THE WEEKLY SPIN, April 4, 2007 Date: Wed, 4 Apr 2007 10:33:40 -0500 (CDT) THE WEEKLY SPIN, APRIL 4, 2007 Sponsored by the nonprofit Center for Media and Democracy: http://www.prwatch.org WE CAN'T DO IT WITHOUT YOU! To support our work now online visit: https://secure.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizations/cmd/shop/custom.jsp?donate_page_KEY=1107 -------------------------------------------------------------------- The Weekly Spin features selected news summaries with links to further information about media, political spin and propaganda. It is emailed free each Wednesday to nearly 25,000 subscribers. -------------------------------------------------------------------- THIS WEEK'S NEWS == BLOG POSTINGS == 1. Statement of Josh Wolf, Journalist, on his Freedom from Jail 2.Deja Vu All Over Again: Bush Admin Interference in Judicial Matters == SPIN OF THE DAY POSTINGS == 1. Australian Government Retreats On Gagging Guantanamo Prisoner 2. Cato Seeks Elimination of Disclosure Requirements for Ballot Measure Donors 3. An Academic Look at Fake TV News 4. Possible Recess Appointments to Henhouse for Three Industry Foxes 5. Democratic Party-Aligned Think Tanks Publishing Furiously 6. Prison Sentence for PR Adviser's Insider Trading 7. Electric Politics Seeks Midwest Common Sense 8. More Transparency Than Microsoft Bargained For 9. How to End the War in Iraq? MoveOn Answers Its Critics 10. Sarah Olson Reports: Opposition to the War Growing Among Troops 11. Defend the Afghan Press 12. The Promised Land Goes Online 13. Don't Worry Your Pretty Heads, Says Cosmetics Industry 14. Treating Injured Military Personnel With PR 15. Opaque Standards for European Union Lobbyists -------------------------------------------------------------------- == BLOG POSTINGS == 1. STATEMENT OF JOSH WOLF, JOURNALIST, ON HIS FREEDOM FROM JAIL by John Stauber Josh Wolf, the video blogger and journalist, is going to be freed. Wolf was jailed on August 1, 2006 when he refused to testify or turn over unpublished video out-takes to a federal grand jury investigating a July, 2005 anti-capitalist demonstration. The statement below was provided on Josh's behalf to the Center for Media and Democracy by Lisa Cohen. For more information contact Lisa Cohen at: lisa.cohen32 AT verizon.net To read the rest of this item, visit: http://www.prwatch.org/node/5922 2. DEJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN: BUSH ADMIN INTERFERENCE IN JUDICIAL MATTERS by Anne Landman The Bush administration's political rigging of judicial matters is all over the news. There's the firing of the eight U.S. Attorneys. Then there's Sharon Eubanks, the lead attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) racketeering case against tobacco companies. Eubanks recently told the Washington Post that Bush appointees at DOJ pressured her to weaken the federal government's case against Big Tobacco. The more things change, the more they stay the same. In February 2000, the New York Times reported that then-Governor Bush's politial advisor, Karl Rove, had interfered with the Texas Attorney General's plans to bring a lawsuit against major U.S. tobacco companies in order to recoup state Medicaid funds spent treating sick smokers. How did Rove pressure Texas Attorney General Dan Morales not to file the suit? He helped draft a 1996 push poll aimed at maligning Morales. The phone poll was financed with tobacco company money, and was carried out by a company called Public Opinion Strategies, which describes itself as a "Republican polling firm." To read the rest of this item, visit: http://www.prwatch.org/node/5914 == SPIN OF THE DAY POSTINGS == 1. AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT RETREATS ON GAGGING GUANTANAMO PRISONER http://www.prwatch.org/node/5925 In a plea bargain, the first Guantanamo Bay prisoner convicted on terrorism charges by the U.S. government's military commission, David Hicks, agreed to a 12 month ban on speaking to the media. After five years at Guantanamo Bay, Hicks will serve a further nine months in a prison in his home state of South Australia. The gag condition - which would be illegal for a U.S. citizen - has sparked outrage, with critics claiming that it was intended to silence Hick's ahead of the Australian election, which must be held by early next year. While denying the ban was imposed at the instigation of the Australian government, Attorney-General Philip Ruddock stated that it would also extend to his parents. "The agreement can't be avoided by telling [the story] to a family member and then they say it on his behalf," he said. Ruddock subsequently conceded the condition would probably be unenforceable. SOURCE: Sydney Morning Herald, April 4, 2007 2. CATO SEEKS ELIMINATION OF DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS FOR BALLOT MEASURE DONORS http://www.prwatch.org/node/5919 The CATO Institute, a Washington D.C. think tank known for its libertarian bent, last week called for eliminating disclosure requirements for those who contribute funds in support or opposition of ballot measures (referendums). Existing requirements