MS&L WINS PHILIPS MEDICAL SYSTEMS

Philips Medical Systems ($6.5 billion in revenues) selected Manning, Selvage & Lee for a global corporate, product and branding campaign following a three-month pitch.

Brodeur Worldwide and Warman & Bannister were runners-up.

MS&L is to hike "brand preference of Philips in the hospital community," according to Anne Grewer, international press officer for the maker of x-ray, ultrasound, nuclear medicine and patient monitoring equipment. There also will be an outreach component aimed at the general public.

London-based JoEllen Zumberge is MS&L's global account director for PMS. She will coordinate PR activities with MS&L's offices in Boston, San Francisco and New York.

PMS states its goal as carving out leadership or No. 2 slots in each selected market. The Royal Philips Electronics unit recently strengthened its position via acquisitions of Agilent's Healthcare Solutions Group and Marconi Medical Systems.

MS&L also works for Philips Electronics North America and Philips Lighting in Europe. W&B retains PMS business lines in Europe.

PUERTO RICO TRAVEL GOES TO OGILVY

Ogilvy PR Worldwide has been awarded the Puerto Rico Tourism account, which once was a $1 million account at sister firm Hill and Knowlton.

The firm had been handling industrial development for Puerto Rico, said Bette Levin, senior VP. She heads the account and is supported by Christiana Campos and Erin Hill in Washington, D.C. New York staffers also will do tourism work.

The firm plans to promote the Caribbean island's diversity, culture and traditions.

The goal, according to Levin, is to "enhance the Puerto Rico brand" among travel influencers including travel trade and consumer magazines.

WRIGHT JOINS C&W

Cohn & Wolfe has recruited Anne Wright, Hill and Knowlton's corporate practice director, and made her executive VP in its New York corporate/ technology group.

At H&K, Wright dealt with crisis PR, employee communications, philanthropy and CEO positioning. She was previously VP/GM at Manning, Selvage & Lee/Boston, and with Texas Instruments.

B-M RECRUITS EX-GREENPEACE CHIEF

Burson-Marsteller has hired the former head of Greenpeace U.K. as a consultant to its corporate social responsibility group, setting off an uproar among environmental activists.

Peter Melchett, who was arrested two years ago for leading a protest against genetically modified food, will now work for the firm that represents Monsanto, the key player in the GM arena. Melchett said he will only represent clients that he is comfortable with.

An internal Greenpeace memo assures staffers that Melchett will do the right thing. It said Melchett will advise companies to "go organic," rather than helping "bad companies avoid the likes of Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth."

Melchett, a former Labour Minister and farmer, resigned from Greenpeace International's board last week.

F-H ACQUIRES ALLYN & CO.

Fleishman-Hillard has acquired Allyn & Co., a top political firm in Texas most noted for doing media consulting work for Mexican president Vicente Fox and advocacy ads for George Bush's 2000 campaign.

CEO Rob Allyn says he decided to sell to F-H for the opportunity to go global. He has applied his "ideas that change the way you think" philosophy for corporate clients such as 7-Eleven, Mary Kay Cosmetics and Bank of America.

A&C has offices in Dallas, Austin, Phoenix and Mexico City that offer issues advocacy, PA media relations, crisis PR and graphic design services.

Campaign, since 1990, has ranked A&C the top grossing political media firm in Texas.

Toyota Motor Sales has settled its "breach of contract" lawsuit filed by Calhoun and Assocs., a Montgomery, Ala., PR unit of Calhoun Enterprises. C&A alleged that Toyota filed to pay it $1 million for counsel on how to prevent a threatened boycott organized by Rev. Jesse Jackson's Rainbow/Push Coalition. The carmaker admits to hiring C&A, but said it dropped the firm after a month. C&A claims it fulfilled the contract. Terms of the legal settlement are not available....O'Dwyer's 2002 PR Buyer's Guide has been published. The 72-page directory lists 1,500 products and services for the PR industry in 56 categories including annual report design, photo distribution, media lists and website development. Cost is $50. 212/679-2471 or e-mail [email protected].

TOPPS CHEWED OUT FOR ARAFAT CARD

HonestReporting.com, the pro-Israel media watchdog, is furious at Topps Co. for including a card of Palestinian Authority chief Yasser Arafat in its 90-member "Enduring Freedom" line of trading cards.

Topps claims the high-gloss cards will help kids "understand that the President (and his team) will keep them safe and that evil-doers will be punished."

Eight of the cards depict worldwide political support for President Bush's "war on terror." That's where a card of Arafat donating blood for the victims of the Sept. 11 attacks comes in.

HonestReporting wants members to send e-mails of protest to Topps, maker of Bazooka bubble gum. It says while Arafat was "donating blood in a bold public relations ploy, Palestinians were dancing in the streets and handing out sweets, celebrating the September 11 attacks. Topps might do better to include Arafat in the same category with Osama bin Laden, particularly after Israel intercepted the deadly ship of missiles, mortars, explosives, and real bazooka last week," says HonestReporting.com.

