Public Relations

Philip Morris Using PR To Look Like A Good Actor In The Movies

by Anne Landman — November 16, 2006 - 12:05pm

The Philip Morris (PM) tobacco company has announced a brand new advertising campaign aimed at begging the movie industry not to use Marlboro cigarettes in movies.

Main Source: 
International Herald Tribune/AP, November 15, 2006

One "Bad Event" Could Ruin An Industry ... And A Whole Lot More

by Bob Burton — November 15, 2006 - 3:14am

Jim Rogers, the Chief Executive of Duke Energy, a power company that is keen to build nuclear power plants in North and South Carolina, told reporters at an energy conference that he was "cautiously optimistic on nuclear, but public opinion turns on a dime." The nuclear industry faces considerable hurdles.

Main Source: 
Reuters, November 15, 2006

Sponsored Police

by Bob Burton — November 13, 2006 - 3:26am

Corporate sponsorship is all the rage, even with the New South Wales Police. In 2002 a mother of three, Diane Brimble, died on board the P&O cruise ship Pacific Sky from a combination of alcohol and the drug gamma hydroxybutyrate. Her death was investigated by officers from the NSW Water Police. Eighteen months later, P & O was one of five sponsors of the opening of a new headquarters for the water police.

Main Source: 
Sydney Morning Herald, November 11, 2006

Million Dollar Deal Settles Overbilling Case

by Bob Burton — November 10, 2006 - 7:20pm

The PR firm Lee Andrews Group has agreed to pay the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (DWP) $1 million over six years to resolve issues raise in an audit of its work.

Main Source: 
Los Angeles Times, November 9, 2006

Degrees of Dependency: Drug Companies & Patient Groups

by Bob Burton — November 7, 2006 - 9:38pm

In a survey of 29 U.S. patient groups, New Scientist found only two ruled out drug company funding. Seven of the patient groups surveyed received less than 5% of their income from drug companies, while others were reliant on them for over one-third of their budget.

Main Source: 
New Scientist, 27 October 2006

Drug Company Takes Rap for Burson-Marsteller's Cash Offer to Journalists

by Bob Burton — November 7, 2006 - 3:37am

The U.K. drug industry's self regulatory body, the Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority (PMCPA), has censured Janssen-Cilag after an employee from its PR firm, Burson-Marsteller (B-M), offered journalists cash if they attended a hearing of the government drug regulator.

Main Source: 
Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority, November 2006

Hyping Heart Attacks

by Bob Burton — November 3, 2006 - 3:34am

Alan Cassels notes that disease mongering advertisements for cholesterol-lowering drugs, such as for Pfizer's Lipitor, hype the risk of heart attacks for those people with 'high' cholesterol.

Main Source: 
Common Ground (Canada), November 2006

Armstrong Williams for Air America?

by Bob Burton — November 1, 2006 - 1:19am

Air America Radio, the progressive talk radio network which recently filed for bankruptcy, is considering syndicating a radio show co-hosted by Armstrong Williams. Williams co-hosts a morning drive-time program with Sam Greenfield on the New York radio station WWRL.

Main Source: 
The Hill (Washington DC), November 1, 2006

European Brewers Aim to Derail Alcohol Strategy

by Bob Burton — October 30, 2006 - 1:46pm

The European Commission "may be the victim of a carefully planned attack by representatives of the alcohol industry" to derail the adoption of a strategy to reduce the health effects of alcohol, warns Martin McKee, professor of European public health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Main Source: 
British Medical Journal, October 28, 2006

The Video News Release Industry's Next Statement to the FCC

by Bob Burton — October 24, 2006 - 3:03pm
  • Topics: Advertising, Journalism, Video News Releases, Ethics, Media, Public Relations, U.S. Government

    • Recently a new lobby group, the National Association of Broadcast Communicators (NABC), was launched to try to convince federal regulators, media policy wonks and the general public that they shouldn't worry about television stations airing undisclosed video news releases (VNRs).

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