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Hill & Knowlton

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==Hill & Knowlton== One of the world’s five largest public relations firms, was founded in 1927 by former journalist John Hill. In 2005, it had 73 offices in 39 countries, including 19 in the US. Employing 1100 people, the firm provides both public relation and lobbying services to local, multinational and global clients, including the Enron Corporation and the International Olympic Committee. The firm was obtained by WPP Group, one of the worlds leading communications service groups, which owns four of the largest pr firms including Hill & Knowlton.

They play a significant role because of their global reach. They have developed close ties with many governments around the world, including the United States, Australia, Uganda, and many more. Their reach and control over mass media allows them to have direct impact on world events, public policy, and what the general public accesses. The firm has also been widely recognized, receiving awards such as Best Agency and Best Communications Organizations at the Stevie International Business Awards in 2005. http://www.stevieawards.com/ba/.

Hill & Knowlton can also be seen as a controversial firm. While much of their work falls well within ethical boundaries, there are a fair amount of campaigns in their background that violate certain ethics. In 1992, H & K recieved 14 million dollars from countries known to abuse human rights, including China, Peru, Indonesia, Israel, and Egypt. They have also taken on cases that dealt with corporate crime, including the El Paso natural gas case and the Bank of Credit and Commerce Internationalcase. Finally, there is some H & K involvement in government conspiracies including the alleged October Surprise and work for the CIA where overseas offices acted as covers for US agents.

The company utilizes propaganda for their clients as well, distributing press releases to influence media. The following examples show this use of propaganda on behalf of their clients.

  • Members of the Tobacco Industry, in 1953, hired the firm to help them counteract recent scientific findings that suggested cigarette smoking led to cancer. As a result “A Frank Statement” was release to nearly every major newspaper and magazine.
  • In 1993, on behalf of Citizens for a Free Kuwait, H & K researched and then created stories and “eye-witness” testimonies that described Iraqi atrocities that would build public support. This case included the Nayirah testimony that played a major role in involving the US in the Gulf War.
  • Coppertone, a company that creates and sells sun care products, enlisted H & K in 1994 in order to boost profit. The PR firm exaggerated reports of a depleted ozone layer to encourage the general public to protect themselves from skin cancer by using sun block.

In most cases, Hill & Knowlton can be seen as propagandists and use various appeals along with misinformation to convince their audiences. As seen in the above cases, the use of propaganda techniques is frequent and very effective. Therefore, audiences must be cautious and analyze information that comes from Hill & Knowlton.

References

PR Watch. WPP. http://www.prwatch.org/prwissues/2001Q2/wpp.html

Corporate Watch. Hill & Knowlton: A Corporate Profile. http://www.corporatewatch.org/?lid=378

Hill & Knowlton website. http://www.hillandknowlton.com/

Public Relationships: Hill & Knowlton, Robert Gray, and the CIA. By: John Carlisle. http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/RANCHO/LIE/HK/HK2.html

Holmes Report. http://www.holmesreport.com/holmestemp/story.cfm?edit_id=730&typeid=3

Source Watch. Hill & Knowlton. http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Hill_%26_Knowlton

Maldives Culture. Hill & Knowlton PR Mulitnational. http://www.maldivesculture.com/news/hill_knowlton_maldives.htm

How Hill & Knowlton Helped sell smoking to the public. By: John Stauber and Sheldon Rampton http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/RANCHO/LIE/HK/SMOKE.html

Hill & Knowlton and BCCI’s PR Campaign http://www.fas.org/irp/congress/1992_rpt/bcci/18hill.htm

PR Watch. Hill & Knowlton Uses Environmentalists to Peddle Coppertone http://www.prwatch.org/prwissues/1994Q3/coppertone.html

A Frank Statement to Cigarette Smokers. http://www.tobacco.neu.edu/litigation/cases/supportdocs/frank_ad.htm

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