Payola exposed
You have to check this story out, if you haven't already. It has to be up there as one of the biggest PR blunders of all time, I would think.
You can read the long version here.
Here's the short version:
It seems the Department of Education, working through Ketchum Public Relations, paid $240,000 of YOUR money (if you pay taxes) to a prominent black pundit to promote Bush's 'No Child Left Behind' act on his show, and to encourage other black journalists to do the same thing.
Part of the agreement was that the pundit, Armstrong Williams, would interview Education Secretary Rod Paige on a regular basis.
The despicable Williams said last week that he 'understands' that critics could find the arrangement unethical, but 'I wanted to do it because it's something I believe in.' I think Hitler once said the same thing about invading Poland. What a jerk.
What's odd about this entire thing is that the silence out of the Ketchum camp has been deafening. As far as I can tell, they have put their organizational head firmly in the sand, and are running from the situation. As you'll see if you read the full story, Ketchum is referring all calls to the Department of Education.
Yes, that's right. The media relations specialists are referring all calls to the client.
Oh, and as if PR agencies needed more of a black eye, here's another quote from the USA Today story:
'Williams' contract was part of a $1 million deal with Ketchum that produced 'video news releases' designed to look like news reports.'
Boy, that doesn't make the profession look too slimy, does it?
Comments (5)
That's the first thing I thought of: How much of this crap goes on that we don't know about. What an up and down week: First, I was elated that Jon Stewart's appearance on Crossfire helped spell the demise of that show . . . or at least the revamping of it to get less yelling and more actual reporting of stories . . . . and then I come crashing down with this story.
No wonder these damned "Bloggers" are having such success. We KNOW nobody is paying them to slant the news in any way. I mean, nobody's paying us, right? Right? I mean, not that I would accept any money, but . . . I mean, if it was something I believed in anyway . . . . :)
Posted by steve Crescenzo | January 13, 2005 10:22 AM
Posted on January 13, 2005 10:22
DATE: 01/13/2005 68:64:9A PM
Wow...I've heard of selling out before, but this is ridiculous.
I defer to Jon Stewart's appearance on Crossfire. These pundits have a responsibility to the American public, and a pretty large one at that. I'm surprised we can't audibly hear the cringe from every pundit as they can hear people asking "were you paid to say that" every time they endorse a candidate or a piece of legislation.
Posted by Rebecca | October 16, 2006 4:30 PM
Posted on October 16, 2006 16:30
DATE: 01/13/2005 69:02:6A PM
I wonder how many of these deals go on that we never hear about. Frightening. Jon Stewart may be the only public figure we can take seriously these days.
Posted by Meredith | October 16, 2006 4:30 PM
Posted on October 16, 2006 16:30
DATE: 01/14/2005 82:14:8A PM
Exactly! I'm a blogger and I can safely attest that no one is paying me anything in that arena, though there are lots of companies that should be (I'm lookin' at you, Miller Brewing)...
Posted by Meredith | October 16, 2006 4:30 PM
Posted on October 16, 2006 16:30
DATE: 01/18/2005 20:55:9P PM
It's not enough to listen to or read one or two sources these days to find the truth in news these days. About the best you can hope for is to scour a number of sources that spin on both sides and decipher what the middle is. That's where you usually find the truth.
Posted by Rahjah | October 16, 2006 4:30 PM
Posted on October 16, 2006 16:30