Secrecy

Smoldering Controversy

by Sheldon Rampton — February 13, 2008 - 11:32pm

"Here's a recipe for academic controversy," observes Richard C. Paddock: "First, find dozens of hard-core teenage smokers as young as 14 and study their brains with high-tech scans. Second, feed vervet monkeys liquid nicotine and then kill at least six of them to examine their brains. Third, accept $6 million from tobacco giant Philip Morris to pay for it all.

Main Source: 
Los Angeles Times, February 9, 2008

Meijer Admission

by Sheldon Rampton — February 7, 2008 - 3:19pm

The Meijer retail chain has issued a public apology, admitting that it "likely violated campaign finance and reporting laws" and pledging to "comply with any and all direction, penalties, fines or other actions required by the Department of State" in connection with its covert effort to manipulate elections in Acme Township, Michigan, where local officials opposed its pla

Main Source: 
Grand Rapids Press, February 5, 2008

Think Tank Talks Up Telecom Immunity

by Diane Farsetta — February 1, 2008 - 4:57pm

The Democratic think tank / advocacy group Third Way has been working with Senate Democrats to help sell a controversial measure granting retroactive immunity to telecommunications companies, reports Matt Renner.

Main Source: 
Truthout, January 31, 2008

CMD and Consumer Reports WebWatch Launch Full Frontal Scrutiny

by Judith Siers-Poisson — January 29, 2008 - 1:42pm
  • Topics: Astroturf, Internet, Front Groups, Third Party Technique, Corporations, Democracy, Environment, Health, Pharmaceuticals, Public Relations, Science, Secrecy, Tobacco

    • "The American public deserves to know when someone is trying to persuade them." — U.S. Federal Communications Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein, Thursday, January 17, 2008

    Front Groups Beware of Full Frontal Scrutiny

    Today, the Center for Media and Democracy and our partners at Consumer Reports WebWatch launched an exciting new project: Full Frontal Scrutiny. The site seeks to shine a light on front groups -- organizations that state a particular agenda, while hiding or obscuring their identity, membership or sponsorship, or all three. Google the term "front groups" and the number one return is CMD's extensive articles on its SourceWatch site.

    Why Don't We Talk About Smoking and Celebrity Deaths?

    by Anne Landman — January 25, 2008 - 1:48pm
  • Topics: Arts / Culture, Education, Secrecy, Tobacco

    • Actress Suzanne Pleshette's recent death from "respiratory distress" was sad. Most of the articles about it briefly mention that she had been fighting lung cancer, but fail to mention that she had been a cigarette smoker in the past. Cigarette smoking is the single biggest cause of lung cancer.

    It is rarely discussed, but tobacco has taken an extraordinarily heavy toll on Hollywood. The list of beloved celebrities killed by smokers' diseases is huge, and growing: George Harrison, Johnny Carson, Dana Reeve, Yul Brynner, Lucille Ball, Walt Disney, Nat King Cole, Joe DiMaggio, Michael Landon, Sammy Davis, Jr., Dean Martin, Betty Grable, and Babe Ruth to name just a few. Despite this, the failure to mention a person's smoking history in obituary columns is the norm in celebrity deaths. In just one glaring example, a four page obituary about the 2005 death of prominent news anchor Peter Jennings published by his own network, ABC, fails to mention the contribution that smoking made to Jennings' tragic and untimely death. A CNN's column about Jennings' death didn't mention it either. Something is up when major news organizations omit any mention the single most prominent cause of the death of a renowned news anchor.

    Once Again, Drug Companies Caught Data Doping

    by Diane Farsetta — January 23, 2008 - 12:58pm

    The pharmaceutical companies Merck and Schering-Plough, which co-market the cholesterol drug Vytorin, "have gone into damage-control mode, taking out newspaper ads." The PR campaign follows the companies' reluctant publication of a study showing that neither of the drugs present in Vytorin "reduced the buildup of fatty plaque in arteries." The study "was co

    Main Source: 
    Advertising Age, January 22, 2008

    Pre-emptive War, Pre-emptive Truck Maintenance

    by Diane Farsetta — January 23, 2008 - 12:23pm

    Following a damaging Associated Press report that Blackwater Worldwide "repaired and repainted its trucks immediately after a deadly September shooting in Baghdad, making it difficult to determine whether enemy gunfire provo

    Main Source: 
    O'Dwyer's PR Daily (sub req'd), January 21, 2008

    Britain's Nuclear Option Draws Heat

    by Diane Farsetta — January 16, 2008 - 1:56pm

    The British government's recent decision to encourage new nuclear power plants has attracted much scrutiny.

    Main Source: 
    The Independent (UK), January 13, 2008

    Stars and Stripes Fights DoD Hype

    by Sheldon Rampton — January 4, 2008 - 10:02pm

    "Top editors at the military newspaper Stars and Stripes are asking for full disclosure of the paper's relationship with a Department of Defense publicity program, called America Supports You, after disclosures that money for the program was funneled through the newspaper," reports Sara Abruzzesse. "The newspaper's two top editors have asked that the acting publisher, Max D.

    Main Source: 
    New York Times, December 28, 2007
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