THE WEEKLY SPIN, October 31, 2007 Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2007 08:35:19 -0500 (CDT) THE WEEKLY SPIN, OCTOBER 31, 2007 == BLOG POSTINGS == 1. AT&T's Wisconsin Network Finds Broad Support for Video "Choice" == BE A CITIZEN JOURNALIST == 1. Featured Participatory Project: How did Your Member of Congress Vote on SCHIP? == SPIN OF THE DAY POSTINGS == 1. Trick or Treat! 2. Some Refugees Are More Equal Than Others 3. The Media Primary 4. California TV Station Caught Pimping Myride.com 5. Nice Try, Dipnote 6. Queueing for Concert Tickets? No, Congress 7. FEMA Gives "Self Reporting" New Meaning 8. The Weekly Radio Spin: U.S. Visitors Get a Mickey Mouse Welcome 9. Best of the Worst 10. Nike's Hunt for Cool 11. "Legitimate Visitors" to U.S. Get the Disney Treatment 12. Only the Convenient Facts, Ma'am 13. Ambassadors Needed for McDonaldLand 14. Pelosi and Congressional Democrats Launch PR Effort to Spin their Dismal Image -------------------------------------------------------------------- == BLOG POSTINGS == 1. AT&T'S WISCONSIN NETWORK FINDS BROAD SUPPORT FOR VIDEO "CHOICE" by Diane Farsetta It's no secret that polls are used to shape public opinion at least as much as they're used to measure it. The website of one major U.S. polling firm, the Mellman Group, boasts its "extensive experience developing effective communications strategies that lead people to choose our client's product or service, join their organization, hold their opinion, or vote as we would like." Polling was used as a perception management tactic in the national debate over the children's health insurance program known as SCHIP. As President Bush prepared to veto an SCHIP reauthorization bill, Republican strategists worried about the impact on their party. Republican pollster David Winston came up with a solution: present the party's opposition as an attempt to "'put poor kids first' rather than expand coverage to adults, illegal immigrants and those already with insurance," reported the Wall Street Journal. "Independents favored that message 47%-38%." The veto went ahead, with the "poor kids first" theme figuring prominently in Republican talking points and briefing materials, such as the White House's "Five Key Myths About President Bush's Support for SCHIP Reauthorization." Polls are also frequently employed as part of a "bandwagon" strategy: most people support (or oppose) this, so you should support (or oppose) this, too. Last year, a poll purported to show strong opposition to "net neutrality," the principle that networks should provide access to any data, without discrimination. But the poll questions were highly leading, asking participants whether they preferred "new TV and video choice" and "lower prices for cable TV," or "barring high speed internet providers from offering specialized services." The poll was funded by Verizon Communications, which opposes net neutrality. Another telecom-related poll was unveiled last month at a press conference in Madison, Wisconsin. According to a press release (PDF) put out by the newly-formed Wisconsin Video Choice Coalition, "Wisconsin residents across demographic, geographic and party lines overwhelmingly support a state bill that would encourage competition to cable TV." By all accounts, the legislation in question is controversial. Why, then, did the poll find such strong support for it? To read the rest of this item, visit: http://www.prwatch.org/node/6635 == BE A CITIZEN JOURNALIST == 1. FEATURED PARTICIPATORY PROJECT: HOW DID YOUR MEMBER OF CONGRESS VOTE ON SCHIP? http://www.prwatch.org/node/6636 SCHIP - The State Children's Health Insurance Program, which covers more than 6 million U.S. kids from families whose income is too high to qualify for Medicaid but who are considered too poor to afford health insurance, has been all over the news this summer and fall as Congress debated the renewal and expansion of the program. President Bush has already vetoed the first bill approved by Democrats and many Republicans, and the House has held two votes on new versions of the bill but has yet to muster the votes needed to override the veto. The stakes - billions of dollars and insurance for millions of children - have rarely been higher, and citizens need to know how their representatives voted, regardless of whether they think the bill was a march toward socialized health care or a lifeline for poor children. YOU CAN HELP by taking five minutes to record the votes of your representative in their Congresspedia "permanent record." The Congresspedia staff has written concise summaries of the votes and simple instructions for recording the votes on your member's profile. The instructions are at www.congresspedia.org and if this is your first time editing on SourceWatch, go to www.SourceWatch.org for more information. Have fun, and thanks for your help! UPDATE ON THE 2008 ELECTION PROJECT: Also for our U.S.