are already much weaker than those for donors to political candidates. Cato's position could arguably have been heavily influenced by Howie Rich, a real estate investor and Cato board member. Last year, Rich helped to sponsor sixteen different ballot initiatives, including the "Taxpayer Bill of Rights" (TABOR) in eight states. Courts in five of the states ultimately removed TABOR from the ballot for various reasons, including what one Montana judge called a "pervasive and general pattern of fraud" by Rich and others in their campaign to pass the referendum. Kristina Wilfore, executive director of the pro-referendum Ballot Initiative Strategy Center, responded to Cato's call by stating, "The problem with being a front group for corporate fat cats like Exxon, Enron, and Howie Rich, is that you are always a little out-of-touch with the public... CATO aligning itself with more corruption in political giving is taking the side of the powerful against the people -- and they call themselves libertarian?" SOURCE: Ballot Initiative Strategy Center, March 29, 2007 3. AN ACADEMIC LOOK AT FAKE TV NEWS http://www.prwatch.org/node/5920 In his paper "Loath to admit: Pressures on ethical disclosure of news release sources," Australian academic Peter Simmons analyzes issues around video news releases (VNRs), or fake TV news. "When the source is not disclosed, news release material acquires the implied endorsement of a more credible and neutral party," he writes, placing ethical responsibility on both newsroom staff and PR practitioners. In response to PR and broadcast industry portrayals of VNRs as important to "the free flow of 'information,'" Simmons questions "the quality of the information flowing freely to the public." Reviewing the May 2005 Congressional testimony of then-Public Relations Society of America president Judith Phair, D S Simon Productions head Doug Simon, and Radio-Television News Directors Association president Barbara Cochran, Simmons notes, "The testimony did not include reference to the journalism profession's known resistance to be seen ... using public relations material. ... The resistance is important in discussions of journalists' disclosure of third party sources and the need for guidelines and regulation." He concludes, "Individual journalists and public relations practitioners perceive their work to be enhanced when news release material is used without disclosure." SOURCE: Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, October 2006 4. POSSIBLE RECESS APPOINTMENTS TO HENHOUSE FOR THREE INDUSTRY FOXES http://www.prwatch.org/node/5918 "The White House has renominated three people for top jobs affecting the environment who were previously blocked in Congress because of their pro-industry views," reports Judy Pasternak. "According to industry lobbyists and Republican aides in Congress, Bush intends to skirt the Senate approval process if necessary by making recess appointments." The controversial nominees are William Wehrum, nominated to head the Environmental Protection Agency's air office; Alex Beehler, to EPA inspector general; and Susan Dudley, to White House regulations chief. As counsel to the EPA's air office, Wehrum suggested language for power-plant mercury emissions standards "lifted verbatim from a memo by Latham & Watkins, Wehrum's former law firm, which represented utility companies affected by the rule." Beehler is "a Pentagon official and former executive for Koch Industries," a notorious polluter. At the Pentagon, Beehler had "frequent meetings with manufacturers and users of perchlorate," a rocket fuel ingredient that has contaminated water supplies "in at least 25 states." Dudley used to head the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, a "free-market think tank ... supported in part by Koch Industries. ... At Mercatus, Dudley described EPA decisions as unnecessarily stringent." SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, April 1, 2007 5. DEMOCRATIC PARTY-ALIGNED THINK TANKS PUBLISHING FURIOUSLY http://www.prwatch.org/node/5917 US News & World Report observes the furious activity among Democratic Party-aligned think tanks. "With the party back in power on Capitol Hill and an open field of presidential candidates to influence, they're racing to get their ideas out in white papers, newspaper op-eds, and conferences. ... The Right is dominated by well-funded organizations such as the American Enterprise Institute, the Heritage Foundation, and the Cato Institute. ... A handful of big-ticket Democratic donors has worked ... to organize the Democracy Alliance, which is financing progressive groups. ... But there are fault lines too in the Democratic idea world, most obviously on trade policy." The article concludes, "Whoever winds up as the Democratic [presidential] nominee will have the biggest role in shaping those outcomes." SOURCE: US News & World Report, April 1, 2007 6. PRISON SENTENCE FOR PR ADVISER'S INSIDER TRADING http://www.prwatch.org/node/5916 A former corporate PR executive has been sentenced to 15 months of periodic detention, after being convicted for insider trading in