Hill & Knowlton

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Hill & Knowlton is a global public relations company, based in the United States. It is owned by the WPP Group, and was the public relations firm for the US tobacco industry from 1953 through 1968.

Contents

[edit] History

One of the world’s five largest public relations firms, Hill & Knowlton was founded in 1927 by former journalist John W. Hill. During the Great Depression, Hill became partners with a banking client, Donald Knowlton. The two then began a partnership, but in 1934 Hill moved the headquarters to New York City to serve as counsel to the American Iron and Steel Institute while Knowlton stayed in Cleveland, Ohio under the name Hill & Knowlton of Cleveland. As of August 2006, H&K has 71 offices in 40 countries, including 19 in the United States. Currently employing 2000 consultants and professional staff worldwide, 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 the WPP Group, the world's largest communications service groups, which owns four of the largest PR firms, including Hill & Knowlton.

[edit] Significance

Today Hill & Knowlton plays a significant role due to its global reach and its ties to the US government. Hill & Knowlton has also developed close ties with many other governments around the world, including Australia, Kuwait, and Uganda, but the bulk of their efforts have mainly been directed towards handling public relations issues for conservative US administrations. Its reach and control over mass media allows the firm to have direct impact on world events, public policy, and shaping news stories; the firm has had particular success in marketing the 1990-91 Persian Gulf War and the 2003 invasion of Iraq to the American people. 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. In addition, Hill & Knowlton Canada was named one of "Canada's Top 100 Employers" by Mediacorp Canada Inc. in October 2008 and was featured in Maclean's newsmagazine. Later that month, Hill & Knowlton Canada was also named one of Greater Toronto's Top Employers, which was announced by the Toronto Star newspaper.[1] Another direction on which H&K is involved is Internet where, since 2000, has built a network such as Netcomswhich gets together all Hill & Knowlton’s digital marketing division from all over the world, and Digital PR, an Italian company which, first in Italy, has developed an Internet-oriented consultancy through the professional usage of new communication media. Since 2004, Hill & Knowlton has also handled public relations for retail giant Wal-Mart.[1]

[edit] Controversies

Hill & Knowlton has generated a fair amount of controversy. Numerous PR campaigns, on behalf of both governments and private industry appear to violate both industry ethics and civil statutes. In 1991, Hill & Knowlton received $14 million from countries known to abuse human rights, including China, Peru, Indonesia, 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 International case. The company has been involved in possible government conspiracies including the alleged October Surprise and has worked for the CIA in cases where overseas offices acted as covers for US agents.

Another controversial issue is the use of propaganda by Hill & Knowlton. Since the 1930s, public relations and propaganda have merged into a profitable business, with H&K making up to $350 per hour. This increased revenue gives them the funds and ability to influence public opinion. Several examples show their use of propaganda on behalf of clients:

[edit] "A Frank Statement"

  • In 1953, Members of the Tobacco Industry hired the firm to help counteract recent scientific findings that suggested cigarette smoking led to cancer. As a result “A Frank Statement” was released to nearly every major newspaper and magazine, misleading readers into believing that cigarettes had no verifiable links to cancer.[2] The tobacco industry remained a Hill & Knowlton client until 1968.[3]

[edit] "Nurse Nayirah"

