Crisis Management

Tyson Hires Golin

by Sheldon Rampton — December 24, 2001 - 12:00am

The Golin/Harris PR firm is helping longtime client Tyson Foods with a new public relations challenge as the company faces an indictment that alleges it conspired to smuggle illegal immigrants across the border to work in its processing plants. Tyson has a history of labor violations, including illegal use of child labor, which led to the death of a 15-year-old boy in 1999.

Main Source: 
The Holmes Report, December 24, 2001

Giuliani Eyes Crisis Communications

by Laura Miller — December 17, 2001 - 12:00am

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.

Main Source: 
PR Week, December 17, 2001

Burson-Marsteller vs. Airport Safety

by Sheldon Rampton — November 21, 2001 - 12:00am

The Burson-Marsteller PR firm advised the Aviation Security Association in its unsuccessful bid to thwart the federalization of airport security, an idea endorsed by a 100-to-zero Senate vote in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks.

Main Source: 
Jack O'Dwyer's Newsletter, November 21, 2001

Edelman Helps Stop the Bleeding at Red Cross

by Sheldon Rampton — November 12, 2001 - 12:00am

The American Red Cross has hired the Edelman PR firm and the firm of Chlopak, Leonard, Schechter & Associates to handle criticism that arose when the Red Cross revealed that it only planned to give out $300 of the $560 million-plus dollars collected for victims' families of the assaults on the World Trade Center and Pentagon.

Main Source: 
PR Week, November 12, 2001 & November 26, 2001

Paris Demonstrators Confront Corporate Greenwashers

by John Stauber — October 8, 2001 - 11:00pm

The following news release is from the Alliance for a Corporate-Free United Nations: "At 8.30 this morning in Paris, France, activists from France, Belgium, the Netherlands, England, Germany, Denmark, Nigeria and Spain gathered outside the headquarters of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in Paris to protest against the first meeting of the Business Action for Sustainable Development (BASD) group.

Main Source: 
Alliance for a Corporate-Free United Nations

PR Newswire Opens Wires

by Laura Miller — September 10, 2001 - 11:00pm

PR Newswire opened its wires to companies whose crisis communications plans were activated by the attacks on the World Trade Center as a public service. The newswire sent out an e-mail to members at approximately 11a.m. The message read: "For PR Newswire members whose crisis communication plan has been activated by today's World Trade Center and Washington, D.C.

Main Source: 
The Holmes Report, September 11, 2001

You Too Can Be a PR Wizard

by Laura Miller — August 28, 2001 - 11:00pm

The Minneapolis weekly newspaper City Pages offers readers 13 Secrets of Crisis Management based on Allina Health System documents made public by Minnesota Attorney General Mike Hatch. The documents, stamped "trade secret" and "attorney client privileged," outline the tactics employed by crisis management consultants employed by Allina. The health care company is being investigate by Hatch for abusing its "nonprofit" status, spending too much money on corporate perks and PR consultants.

Main Source: 
City Pages, August 29, 2001

FitzGerald Moves From High-Tech to Corporate "Messes"

by Sheldon Rampton — August 6, 2001 - 10:00pm

FitzGerald Communications, which rode the high-tech wave, has established a "special situations" group to handle corporate messes such as accounting irregularities, management shake-ups, class action suits and bankruptcies. The unit is headed by Nicole Russell, a former employee of Hill and Knowlton, where she served as spokesperson for Sunbeam during the "Chainsaw Al" Dunlap days and Cendant, victim of the largest accounting fraud in history.

Main Source: 
O'Dwyer's PR Online, August 7, 2001

Hell is for Heroes

by Sheldon Rampton — August 3, 2001 - 2:24pm

This CNN interview with Bob Druckenmiller, CEO of the Porter Novelli PR firm, gives his thoughts on PR aspects of the Ford/Firestone tire fiasco. "It could be a public relations firm's dream. I mean, you've got a chance to go in and be a hero, and there's very little downside," observed the CNN interviewer. Druckenmiller replied: "True. I think any crisis is an opportunity, both for a public relations firm and for a company to be a hero in terms of how they react to it."

Main Source: 
http://www.porternovelli.com/cnnfn.htm

California Hires Firm to Counter Energy Crisis Worries

by Laura Miller — July 16, 2001 - 11:00pm

A California coalition of economic development groups has formed to correct what it sees as misperceptions about the state's energy crisis and its effect on the state's economy. Calling itself the California Association of Local Economic Development (CALED), the group has hired New York public relations firm Development Counsellors International -- a specialist in economic development -- to manage the $150,000 international campaign.

Main Source: 
The Holmes Report, July 17, 2001
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