shares of a company she advised. Between July 2003 and December 2004, Margot McKay, the founder of Margot McKay and Associates, provided PR consultancy advice to the gambling machine company Aristocrat Leisure. After proofreading the company's annual report, McKay urged her son and mother to buy $A148,000 in Aristocrat shares, in August and October 2004. The shares were later sold for a profit of approximately $A70,000. "The offences were committed deliberately and in circumstances where the offender must have known that she was acting contrary to the law," said NSW Supreme Court Justice Anthony Whealy. He also made an order against McKay for the amount of $A77,428.37, under the Proceeds of Crime Act of 2002. SOURCE: The Australian, March 31, 2007 7. ELECTRIC POLITICS SEEKS MIDWEST COMMON SENSE http://www.prwatch.org/node/5924 George Kenney of Electric Politics called us for his March 30 podcast: "To get a sense of what's going on from the perspective of grassroots Wisconsin historically one of the great incubators of American political thought I turned to John Stauber of the Center for Media and Democracy, out of Madison. John's a great guy, very thoughtful, possessing an abundance of Midwestern common sense. An excellent, and necessary, reality corrective for the Washington perspective." (Total runtime of an hour and twenty two minutes.) SOURCE: Electric Politics March 30, 2007 8. MORE TRANSPARENCY THAN MICROSOFT BARGAINED FOR http://www.prwatch.org/node/5913 "While reporting a story on Microsoft's video blogging initiative -- something called Channel 9 -- the dossier that Microsoft and its outside public relations agency Waggener Edstrom keeps on me accidentally ended up in my email inbox," recounts Fred Vogelstein. Although he had "assumed that the people I interview do as much homework on me as I do on them," Vogelstein says that it "was strange to see just how many resources are aligned against me when I write a story about Microsoft. ... For something like six months prior they had been plotting to get Wired to write a story about Channel 9 and had dispatched three executives to meet with editors at the magazine." The 12-page document contains pre-interview tips (including a warning that Voelstein "is digging for tension," and a suggestion to "apologize for being so tough to reach"), post-interview assessments ("Fred's questions went as expected"), a profile of Vogelstein ("Fred can be a little tricky in interviews") -- even anticipated questions and answers, and "what we expect to see in the story." Waggener Edstrom president Frank Shaw writes that the document is not "surprising or nefarious," but part of preparing someone to give "a great interview." SOURCE: "Epicenter" Wired News blog, March 27, 2007 9. HOW TO END THE WAR IN IRAQ? MOVEON ANSWERS ITS CRITICS http://www.prwatch.org/node/5911 Alternet's Don Hazen interviews the founders of MoveOn. He writes, "For the first time ... members of Congress -- at least the new Democratic majority, along with a handful of Republicans -- finally caught up with the population" and "confronted Bush over the financing of the war and a real timeline for ending it. ... The ability to win this first victory was difficult and complex. It was achieved in part with the energetic and savvy support of millions of progressives and particularly MoveOn.org ... Yet this victory, and MoveOn's role, is not without controversy." SOURCE: Alternet, March 30, 2007 10. SARAH OLSON REPORTS: OPPOSITION TO THE WAR GROWING AMONG TROOPS http://www.prwatch.org/node/5910 It was Sarah Olson's reporting on military opposition to the war in Iraq that made her a target of an Army subpoena. That hasn't deterred her from continuing to report on the subject. She writes, "'I joined the Army to go to war, and now I'm fighting to get out,' says Pfc. Ryan Follan, laughing nervously. He quickly becomes serious. 'Some of the causes are good, but I don't think the war is for the right reasons.' ... Private Follan is standing in a Taco Bell parking lot just outside Fort Stewart in Savannah, Georgia. ... On this particular day, the soldiers at Fort Stewart have visitors. ... Veterans for Peace members say they're not trying to pressure GIs to resist war. They want to educate soldiers about their rights." SOURCE: Common Dreams, March 29, 2007 11. DEFEND THE AFGHAN PRESS http://www.prwatch.org/node/5909 "Hailed as a major success of five years of democracy-building, media freedom in Afghanistan is under increasing pressures," writes Alisa Tang. A spokesperson for the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said, "We've moved from an open media environment to a state-controlled media environment." A proposed law would increase government power over media outlets and make reporting "humiliating and offensive" news a criminal offense. The law "is being pushed by former warlords-turned-politicians who would rather have past deeds be forgotten," according to the head of the Afghan Journalists' Association. Meanwhile, highly-regarded Afghan journalist Ajmal Naqshbandi remains missing, weeks after being kidnapped by the Taliban. Ajmal