-based readers, the featured participatory project two weeks ago to find photos for every member of Congress was a rousing success, with more than 300 photos uploaded by citizens for members of Congress. See the candidates for your state here (click on your state in the map) or take part in the current 2008 election participatory project: finding and logging the endorsements for congressional candidates. Thanks to Congresspedia's high readership and search engine ratings, these profiles are likely to be read by hundreds of thousands of citizens by the election. == SPIN OF THE DAY POSTINGS == 1. TRICK OR TREAT! http://www.prwatch.org/node/6638 Did you know that the Center for Media and Democracy does NOT accept grants from corporations, governments or labor unions? That means we can maintain our independence and credibility, but it also means that we need YOUR support to stay strong and effective! Please go to www.prwatch.org/donate to donate via our secure server. Or send a check to CMD at 520 University Avenue, suite 227, Madison, WI 53703. THANKS, AND WE PROMISE NOT TO TOILET PAPER YOUR HOUSE! SOURCE: Center for Media and Democracy 2. SOME REFUGEES ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS http://www.prwatch.org/node/6634 As fires rage in southern California, the U.S. media devoted extensive coverage to the refugees displaced by the disaster and even to the fate of horses and other farm animals. LinkTV uses the occasion to compare and contrast this coverage with a far more serious refugee problem that the U.S. news media have been ignoring in Iraq, where the United Nations High Commission on Refugees estimates that the war has driven some 4.4 million people from their homes. SOURCE: LinkTV, October 29, 2007 3. THE MEDIA PRIMARY http://www.prwatch.org/node/6632 "In the early months of the 2008 presidential campaign, the media had already winnowed the race to mostly five candidates and offered Americans relatively little information about their records or what they would do if elected," concludes a new study by the Project for Excellence in Journalism. The study also found that the media gave Barack Obama and Fred Thompson more favorable coverage than other candidates. Most of the coverage focused on "political and tactical aspects of the campaign" such as fundraising and polling, while "just 1% of stories examined the candidates' records or past public performance. ... All of these findings seem to be at sharp variance with what the public says it wants from campaign reporting." SOURCE: Project for Excellence in Journalism, October 29, 2007 4. CALIFORNIA TV STATION CAUGHT PIMPING MYRIDE.COM http://www.prwatch.org/node/6630 Sacramento television station KCRA recently aired a "Problem Solvers" news segment where "Lynsey Paulo, a multiple regional-Emmy winner, looked at 'search engine fatigue' among online users. The report quoted three consumers, an expert from UCLA and an executive from Myride.com, which provides targeted-search results. What viewers didn't see from watching the 1 minute, 40 second report was that it was nearly identical to a video news release sent to media organizations from Autobytel Inc., which owns Myride.com," reports Sam McManis. "All the reporting in Paulo's piece -- sound bites, B-roll footage and even a chart -- came directly from the release." KCRA's news director said "his staff independently corroborated the facts in the story," and that "a graphic at the end of the newscast" listed the VNR material as a source. He admitted "there are some things we could've done better out of full disclosure," but said KCRA will continue to use VNRs, "if we feel like it's a good story idea and we can put it in context." SOURCE: Sacramento Bee (California), October 27, 2007 5. NICE TRY, DIPNOTE http://www.prwatch.org/node/6629 The U.S. Department of State has started its own blog, "Dipnote," which it describes as an "opportunity for participants to discuss important foreign policy issues with senior Department officials." Although blogger Wonkette thinks the name is "sort of begging to be mocked," Craig Hayden at the University of Southern California's Center for Public Diplomacy thinks the blog "has the potential to be a positive development as far as advocates of dialogue-based public diplomacy are concerned," because comment postings from outside the U.S. might give State Department officials a "healthy exposure to life outside the United States, the bubble of U.S. news coverage, and the rhetorically truncated world-view of the Bush administration's talking point." Hayden has studied which topics on the blog actually draw the most comments from readers. "While short postings from Karen Hughes or updates on official diplomatic activities yield scant interest," he writes, "provocative topics like 'Should the United States play a role in the creation of a Palestinian State?' or a discussion of how to convince nations to stop the violence in Burma draw in the most respondents. These kinds of posts are not only a way to invite more participation in the foreign policy conversation; they are a means for the State Department to gauge global public opinion in a way that moves beyond polling." SOURCE: Dipnote blog 6. QUEUEING FOR CONCERT TICKETS? NO, CONGRESS http://www.prwatch.org/node/6627 Passers-by might think that the people camped out at dawn to ensure a seat in a Congressional committee hearing are a shining example of democracy in action. In fact, chances are that they are a perfect example of what's wrong with our democracy. They may be professional "line standers" -- people who get paid by lobbyists to arrive early and hold a place in line for industry reps that arrive just before the hearing starts. Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri finds the practice offensive, and wants to crack down. "'Once I realized this was happening, I was really offended,' she told reporters outside the hearing room. 'This is the people's government and these should be the people's hearings. I have no problem with lobbyists getting into hearings, but they shouldn't be able to buy a seat.'" Her solution is to introduce legislation that would levy the same fines for hiring line standers that a lobby firm risks by, say, buying a Congressperson an expensive dinner. "I think America believes that money runs this place, and unfortunately, I think sometime it does," McCaskill said. "I think this is a great way for us to put our foot down." SOURCE: McClatchy Newspapers, October 17, 2007 7. FEMA GIVES "SELF REPORTING" NEW MEANING http://www.prwatch.org/node/6625 "As the California wildfires raged," the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA's) deputy administrator, Harvey Johnson, gave a news briefing, which was carried on Fox News, MSNBC and other outlets. But "reporters were only given 15 minutes' notice," and the phone number to call in "was a 'listen only' line," so "no questions." During the briefing, Johnson "responded eloquently" to such softball questions as "Are you happy with FEMA's response so far?" Turns out, "the questions were asked by FEMA staffers playing reporters." According to FEMA's Mike Widomski, "the staff did not make up the questions ... and Johnson did not know what was going to be asked. 'We pulled questions from those we had been getting from reporters earlier in the day.' Despite the very short notice, 'we were expecting the press to come,' he said, but they didn't. So the staff played reporters for what on TV looked just like the real thing." SOURCE: Washington Post, October 26, 2007 8. THE WEEKLY RADIO SPIN: U.S. VISITORS GET A MICKEY MOUSE WELCOME http://www.prwatch.org/node/6624 Listen to this week's edition of the "Weekly Radio Spin," the Center for Media and Democracy's audio report on the stories behind the news. This week, we cover jailed bloggers, auto industry front groups, the pharmaceutical industry's new television show, and the U.S./Disney axis of welcome. In "Six Degrees of Spin and Fakin'," we tell you how many steps it takes to get from Disney's greeters to Blackwater's mercenaries. The Weekly Radio Spin is freely available for personal and broadcast use. Podcasters can subscribe to the XML feed on www.prwatch.org/audio or via iTunes. If you air the Weekly Radio Spin on your radio station, please email us at editor@prwatch.org to let us know. Thanks! SOURCE: Center for Media and Democracy, October 26, 2007 9. BEST OF THE WORST http://www.prwatch.org/node/6622 Voting has begun for the Worst Lobbying Awards for 2007 in Europe. Sponsored by Friends of the Earth, Corporate Europe Observatory, LobbyControl and Spinwatch, the contest invites people to select from candidates including BMW, Daimler and Porsche for their lobbying to water down automobile emissions standards; the Cabinet Stewart PR firm for running the International Council of Capital Formation, a front group for opponents of the Kyoto Protocol; ExxonMobil for giving misleading information about its greenhouse gas emissions; and the German Atomic Forum for using concern about global warming as an excuse to promote nuclear energy. SOURCE: Corporate Europe Observatory, Friends of the Earth Europe, LobbyControl and Spinwatch 10. NIKE'S HUNT FOR COOL http://www.prwatch.org/node/6620 Big brands often rely on "coolhunters" to "scour the globe's streets, stores, clubs and hidden haunts picking up clues as to what's hot, what's next. ... At Nike, the drive to recruit under-the-radar influencers like [Los Angeles tattoo artist] Mr. Cartoon is on the rise and a key part of the company's strategy." Nike CEO Mark Parker "has moved to aggressively link Nike with those who can help maintain the company's standing among what he calls the 'influencers of influencers'. ... In addition to Mr. Cartoon, Mr, Parker has fostered Nike collaborations with a New York graffiti artist named Lenny Futura, the industrial designer Marc Newson and a pair of Brazilian muralists known as Os Gemeos." Not everyone welcomes Nike's coolhunting. "Designer Steve 'Birdo' Guisinger, owner of a small but influential Santa Cruz, Calif., retailer called Consolidated Skateboards, painted three wheel-less skateboard 'decks' with images that lampooned Nike's attempts to craft a more street-smart image. The board depicting Mr. Parker shows him in a T-shirt with flame tattoos running up one arm and a chauffeured white limousine waiting behind him." SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (sub req'd), October 24, 2007 11. "LEGITIMATE VISITORS" TO U.S. GET THE DISNEY TREATMENT http://www.prwatch.org/node/6618 