Public Relations

Rabin's Daughter Recruited for Israel's PR Campaign

by Sheldon Rampton — August 19, 2001 - 11:00pm

Dalia Rabin-Pelossof will head a $12 million public relations offensive to argue Israel's case amid fears that Palestinians are winning the propaganda war. Her father, Yitzhak Rabin, was assassinated by a Jewish extremist in retaliation for signing the 1993 peace accords. PR advisors to Israel include Gideon Meir, Israel's deputy minister of public affairs, and the New York-based PR firm of Rubenstein & Associates.

Main Source: 
Sydney Morning Herald, August 20, 2001

"The Food Police?" CSPI Got Big Bucks to Flack for GE Foods

by John Stauber — August 17, 2001 - 12:16pm

Last year Michael Jacobson's Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI, also known as "the food police") received $200,000 from the pro-biotechnology Rockefeller Foundation to be a moderate voice in the raging debate over genetically engineered (GE) foods. CSPI has since made many statements very favorable to GE foods and recently called for government action against companies marketing non-GE foods. Ironically, CSPI's Integrity in Science Project criticizes and reveals the special interest funding and agendas of other nonprofit organizations.

BSMG Worldwide Working For Zimbabwe Opposition

by Laura Miller — August 14, 2001 - 11:00pm

BSMG Worldwide is representing the Movement for Democratic Change, a political party which is trying to oust Zimbabwe's president Robert Mugabe. The MDC, according to the Aug. 7 New York Times, is the "first party in two decades to pose a serious threat to Mugabe's grip on power." Zimbabwe currently is faced with serious economic problems, which Mugabe blames on the country's 75,000 white farmers and their supposed Western backers. He has supported actions by the National War Veterans Association, whose members have seized and squatted on more than 1,700 white-owned farms.

Main Source: 
O'Dwyer's PR Daily, August 15, 2001

H&K Says Hong Kong is Free

by Laura Miller — August 14, 2001 - 11:00pm

The Hill and Knowlton PR firm is receiving $500,000 from Hong Kong to persuade skittish Americans and U.S. policymakers that the city retains a "high degree of autonomy" under China's rule.

Main Source: 
O'Dwyer's Online Daily, August 15, 2001

Hi-tech Startups: Life After the Crash

by Sheldon Rampton — August 12, 2001 - 11:00pm

In the wake of the dot-com meltdown, PR people are asking themselves, "what can PR do now that the IPOs have dried up? Where's the story?" This roundtable featured PR experts with answers like the following:

  • "This whole dot-com thing finally killed branding. The '80s was the age of positioning; the '90s was the age of branding.

Main Source: 
PR Week, August 13, 2001

Top Internet PR Firm Copes With the Dot-Com Bust

by Sheldon Rampton — August 12, 2001 - 11:00pm

No public relations agency in America benefited more from the Internet boom than Middleberg & Associates. By the year 2000, Middleberg had established itself as the authority on online media relations, but the dot-com meltdown also means leaner times for its PR firms. Last week, agency founder Don Middleberg closed the firm

Main Source: 
The Holmes Report, August 13, 2001

Ecuador Hires Burson-Marsteller

by Sheldon Rampton — August 7, 2001 - 11:00pm

The government of Ecuador is paying $180,000 to Burson-Marsteller.

Main Source: 
Jack O'Dwyer's Email Newsletter, August 8, 2001

PR Week Offers Free Advice to Philip Morris

by Sheldon Rampton — August 5, 2001 - 11:00pm

Now that Philip Morris has apologized for its role in commissioning a report claiming that the Czech Republic benefits from the premature deaths of smokers, the August 6 issue of PR Week asked PR pros, "How can Philip Morris regain PR ground following the publication of the Czech report?" Advice from the experts included:

  • "More advertisements praising the philanthropic activities of its Kraft and Miller subsidiaries would be wise."
  • "The best thing for it to do is minimize its public profile."
  • "Partner itself with a consumer watchdog group."
Main Source: 
PR Week, August 6, 2001

Delicate PR Operation Supports Transplant

by Sheldon Rampton — August 5, 2001 - 11:00pm

After Children's Memorial Hospital, a private hospital in Chicago, refused to treat 11-year-old Ana Esparza because she was uninsured and could not afford a life-saving liver transplant, Miami's Jackson Memorial Hospital agreed to do the surgery for only $225,000 -- discounted from the normal $500,000 cost of the procedure.

Main Source: 
PR Week, August 6, 2001

Nike Website Offers Sweat-free Online Tour of Vietnam

by Sheldon Rampton — August 5, 2001 - 11:00pm

Nike has created a website offering an online virtual tour of one of its factories in Vietnam, claiming that the tour demonstrates its commitment to continuous improvement in labor practices overseas. A year in the making, the video depicts a clean, well-run factory where workers are well-treated. But according to Jason Mark, a spokesman for San Francisco-based Global Exchange, a labor rights group, "It seems more like a publicity stunt than a genuine effort to make systematic changes across the board.

Main Source: 
The Holmes Report, August 6, 2001
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