Education

Smithsonian: A Museum Acting Strangely

by Diane Farsetta — November 19, 2007 - 2:32pm

After two Smithsonian Institution board members questioned the appropriateness of accepting oil industry funding for its "Ocean Initiative," the American Petroleum Institute (API) withdrew its $5 million funding offer. "Circumstances within the Smithsonian have changed, to say the least," said an API spokesperson.

Main Source: 
Washington Post, November 17, 2007

Water Exhibit and Oil Money May Not Mix

by Diane Farsetta — November 5, 2007 - 4:20pm

"The Smithsonian Institution has taken the rare step of putting on hold a $5 million donation from the American Petroleum Institute after two members of the museum complex's Board of Regents ...

Main Source: 
Washington Post, November 3, 2007

University of California Praises Hill & Knowlton

by Bob Burton — August 28, 2007 - 2:59pm

The University of California (UC) has dismissed objections by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) union to UC management's hiring of Hill & Knowlton to spin its labor record. UC's Executive Director of Systemwide Labor Relations, Howard J.

Main Source: 
University of California letter (PDF), August 20, 2007

University Defends Using Hill & Knowlton

by Bob Burton — August 9, 2007 - 4:06am

The human rights group Friends of Maldives protests H&K

A local branch of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) representing University of California (UC) employees is protesting against UC management's hiring Hill & Knowlton to spin its labor reco

Main Source: 
PR Week, August 7, 2007

Hogging the Picture

by Sheldon Rampton — May 31, 2007 - 5:49pm

The Harley-Davidson motorcycle company has arranged a deal with the film school at the University of California-Santa Barbara that recruits students as cheap labor to make Harley ads in the form of "short sponsored videos for online media or for downloading to other digital media platforms such as cell phones, iPods, and PDAs." Under the terms of the "partnership," students submit proposals to Harley-Davidson, describing the type of video they plan to make. If approved, the company pays a stipend of up to $1,200 for each proposal, and a prize of $5,000 to the winner.

Main Source: 
UCSB website

The FCC and Armstrong Williams' Continuing Legacy

by Diane Farsetta — March 27, 2007 - 4:55pm
  • Topics: Crisis Management, Pundits, Education, Ethics, Fake TV News, Public Relations, Secrecy, U.S. Government

    • There are many reasons why federal investigations might take some time to conclude. Perhaps the issues are complex. Maybe the parties under investigation are less than forthcoming. The investigating agency may lack the resources needed to resolve the matter in a timely fashion.

    On the other hand, a stalled investigation may be part of a crisis management strategy. When an embarrassing ethical or legal transgression surfaces, launching an investigation sends the message that the matter is being taken seriously. Thanks to a rapid news cycle and a lack of follow-up reporting, public attention shifts elsewhere as the investigation continues. Closing the investigation can be seen as counter-productive, as it once again calls attention to the problem and creates the expectation that the findings will be acted upon.

    Representative John Dingell (D-Mich.) may well have been pondering such matters on March 14, when he pointedly asked Federal Communications Commission Chair Kevin Martin about the status of the agency's ongoing Armstrong Williams investigation.

    Playing the Anti-Consumer Card

    by Diane Farsetta — March 23, 2007 - 3:15pm

    University of California at Berkeley senior staff attorney and senior fellow at the Berkeley Center for Law & Technology Chris Hoofnagle writes, "In my work on consumer protection, I have begun to recognize patterns" in the actions and arguments of corporations and

    Main Source: 
    Denialism.com, February 9, 2007

    Tracking the Front Group "Boomerang"

    by Jonathan Rosenblum — March 14, 2007 - 3:06am
  • Topics: Front Groups, Journalism, Education, Public Relations

    • Corporate front groups can cause a "boomerang effect" to their sponsors, damaging the reputations of companies like ExxonMobil, Merck, and PepsiCo, when the sponsor's role in misrepresenting issues is widely revealed.

    Embracing Wikis to Turn College Students into Public Scholars (Using Congresspedia)

    by Conor Kenny — February 26, 2007 - 11:34am
  • Topics: Citizen Journalism, U.S. Congress, Democracy, Education

    • Under the old, "broadcast" model of journalism and academia, undergraduate students were generally limited to consuming the scholarship of others while their own research and writing was largely confined to practice exercises. Now Congresspedia is engaging students in the new, participatory model of media and society by publishing their writing on the wiki rather than having it collect dust in a file drawer somewhere. As part of this project (our Student Editor Program), I met last week with the students of Prof. Phil Tajitsu Nash's Asian Pacific Americans and American Public Policy class at the University of Maryland. Prof. Nash's students are engaged in a fascinating research project on the movement for redress for Japanese Latin Americans who were put in internment camps during World War II. Despite enduring similar conditions to US-based Japanese Americans, they were exempted from the redress bill President Reagan signed in the 1980s.

    Want Your Own Educational Radio Station? Here's Your Chance

    by Diane Farsetta — January 18, 2007 - 2:51pm

    "The Federal Communications Commission will accept applications for new full power non-commercial educational (NCE) FM radio station licenses sometime this year, perhaps in late spring," writes Carmen Ausserer. "Typically, the FCC gives between one and three months notice before opening the filing window, which will likely last only five days." The process will end a six-year FCC freeze on new full-power licenses.

    Main Source: 
    Lasar's Letter, January 17, 2007
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