Human Rights

Colombia Seeks UK PR Help

by Bob Burton — May 9, 2008 - 4:43am

The Colombian government -- which is dogged by controversy over its human rights record -- is seeking help from British PR firms to help promote a "modern" image amongst journalists and politicians. Colombia's deputy head of mission in the UK, Andelfo Garcia, told PR Week that "the stereotype of Colombia is not right. We are a growing country with a good story to tell.

Main Source: 
PR Week (UK), May 8, 2008

The New Whopper: Burger with a Side of Spies

by John Stauber — May 7, 2008 - 3:46pm

Author Eric Schlosser editorializes about "the growing threat to civil liberties posed by corporate spying," citing Burger King Corporation's spying on the Student/Farmworker Alliance and the Coalition of Immokalee Workers through Cara Schaffer and her private security firm,

Main Source: 
New York Times, May 5, 2007

Daughter Busts Dad: Burger King VP Caught Running Dirty Tricks Campaign

by John Stauber — April 28, 2008 - 9:00am

Amy Bennett Williams, following up on her previous article reports, "As the Coalition of Immokalee Workers prepares to deliver more than 60,000 petitions to Burger King headquarters in Miami today, the daughter of Burger King's vice-president Stephen Grover confirmed her father is responsible for online posting

Main Source: 
News Press, April 28, 2008

British Anti-Terrorism Law Used to Spy on Minors' Smoking, Drinking

by Anne Landman — April 23, 2008 - 1:11pm

A British county has been using an anti-terrorism law enacted in 2000 to spy on minors for petty crimes like using cigarettes and alcohol. The Staffordshire County Council in Britain's Midlands region has been using Britain's Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) for a host of non-terrorism-related applications, like monitoring underage liquor and tobacco sales, recording the movements of farm animals and tracking counterfeit DVD sales.

Main Source: 
The Sunday Mercury (Birmingham, United Kingdom), April 21, 2008

Extinguishing Media Coverage of Olympic Torch Protests

by Bob Burton — April 23, 2008 - 12:07am

Pro-Tibet groups plan protests when the Olympic Torch procession gets to Canberra, the Australian capital, but the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (BOCOG) has taken pre-emptive steps to minimize unfavourable media coverage.

Main Source: 
The Australian, April 22, 2008

Spinners Queue Up to Help China

by Bob Burton — April 11, 2008 - 4:16am

The Free Tibet Campaign in the UK has warned that "any PR agency that is trying to assist China in its twisted distortion of the truth would be potentially exposing itself to protests outside its offices." Despite this, PR Week reports that Ogilvy,

Main Source: 
PR Week (UK), April 10, 2008

Belarusians Give Bell Hell

by Diane Farsetta — April 10, 2008 - 3:16pm

In an open letter to British public relations executive Lord Timothy Bell, two directors of the Belarus Free Theatre accuse Bell of "making money on somebody's misfortune." Bell traveled to Belarus in March and met with President Alexander Lukashenko, who has been called "Europe's last dictator." Bell told Reuters, "I have been asked to make a proposal t

Main Source: 
Charter'97 (Belarus), April 9, 2008

Lawsuits, Light Cigarettes and Fear-Based Marketing Strategies

by Anne Landman — April 8, 2008 - 12:38pm
  • Topics: Advertising, Corporate Campaigns, Corporate Social Responsibility, Education, Ethics, Health, Human Rights, International, Public Relations, Science, Social Justice, Tobacco

    • The Second Circuit of the United States Court of Appeals missed a great opportunity this week to hold the tobacco industry accountable for one of its worst marketing tactics -- positioning cigarette brands in response to smokers' medical concerns. The April 7, 2008, issue of the New York Times has an article about the dismissal of a huge, class-action lawsuit against the tobacco industry that was brought by smokers of "light" cigarettes who claimed they were misled about the relative safety of "light" cigarettes compared to regular, "full flavor" cigarettes. The suit, and its dismissal by the court, brought to mind a little-recognized tobacco industry marketing survival tactic that weighs heavily on the public's perception of exactly what "light" means.

    The tobacco industry has long had a remarkable ability to rescue itself from damaging health claims by turning allegations against its products into marketing opportunities. Inside the industry, the fact that cigarettes cause widespread illness and death is referred to as the "smoking and health" issue, or "S&H issue" for short. Tobacco marketers consider "S&H issues" to be little more than "external marketing forces" that require re-positioning of products, through changes in advertising copy strategy, so that smokers will get an illusion of safety from the dangers they perceive.

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