Debating the Ban on Domestic Propaganda
"I want to make sure that we strengthen prohibitions against domestic covert propaganda campaigns aimed essentially at breaking down the Constitutional barriers between who controls policy and who makes war," stressed Representative Paul Hodes. "It's an important point, given the recent history."
Support for Whistleblowers
The U.S. House of Representatives voted to strengthen protections for whistleblowers, especially those that work for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and in other areas of national security. The bill would "create specific protections for those who expose abuses of authority by those trying to manipulate or censor scientific research in federal agencies for political purposes." The Bush administration was accused of censoring or burying information to suit its political goals.
Weekly Radio Spin: Taking Nobel Laureates for a Ride
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 look at military lobbying, not getting the lead out, and protecting whistleblowers. In "Six Degrees of Spin and Fakin,'" being distracted by the Burmese junta. The Weekly Radio Spin is freely available for personal and broadcast use.
Support for Whistleblowers
The U.S. House of Representatives voted to strengthen protections for whistleblowers, especially those that work for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and in other areas of national security. The bill would "create specific protections for those who expose abuses of authority by those trying to manipulate or censor scientific research in federal agencies for political purposes." The Bush administration was accused of censoring or burying information to suit its political goals. The bill is part of the economic stimulus package, and lawmakers see it as a way to ensure that there will be many eyes watching how the billions of dollars are managed and spent. One of the bill's sponsors, Rep. Chris Van Hollen, said that "we need to make sure these funds are effectively spent and that they are not lost due to any waste, fraud or abuse."
Debating the Ban on Domestic Propaganda
Pentagon pundit Ken Allard"I want to make sure that we strengthen prohibitions against domestic covert propaganda campaigns aimed essentially at breaking down the Constitutional barriers between who controls policy and who makes war," stressed Representative Paul Hodes. "It's an important point, given the recent history."
Rep. Hodes was speaking at a conference on public diplomacy, held in Washington, DC on January 13. Public diplomacy is a catch-all term for the various ways in which the United States promotes itself to international audiences (as opposed to "regular" diplomacy, which targets foreign governments). These include international media, like the Voice of America; cultural and educational exchanges, such as the Fulbright Program; and a wide range of information activities, including foreign press centers, speaking events and publications. As the University of Southern California's Center on Public Diplomacy notes, the term "was developed partly to distance overseas governmental information activities from the term propaganda, which had acquired pejorative connotations."
Developer's Casino in a Velvet Glove
J. Scott Trubey reports that documents, obtained under Georgia's freedom of information laws, revealed that Fleishman-Hillard (F-H) had been hired by Georgia Lottery to sell the concept of the state's first casino to legislators, business leaders and the public. Underground Atlanta, a shopping complex, was mentioned as a possible site for the introduction of a casino. Georgia law bans video card games, but video lottery terminals (VLTs) -- which the October 2008 F-H plan referred to as "Velvet" -- may not be. Georgia Lottery revenues are currently used to fund state educational programs, such as the HOPE (Helping Outstanding Pupils Educationally) Scholarship Program. F-H proposed that the casino adopt the positioning statement that "Velvet secures HOPE for Georgia" and claimed that "it’s clear that the supply of HOPE and pre-K funds run the risk of falling behind demand." F-H proposed that the lottery's CEO, Margaret DeFrancisco, visit newsrooms to sell the proposed project. In January the operator of Underground Atlanta, Dan O'Leary, unveiled his proposal to Georgia Lottery for a $450 million redevelopment of the site, which includes a casino.
Obama's Climate Change Negotiator Comes with PR Pedigree
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has appointed Todd Stern as special envoy on climate change. He will be the Obama Administration's chief climate negotiator in international meetings such as COP15 in Copenhagen at the end of 2009, which will discuss a possible successor agreement to the Kyoto Protocol. Stern, an advocate of the U.S. taking significant action on global warming, has worked as a partner at the law firm Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr since July 2001. The firm's website states that he "counsels companies, industry coalitions and other institutions on a wide variety of public policy issues. He has represented clients in numerous House and Senate investigations. He has provided strategic advice to companies and institutions regarding problems that carry significant political or public relations risk. He has also frequently advised on crisis management matters, including advising on the development and execution of media strategy that is sensitive to both underlying legal concerns and public relations imperatives." The firm's website does not identify which clients he has worked for.
Weekly Radio Spin: Taking Nobel Laureates for a Ride
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 look at military lobbying, not getting the lead out, and protecting whistleblowers. In "Six Degrees of Spin and Fakin,'" being distracted by the Burmese junta. The Weekly Radio Spin is freely available for personal and broadcast use.
