next three days but on the fourth day went back to work, even though he wasn't feeling well. His boss noticed that Page was unable to write properly and seemed disoriented and confused by his work. He was so concerned about Page that he called a taxi and sent him home, but by then Page recognised something was seriously wrong and went straight to Liverpool Hospital. What was unknown to Page and his doctor was that he had been exposed to Legionella bacteria. If detected early, Legionnaires disease can be treated with antibiotics. Untreated, it can be a killer. Two days after being admitted to the intensive care unit of Liverpool Hospital, Page died. On what would have been his 43rd birthday, more than 100 family and friends attended his funeral.14

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