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THIS WEEK’S NEWS
== SPIN OF THE DAY ==
1. BBC Archives Reveal Spooks Vetted Staff
2. Big-Spending Brethren
3. The Reach of Rupert Murdoch
4. International News Media as Collateral Damage
5. Victims of Our Own Advertising, Claims Drug Industry Boss
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== SPIN OF THE DAY ==
1. BBC ARCHIVES REVEAL SPOOKS VETTED STAFF
www.smh.com.au/news/world/tinker-tailor-broadcaster-spy—bbc-had-mi5-watch-its-staff/2006/07/02/1151778811129.html
Archived internal BBC documents from the 1980's, obtained by The Sunday Telegraph under Freedom of Information legislation, reveal that the British spy service, MI5, was used to vet existing and potential staff at the public broadcaster. The paper reported that the documents revealed that “at one stage it [MI5] was responsible for vetting 6300 BBC posts – almost a third of the total workforce.” The BBC adopted “categorical denial” as its “defensive strategy” to deflect questions about the practice by unions. A March 1, 1985 memo suggested the best approach was “keep head down and stonewall all questions.”
SOURCE: Sydney Morning Herald, July 3, 2006
For more information or to comment on this story, visit:
www.prwatch.org/node/4939
2. BIG-SPENDING BRETHREN
www.smh.com.au/articles/2006/07/01/1151174401719.html?from=top5
While members of the conservative Christian church, the Exclusive Brethren, are not allowed to vote, they have been big spenders in recent election campaigns in the United States, Canada, New Zealand and Australia. They spent $NZ1.2 million in the 2005 New Zealand election, while in the 2004 US election their Thanksgiving 2004 Committee spent $US636,522. David Marr writes in the Sydney Morning Herald that the Brethren “cover their tracks. The name of the sect is never mentioned. Their political demands are a seamless mix of business breaks and hard-line Christian morality. Under [church head Bruce D.] Hales, the Exclusive Brethren have become a new player in the right-wing politics of the world. And they have lots and lots and lots of money.” While church spokesmen claim that the involvement of members in election campaigns is the decision of individuals, former members disagree. “No one would have countenanced doing this without the complete sanction of the leader universally,” one told Marr.
SOURCE: Sydney Morning Herald, July 1, 2006
For more information or to comment on this story, visit:
www.prwatch.org/node/4938
3. THE REACH OF RUPERT MURDOCH
www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/story/0,,1810266,00.html
Lance Price, who worked as a media adviser to British Prime Minister Tony Blair between 1998 and 2001, writes that Rupert Murdoch “seemed like the 24th member of the cabinet. His voice was rarely heard … but his presence was always felt.” Discussions between Blair’s office, Murdoch and his right-hand man Irwin Stelzer “were handled at the very highest level … The Sun and the Times, in particular, received innumerable ‘scoops’ and favours. In return, New Labour got very sympathetic coverage from newspapers that are bought and read by classic swing voters – on the face of it, too good a deal to pass up.” Price was required to submit the manuscript for his recently-released book, The Spin Doctor’s Diary, to the Cabinet Office for vetting. He was surprised to discover that a third of the objections related to Murdoch.
SOURCE: The Guardian (UK), July 1, 2006
For more information or to comment on this story, visit:
www.prwatch.org/node/4937
4. INTERNATIONAL NEWS MEDIA AS COLLATERAL DAMAGE
www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002765280
While “the latest target is the New York Times,” for reports on a U.S. program tracking international financial records, journalists and media outlets around the world have been criticized — and prosecuted — for publishing stories related to the so-called Global War on Terror. “Swiss investigators are looking for the leaker of an intelligence document attesting to the CIA prison network and are weighing criminal charges,” reports AP. This fall, “Danish journalists face trial for reporting their government knew there was no evidence of banned weapons in Iraq.” It is “the first such prosecution of journalists in Denmark’s modern history.” In July 2003, British bioweapons expert David Kelly killed himself, after admitting he had told the BBC that Iraq weapons of mass destruction intelligence had been “sexed up.” UK reporter Michael Smith was investigated but not charged for reporting on leaked Downing Street memos, which said Iraq intelligence had been “fixed” around war plans. Two Romanian journalists face up to seven years in prison for possessing — but not reporting on — classified documents about Romanian military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
SOURCE: Associated Press, July 1, 2006
For more information or to comment on this story, visit:
www.prwatch.org/node/4936
5. VICTIMS OF OUR OWN ADVERTISING, CLAIMS DRUG INDUSTRY BOSS
www.chiefexecutive.net/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=Publishing
& mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=8F3A7027421841978F18BE89
The CEO of Pfizer, Hank McKinnell, says that a priority for the drug industry is regaining public trust. “We’ve done considerable research on this. We’re starting to use what little legislative muscle we have to improve the situation by working on the Medicare prescription benefit package,” he said. McKinnell attributes part of the industry’s unpopularity to “our direct-to consumer advertising” of prescription drugs. “We didn’t do enough to strengthen and reinforce the importance of the doctor-patient relationship. It was a consequence of our success that we created visibility for products and many people in the public said, ‘That would be nice, but we can’t afford it.’” McKinnell didn’t mention recent scandals that have rocked the industry, such as the recall of Merck’s Vioxx in 2004, industry secrecy over its marketing practices, controversy over the funding of patient groups or its disease mongering. According to O’Dwyer’s, McKinnell identified corporate social responsibility as a way for pharmaceutical companies “to be seen as part of the solution.”
SOURCE: Chief Executive, June 2006
For more information or to comment on this story, visit:
www.prwatch.org/node/4929
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