PR GIANT WITH DODGY REPUTATION TO LINK WITH LEEDS METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY
MUNKLE | 29.03.2001 11:25 | Education | Free Spaces | Globalisation | Repression | Technology
Leeds Students Campaign against PR Company Involvement in the College
Burson-Marsteller is the world's largest PR network, whose past and present clients include fascist Argentina, Nicolae Ceaucescu, Monsanto, MacDonalds and the World Bank. Now they plan to get involved in running Leeds Metropolitan University
Burson-Marsteller is the world's largest PR network, whose past and present clients include fascist Argentina, Nicolae Ceaucescu, Monsanto, MacDonalds and the World Bank. Now they plan to get involved in running Leeds Metropolitan University
Burson-Marsteller, the world's largest PR network, is linking with Leeds Metropolitan University - the largest university provider of public relations education within the UK. As part of the partnership, Burson-Marsteller will provide input into LMU's courses, share research, provide visiting lecturers and offer undergraduate and graduate training programmes. In the summer Harold Burson will be receiving an honourary degree from Leeds Metropolitan University, at a time when most students have gone home.
An in depth article appeared in Leeds Student in which some lecturers expressed concern at the proposal. Given Burson-Marsteller's track record this is a worrying proposition for many students.
In the past Burson-Marsteller have been responsibe for covering up for some serious human rights abuses. They were used by:
„h The totalitarian regime of South Korea during the 1988 Olympics to cover up human rights abuses.
„h The Indonesian government
„h The Nigerian government during the Biafran war, to discredit reports of genocide.
„h The fascist junta that ruled Argentina during the 70's and early 80's, to attract foreign investment.
„h Communist despot Nicolae Ceaucescu.
„h Governments of Singapore and Sri Lanka.
As far as working for multinationals with something to hide, the following have used (or currently use) Burson-Marsteller's "perception management":
The Exxon Corporation, following the Exxon-Valdez disaster in Alaska, one of the most devastating oil spillage¡¦s the world has ever seen.
Union Carbide, to handle the public relations crisis caused by the Bhopal tragedy in 1984.
Monsanto and Eli Lilly ¡V Biotech companies who have hired B-M to help fight the anti-biotech movement. It is alleged that B-M has paid academics to produce reports saying that products are safe. The companies were advised not to engage in public debate about safety of biotech products. B-M admitted paying the bus fares and lunch costs of members of a Washington Baptist church who picketed a government hearing in the US capital on GM technology, waving signs proclaiming "Biotech saves people's lives."
The Philip Morris company, in an attempt to undermine a passive smoking study by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, set up a task force with other major tobacco companies. B-M became the advisors who advised them to "stimulate controversy" about the study. The task force infiltrated the research team to discover what its likely conclusions would be, commissioned their own studies and leaked stories to the media.
Dow Corning Corp. ¡V Company produces breast implants. B-M hired to build up public opinion after questions about safety.
NUS have yet to make a decision on what action they are taking, but it is believed that UNISON have decided to back a campaign. There has been a complete ban on campus of all posters concerning the issue. It seems as though this is something the university authorities want to keep from the students.
An in depth article appeared in Leeds Student in which some lecturers expressed concern at the proposal. Given Burson-Marsteller's track record this is a worrying proposition for many students.
In the past Burson-Marsteller have been responsibe for covering up for some serious human rights abuses. They were used by:
„h The totalitarian regime of South Korea during the 1988 Olympics to cover up human rights abuses.
„h The Indonesian government
„h The Nigerian government during the Biafran war, to discredit reports of genocide.
„h The fascist junta that ruled Argentina during the 70's and early 80's, to attract foreign investment.
„h Communist despot Nicolae Ceaucescu.
„h Governments of Singapore and Sri Lanka.
As far as working for multinationals with something to hide, the following have used (or currently use) Burson-Marsteller's "perception management":
The Exxon Corporation, following the Exxon-Valdez disaster in Alaska, one of the most devastating oil spillage¡¦s the world has ever seen.
Union Carbide, to handle the public relations crisis caused by the Bhopal tragedy in 1984.
Monsanto and Eli Lilly ¡V Biotech companies who have hired B-M to help fight the anti-biotech movement. It is alleged that B-M has paid academics to produce reports saying that products are safe. The companies were advised not to engage in public debate about safety of biotech products. B-M admitted paying the bus fares and lunch costs of members of a Washington Baptist church who picketed a government hearing in the US capital on GM technology, waving signs proclaiming "Biotech saves people's lives."
The Philip Morris company, in an attempt to undermine a passive smoking study by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, set up a task force with other major tobacco companies. B-M became the advisors who advised them to "stimulate controversy" about the study. The task force infiltrated the research team to discover what its likely conclusions would be, commissioned their own studies and leaked stories to the media.
Dow Corning Corp. ¡V Company produces breast implants. B-M hired to build up public opinion after questions about safety.
NUS have yet to make a decision on what action they are taking, but it is believed that UNISON have decided to back a campaign. There has been a complete ban on campus of all posters concerning the issue. It seems as though this is something the university authorities want to keep from the students.
MUNKLE
e-mail:
munkle55@hotmail.com
Comments
Hide the following 4 comments
Burson-Marsteller Campaign Contact
29.03.2001 11:31
If you require more information I will happily send it to you.
If anyone has any info relating to Burson-Marsteller if they could also send it that would be great.
munkle
e-mail:
munkle55@hotmail.com
Pet subject
29.03.2001 22:12
Mr. Blair
Corporate Fucks
01.04.2001 16:31
anon
more on BM
03.04.2001 11:48
Its clients include
ARCO, British gas, Boots, BP chemicals, BNFL, Cadbury Schweppes, Chevron, Citicorp, Coca-cola, Dow chemical, Deutsche Telecom, Eli lilly, Ford, Gallaghers, General Electric, Glaxo, IBM, ICI, Johnson and Johnson, Mcdonalds, Nutra Sweet, Philip Morris, Pioneer, Proctor and Gamble, Sainsburys, Shell Oil, Smithkline Beecham, Tetrapak, Unilever, Visa, Warner lambert and Zeneca.
Many of these clients of B-M were also sponsors of the wise use movement which in the states was actively engaged in anti-environmental activity.
B-M uses the tactics of getting company’s employee’s to support the company’s policy’s and to campaign on their behalf.
B-M see’s itself as the global conductor of the anti-green orchestra. They advise their clients on what they should say and do, and implement total communications programmes against specific objectives. One of these simple objectives is to nullify the environmental movement.
For its clients B-M has formed front groups, undertaken covert activity, lobbied politicians and co-opted the environmental debate.
As thousands died in Bhopal India on 3rd December 1984, from the worlds worst industrial accident, B-M was conducting a damage limitation exercise for its clients Union Carbide. No one has ever been prosecuted for this disaster.
Five years earlier in March 1979, B-M assisted Babcock and Wilcox, when their reactor failed at three mile island, causing America’s worst nuclear disaster.
They are also linked to covering up the facts about East timor so their clients could carry on extracting the natural resources that they required, and were active in Nigeria, when the Shell fiascoe broke.
@nti corporate