Travelers flying into the United States via airports in Washington DC and Houston are being shown "a sappy seven-minute film made by the folks at Walt Disney showcasing all that is wonderful, scenic and nice about the land of the free." Eventually, the film will be shown "in the international arrivals halls of all major U.S. airports as well as in visa-processing offices around the world. Major airlines will also be encouraged to show it on aircraft shortly before landing in the U.S." The movie was made by Disney's Frederico Tio, himself a Cuban immigrant, and donated to the U.S. government. U.S. public diplomacy czar Karen Hughes praised the film for "creating a warm first impression, and first impressions are important." A joint U.S. government / Disney press release says the film is part of "a joint vision" by the State and Homeland Security Departments "to enhance border security while streamlining security processes and facilitating travel for legitimate visitors." SOURCE: The Independent (UK), October 24, 2007 12. ONLY THE CONVENIENT FACTS, MA'AM http://www.prwatch.org/node/6617 Congressional testimony that Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Julie Gerberding gave "about the impact of climate change and health was significantly edited by the White House," reports AP. "A CDC official familiar with both versions said Gerberding's draft 'was eviscerated,' cut from 14 pages to four," by the White House Office of Management and Budget. "The version presented to the Senate committee consisted of six pages." The CDC official called the edits "heavy-handed." The White House edits deleted "details on how many people might be adversely affected because of increased warming and the scientific basis for some of the CDC's analysis on what kinds of diseases might be spread in a warmer climate and rising sea levels." During questioning by members of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, Gerberding did describe "specific diseases likely to be affected," but "without elaboration." SOURCE: Associated Press, October 24, 2007 13. AMBASSADORS NEEDED FOR MCDONALDLAND http://www.prwatch.org/node/6616 McDonald's director of U.S. marketing admits, "Going by what we're hearing from consumers, awareness is a little bit low about quality." So the fast food giant will launch a "McDonald's Brand Advocate program" in early 2008, with help from the PR firm GolinHarris. It's "an interactive online program intended to educate and arm McDonald's employees and owner/operators with facts and figures about key topics, including food quality, nutrition, and safety." In June 2007, McDonald's launched its "Moms' Quality Correspondents campaign," which involves six moms who "blog and post videos" about their tours of McDonald's facilities and interactions with company representatives. McDonald's manager of U.S. communications explains, "We felt if moms were out there speaking to their communities and online communities unedited, it would get us far more credibility than just posting an article or doing Web site copy." McDonald's "quality message" is "not just a PR, marketing, and advertising effort anymore." It involves "the operations team, training team, and owners and operators," said McDonald's director of U.S. communications. SOURCE: PR Week, October 22, 2007 14. PELOSI AND CONGRESSIONAL DEMOCRATS LAUNCH PR EFFORT TO SPIN THEIR DISMAL IMAGE http://www.prwatch.org/node/6615 Nancy Pelosi and Democratic leaders in the U.S. Congress are preparing to "embark on a publicity blitz starting in November to combat a dismal 25 percent approval rating," reports Jonathan Kaplan. "Democrats are keenly aware of the public's frustration. Many believe that they were elected to bring an end to the war in Iraq, and they have been unable to do that because of an unwieldy Senate and President Bush's opposition to any change in strategy in Iraq." Party leaders are encouraging Democrats to highlight the "lobbying and ethics reforms, an increase in the minimum wage, a massive increase in student aid, legislation to implement the 9/11 Commission recommendations," and other measures passed with bipartisan support. As part of the PR effort, Pelosi "began holding weekly press conferences" in early October, "and has been appearing on more news and talk programs." SOURCE: The Hill, October 24, 2007 -------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 subscribers. PR Watch, Spin of the Day, the Weekly Spin and SourceWatch are projects of the Center for Media & Democracy, a nonprofit organization that offers investigative reporting on the public relations industry. We help the public recognize manipulative and misleading PR practices by exposing the activities of secretive, little-known propaganda-for-hire firms that work to control political debates and public opinion. Please send any questions or suggestions about our publications to editor@prwatch.org. To subscribe to the Weekly Spin, visit: http://www.prwatch.org/sub CMD also sponsors SourceWatch, a collaborative research project that invites anyone (including you) to contribute and edit articles. 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