was working with an Italian reporter, who was released after a controversial prisoner swap. The Committee to Protect Journalists and Western reporters who have worked with Ajmal are leading the campaign for his release, notes CJR Daily. SOURCE: Associated Press, March 28, 2007 12. THE PROMISED LAND GOES ONLINE http://www.prwatch.org/node/5908 "Israel's official MySpace page was launched in January under the direction of officials from the Foreign Ministry," reports Gregory Levey. "The MySpace page automatically greets visitors with a sleekly produced hip-hop song called 'Peace in the Middle,'" and "shows pictures of Israel's beaches, glitzy hotels and the Tel Aviv skyline." It's part of the Israeli government's efforts "to reach out to young Americans" and "disarm the conflict-centric image so prevalent in the Western media." The Israeli government also has its own blog, which (like its MySpace page) links to YouTube videos on "Israel's achievements in technology, medicine, business and entertainment," as well as Gay Pride Parades and "a lot of people wearing bikinis. There is nobody wearing a military uniform in the videos, even though military service is compulsory for all Israelis after they turn 18." Future online plans include a second blog run by Israel's Foreign Ministry, "devoted exclusively to politics," and "an Internet television station aimed at American evangelicals and other Christians." SOURCE: Salon.com, March 23, 2007 13. DON'T WORRY YOUR PRETTY HEADS, SAYS COSMETICS INDUSTRY http://www.prwatch.org/node/5907 In response to growing concerns about the safety of some cosmetics, the industry group Cosmetic, Toiletry, and Fragrance Association (CTFA) "has embarked on what it calls an 'education process' designed to reassure consumers." As the Center for Media and Democracy reported previously, part of CTFA's PR campaign is a website with industry-provided safety information -- perhaps intended to counter the "Skin Deep" online database by environmental and public health advocates. "Consumers are looking for greater transparency," noted CTFA's John Bailey. While "the U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not test cosmetics before they enter the market," companies apply "good science" to assess their products' safety, assured Bailey. But former model Olivia James, among others, has her doubts. Her son was born with a condition linked to exposure to phthalates, chemicals commonly in cosmetics. The European Union has banned some phthalates and other chemicals allowed in U.S. cosmetics. SOURCE: Women's eNews, March 23, 2007 14. TREATING INJURED MILITARY PERSONNEL WITH PR http://www.prwatch.org/node/5906 In early March, George W. Bush announced the creation of the President's Commission on Care for America's Returning Wounded Warriors as a way of ending controversy over substandard treatment of injured U.S. personnel at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. The commission has been created to "conduct a comprehensive review" of the care provided to injured military on their return to the United States, but it is also planning its own PR campaign. On March 22, the commission stated that it would award a no-bid contract for the period to August 1, 2007 to the Bethesda-based PR company, LMW Strategies, which is run by Lorraine McHugh-Wytkind. McHugh-Wytkind is a former communications director for Sen. Hillary Clinton. O'Dwyer's PR Daily reports (sub req'd) that the contract is worth $100,000. SOURCE: The Peacock Report, March 24, 2007 15. OPAQUE STANDARDS FOR EUROPEAN UNION LOBBYISTS http://www.prwatch.org/node/5905 The European Commission has backed the introduction of a voluntary register for lobbyists seeking to influence European Union officials. "All these groups or bodies are invited to register publicly whom they represent and what their objectives are. They are invited to declare funding sources and major clients," the commission stated. "I hope the lobbying profession will see this as an opportunity, rather than a threat," the European Commission's Vice-President for Administrative Affairs, Audit and Anti-Fraud Siim Kallas stated in a media release. Kallas announced European lobbyists would only be required to disclose total spending on lobbying EU bodies and "the relative weight per client." Associated Press notes that the new rules "fall far short of recent U.S. reforms to ethics laws that prevent senators from receiving gifts and free travel from lobbyists." SOURCE: Associated Press, March 21, 2007 -------------------------------------------------------------------- SHARE US WITH A FRIEND (OR FIFTY FRIENDS) Who do you know who might want to receive "The Weekly Spin"? Help us grow our subscriber list! Just forward this message to people you know, encouraging them to sign up at this link: http://www.prwatch.org/cmd/subscribe_sotd.html -------------------------------------------------------------------- The Weekly Spin is compiled by staff of the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD), a nonprofit public interest organization. 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