Terrorism

Open Season on Public Access

by Sheldon Rampton — December 12, 2001 - 1:00am

In the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks, several state Legislatures have considered or passed measures restricting access to government records or facilities. In Presstime, a public of the National Newspaper Association, Joe Adams writes, "State lawmakers are closing public records at an alarming pace, often without even a shrug from those with the most to lose -- ordinary citizens. ... In state after state, lawmakers use privacy concerns as a blanket license to shutter records long thought to be safe from exemption.

Main Source: 
Freedom Forum, December 12, 2001

The Saudi Connection

by Sheldon Rampton — December 11, 2001 - 1:00am

Previous Spin of the Day postings have discussed the Bush administration's backdoor ties to Saudi Arabia through the Carlyle Group. Now the Boston Herald has picked up the story, with a two-part series that reports, "A steady stream of billion-dollar oil and arms deals between American corporate leaders and the elite of Saudi Arabia may be hindering efforts by the West to defeat international Islamic terrorism." Terrorism suspects have been arrested in more than 40 countries since Sept.

Main Source: 
Boston Herald, December 10 & 11, 2001

Muslims and the West

by Sheldon Rampton — December 11, 2001 - 1:00am

As the endgame approaches in the war against Osama bin Laden, Pakistani professor Pervez Hoodbhoy has written a thoughtful essay, published in two installments, which ponders the next steps that must be taken. "If the world is to be spared what future historians may call the 'Century of Terror,' we will have to chart the perilous course between the Scylla of American imperial arrogance and the Charybdis of Islamic religious fanaticism," he writes.

Main Source: 
The Dawn (Pakistan), December 10 & 11, 2001

New PR Watch Examines "Terrorism As Pretext"

by John Stauber — December 11, 2001 - 1:00am

Subscribers to our investigative quarterly PR Watch have just received the latest issue examining how the PR industry and its clients are exploiting the September 11th terrorist attacks. You won't find this issue on our website until early next year, but you can receive it now by subscribing. Please do subscribe, we need you. Not only will we mail you PR Watch first class four times a year, your contribution will also enable us to continue our work. Please also consider an end-of-the-year donation to the Center.

Hollywood Helps Out With "War Against Terrorism"

by Laura Miller — December 10, 2001 - 1:00am

Hollywood studios, television networks, and unions have formed a 40-person committee to assist in the ongoing "war against terrorism." The committee, the outgrowth of White House advisor Karl Rove's discussions with the entertainment industry, is focusing on "distributing films to troops abroad, arranging United Service Organization shows, and creating PSAs honoring troops and boosting morale," reports PR Week. Among Hollywood's morale-boosting efforts, the star-studded cast of first-run film "Ocean's Eleven" will attend a screening on a US military base in Turkey.

Main Source: 
New York Times, December 5, 2001; PR Week, December 10, 2001

PR Pats Self On Back

by Laura Miller — December 7, 2001 - 1:00am

Peter Himler, who handles media relations for PR giant Burson-Marsteller, congratulated NY-based PR practitioners for acting "responsibly and sensitively in the face of these unprecedented and extraordinary events." O'Dwyer's PR Daily writes, "Himler said journalists turned to PR pros to get answers to questions, such as: Where do victims and their families go to seek assistance? Will insurance companies cover one's losses? How does one find out if his or her flight was canceled? Where can one seek professional grief counseling? What do I tell my kids?

Main Source: 
O'Dwyer's PR Daily, December 7, 2001

Terrorism in Israel: The Rest of the Story

by Sheldon Rampton — December 6, 2001 - 1:00am

According to Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR), "it is certainly valid to investigate whether either the Palestinian Authority or Israel have done enough to pursue suspected terrorists or to stop violence under their control," but the New York Times has omitted crucial facts about this latest cycle of violence, even though the paper has reported these facts in the past." The recent suicide bombings by the Palestinian group Hamas were in retaliation for the November 23 assassination of the group's senior West Bank leader, Mahmoud Abu Hanoud.

Main Source: 
FAIR, December 6, 2001

Bush and the Bin Ladens

by Sheldon Rampton — November 30, 2001 - 11:53am

On September 28, The Wall Street Journal published a story titled "Bin Laden Family Could Profit From a Jump In Defense Spending Due to Ties to U.S. Bank." The story touched on the relationship between President Bush and family members of Osama Bin Laden through the Bin Ladens' investments in the Carlyle Group, which employs George Bush Sr. and other prominent Republicans.

Main Source: 
http://commons.somewhere.com/rre/2001/RRE.Summary.Carlyle.Grou.html

US Becomes "Part" of World

by Sheldon Rampton — November 29, 2001 - 3:23pm

In the aftermath of September 11, the United States will have to abandon its "go-it-alone" Fortress America policies, according to PR executive Robert Dilenschneider.

Main Source: 
O'Dwyer's PR Services Report, November 2001

Mark Bingham--PR Hero

by Sheldon Rampton — November 27, 2001 - 7:00pm

Public relations people are not all bad -- a fact that probably gets insufficient mention at PR Watch (sorry, guys). Mark Bingham was CEO of The Bingham Group, a PR firm with offices in San Francisco and New York. He was also aboard United flight 93 when it went down in Pennsylvania on September 11, and he is believed to be one of the passengers who stormed the cockpit and brought down the plane before it could hit Washington. His friends and family have established a website in his honor.

Main Source: 
http://www.markbingham.org/
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