Secrecy

New Participatory Project: Maximum Weirdness: Tobacco Industry Brainstorming Documents

by Anne Landman — April 7, 2008 - 1:25pm

A rock cocaine cigarette filter? A cigarette that delivers birth control and sexual stimulant drugs to the smoker at the same time? A geriatric brand? All of these are actual ideas for new products and promotions that were recorded at cigarette company "brainstorming" meetings.

Main Source: 
Tobaccowiki.org, April 7, 2008

University Helps Censor "One-Sided" Science

by Diane Farsetta — April 7, 2008 - 11:38am

Administrators of "Popline," the "world's largest scientific database on reproductive health," which is housed at the Johns Hopkins University's School of Public Health, "blocked the word 'abortion' as a search term after receiving a complaint from the Bush administration over two abortion-related articles listed in the database." The search block has since been remov

Main Source: 
Wired blog "Threat Level," April 4, 2008

Medialink's 'Fake News' Financial Woes

by Bob Burton — April 1, 2008 - 11:30pm

The giant of the fake news business, Medialink Worldwide, has fallen out of favor with investors. In the last year the company's share price has plummeted from $5.81 to its current level around the $1.70 mark. In its latest annual report, the company glumly states that sales in 2007 in the U.S.

Main Source: 
Medialink Worldwide Annual Report (pdf), March 31, 2008

U.S. Military Ponders Hiring or Hacking Bloggers

by Diane Farsetta — April 1, 2008 - 10:53am

"Hiring a block of bloggers to verbally attack a specific person or promote a specific message may be worth considering," suggests a 2006 study written for the U.S. military's Special Operations Command.

Main Source: 
Wired.com blog "Danger room," March 31, 2008

Sierra Club Bleaches Dissent on Clorox Deal

by Diane Farsetta — March 28, 2008 - 9:24am

In an unprecedented move by one of the Big Green environmental groups, the "Sierra Club's national board voted March 25 to remove the leaders of the Club's 35,000-member Florida chapter, and to suspend the Chapter for four years." What did the chapter do?

Main Source: 
Rachel's Democracy & Health News, March 27, 2008

Imaging Study Leaves Tobacco Funding Out of the Picture

by Anne Landman — March 26, 2008 - 3:12pm

The lead author of the largest lung cancer screening study ever performed has come under fire for accepting cigarette company funding for the study. Dr.

Main Source: 
New York Times, March 26, 2008

Telling It Like It Is

by Bob Burton — March 25, 2008 - 12:27am

The director of external relations for Procter & Gamble, Mark Chakravarty, recently told a UK healthcare PR conference that the drug industry is less than popular with the public. "There is a high suspicion of the pharma industry. Greed, dishonesty and fraud are some of its associations. The clinical trial press this week and an increased number of drug scandals add to this image," he said.

Main Source: 
PR Week (UK), March 13, 2008

Great Wall of Silence About Tibetan Protests

by Diane Farsetta — March 18, 2008 - 3:34pm

"China has begun to fight back against criticism of its handling of the Tibetan protests," during which protesters have been killed, with a "sustained publicity offensive as well as blocking foreign broadcasters and websites and denying journalists access to areas of unrest," reports The Guardian.

Main Source: 
The Guardian (UK), March 18, 2008
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