  • In 1990, H&K, paired with over 20 other American PR firms, launched an initiative aimed at changing the American perception towards Kuwait. The intent was aimed at persuading the American public to intervene with the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. The Kuwaiti government would “have constituted the largest foreign-funded campaign ever aimed at manipulating American public opinion,” according to PRWatch.org. The Kuwaiti government is said to have funded and channeled $11.9 million to the Citizens for a Free Kuwait. Other funding resources came through 78 individuals, amassing a total of $17,861. H&K used a range of tactics through the duration of the campaign, including dozens of news releases that would cost over half a million dollars. The campaigns would be a success, generating the public support needed in the US, leading to Operation Desert Storm. An essential tactic used in the campaign was the fraudulent “Nurse Nayirah” testimony that was presented to the Congressional Human Rights Caucus on October 10, 1990. She had testified that she had witnessed Iraqi soldiers killing hundreds of premature babies at the al-Addan hospital in Kuwait City. “They took the babies out of the incubator, took the incubators, and left the babies to die on the cold floor,” she testified.[4] Her name was confidential at the time of the testimony, in the interest of protecting her identity.[5] Members of Congress as well as President Bush would mention the story throughout the war many more times. It is thought that the story may have played a major role in swaying the vote of the Senate in President Bush’s favor. Following the end of the war, ABC Reporter John Martin would discover that Nayriah’s testimony was entirely concocted. “Nayirah” (Nijirah al-Sabah) was revealed as the daughter of the Kuwait House of Al-Sabah royal family member, Saud Nasir Al-Sabah, the Kuwaiti ambassador to the United States. According to the documentary film To Sell a War, Craig Fuller, the former chief of staff and good friend of George Bush, Sr., headed H&K’s Washington office.[6]

[edit] Scientology vs. TIME magazine

  • In 1991, the Church of Scientology hired H&K to help repair its image after being attacked in a TIME magazine exposé. With H&K's PR assistance, the Church came up with a booklet called What TIME Couldn't Tell, rebutting the magazine article's allegations. This booklet was folded into each copy of the June 14, 1991 edition of USA Today as a free bonus. After Scientology had later been abruptly dropped as a client, the Church suggested a conspiracy in which H&K agreed to drop them to appease their parent company, the WPP Group. The Church also blamed WPP, along with Eli Lilly and Company, for instigating the creation of the TIME article in the first place. A second version of the book, updated to mention H&K's "betrayal", was released under the title Fact vs. Fiction, and the Church won an undisclosed settlement from them in court. [7]

[edit] Coppertone

  • Coppertone, a company that creates and sells sun care products, enlisted H&K in 1994 in order to boost profit. H&K exaggerated scientific reports of a depleted ozone layer to encourage the general public to protect themselves from skin cancer by using Coppertone's products.

[edit] University of California

  • In June 2007, the University of California mistakenly added a Hill & Knowlton email address to communications with labor unions it is facing in contract negotiations. From this information, AFSCME determined the UC has hired Hill & Knowlton as its public relations firm to assist with communications during upcoming negotiations. (AFSCME 3299 Bargaining update #1 - 8.02.07)

[edit] London City Airport

  • In 2008 Hill & Knowlton was hired by London City Airport to represent them when applying for planning permission to increase flights from 76,000 to 120,000 per year. The airport was located in a residential area and was only ever meant to be a small airfield serving the business community of Canary Wharf. Hill & Knowlton have made sure the airport get one-sided press coverage and the residents who were opposing the airport did not even get a mention in the press in particular the issue of lack of noise monitoring since 2000 and claims about benefit of local jobs (even though it was proven by residents that previous claims about benefits of jobs never materialised). They have also lobbied both local and central government so that this permission to expand goes through. Residents complain that not one of their councillors put in an objection to the airport and cite a "cosy" relationship between officials and the airport.

[edit] Maldives

The company has also been criticized by many for trying to polish up the image of Maldives dictator Gayyoom.[8]

[edit] Footnoes

  1. ^ "Reasons for Selection, 2009 Canada's Top 100 Employers Competition". http://www.eluta.ca/top-employer-hill-%26-knowlton. 
  2. ^ "Hill & Knowlton: 1994 Waxman Committee
  3. ^ Richard W. Pollay, "Propaganda, Puffing and the Public Interest", Public Relations Review, Volume XVI, Number 3, Fall 1990.
  4. ^ Nayirah's testimony and some quotations, YouTube
  5. ^ "Deception on Capitol Hill" (New York ed.). New York Times. January 15, 1992. http://www.nytimes.com/1992/01/15/opinion/deception-on-capitol-hill.html. 
  6. ^ "PR Watch: How PR Sold the War in the Persian Gulf
  7. ^ Scientology Today magazine, Fall 1994.
  8. ^ "PR firm accused of whitewashing Maldives entry on Wikipedia"

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Antagonistic Links

[edit] Audio Links

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