Topps also included a card of Israel's Shimon Peres pledging support to the U.S. in the collection.

The New York City-headquartered company earned $89 million on $440 million in fiscal 2001 revenues. Topps trades on the NASDAQ at $11. The 52-week range is $8.50, $12.49.

PAKISTAN GETS TOP GOP LOBBYING HELP

Pakistan turned to the head of the well-connected Houston-based Republican firm, Polland & Cook, to help smooth ties with the U.S. just prior to the Sept. 11 attacks.

The purpose was to end U.S. economic sanctions against Pakistan, bolster trade and debt restructure.

Gary Polland, who chairs the Harris County GOP Party, is 37.5 percent owner of a joint-venture known as "Team Barakat" that is registered as lobbyist for the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

In its "Plan for Success: Moving International Relations Forward" presentation for Pakistan, TB cites some of the knotty issues facing the client.

Those include nuclear testing, Afghan refugees, Kashmir dispute with India, terrorism, human rights, economic debt restructure, child labor and Pakistan's transition to a civilian government.

TB's $180,000 contract became effective Sept. 1. It is renewable for another two years. That covers only advice, recommendations, and meetings with key U.S. policymakers. Media services are not covered.

The firm reports to Pres. Gen. Pervez Musharraf.

Polland organized the Texas Inaugural Breakfast in Washington, D.C., last Jan. 19 to honor George Bush.

Polland, the former chairman of Indiana Youth for Reagan, was a speaker at the Christian Coalition Faith and Freedom Rally and the Christian Coalition Banquet at the 1996 GOP National Convention and the Conservative Political Action Conference in 1998.

U.S. AFGHAN ENVOY ADVISED UNOCAL

Zalmay Khalilzad, whom President Bush appointed as special envoy to Afghanistan on Dec. 31, was a former advisor to Unocal who lobbied the Taliban on behalf of the energy giant.

The Washington Post called Khalilzad the "top-ranking Muslim in the U.S. government," in covering his appointment.

Afghanistan is said to hold the biggest supply of oil and gas outside the Persian Gulf, and Unocal wanted to build a gas pipeline there.

Khalilzad, in a recent press conference in Kabul, condemned the Taliban and stressed U.S. commitment to track down Mullah Omar, the former Taliban chief, and Osama bin Laden.

In 1997, a Taliban delegation had visited Unocal's Sugar Land, Tex., headquarters. The company planned to train workers to run the pipeline at a facility in Kandahar.

Khalilzad had written a Washington Post piece urging the U.S. to work with the Taliban to reconstruct Afghanistan in the aftermath of 20 years of civil war.

He felt the Taliban did not practice the same anti-U.S. Islamic fundamentalism as neighboring Iran.
Unocal, which uses Hill and Knowlton for PR, dropped the pipeline idea following the bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998. Bin Laden was blamed for those attacks.

Khalilzad, who was born in Afghanistan, then threw his support behind the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance.

He was National Security Council specialist on Southwest Asia, Near East and North Africa before assuming his current post.

OFFICE DEPOT'S OLYMPICS DRIVE TO F-H

Office Depot used Fleishman-Hillard to launch in Salt Lake City last week its "Million Dollar Olympic Challenge." The contest, which runs through Feb. 7, asks for predictions on what countries will win gold medals in 25 categories. Entry forms are available online or at OD stores. The contest is to highlight OD's first-time sponsorship of the Games.

The chain will have a store in the Main Media Center inside the Salt Palace Convention Center. That is another Olympic first. More than 9,000 journalists are expected to cover the Games that begin next month.

Maxine Vaughan, 48, who helped start Jensen/ Boga, died Jan. 10 after a long illness. She was born in Kingston, Jamaica, and worked on several accounts including Air Jamaica for the New York-based PR firm when it was opened in 1984. She later worked for Assemblyman Nick Perry (D-Brooklyn).

Dinaz Boga said Vaughan's "charm always brought out the bright side."

She is survived by her husband, Causewell Vaughan, a former reporter for The New York Daily News, and two children, Eric and Stacey.

TIME'S EXCLUSIVE RANKLES REPORTERS

Time magazine's Jan. 14 cover story on Apple Computer's new flat-panel personal computer, iMac, which hit newsstands on Jan. 6 in most cities, did not sit well with reporters, who had agreed to embargo the story until Jan. 7.

The computer maker gave copies of the issue, which featured the new computer on its cover with the headline "Flat-Out Cool!", to attendees at the Jan. 7 launch in San Francisco.

An unidentified Time employee told The New York Times that the magazine had guaranteed Apple a cover story in return for an exclusive about the new product.

A spokesman for Time, Ty Tippet, said that "as a newsmagazine, we don't guarantee covers," and added that there were other cover subjects ready as well.

PLACEMENT TIPS

Newsday is revamping its weekly real estate section to feature more coverage of local housing issues.

Ronald Roel, who is editor of the section, said it will explore several approaches aimed at increasing affordable housing, and it will cover a wide range of issues affecting housing for Long Island's aging population.

In addition, the paper will continue to examine subjects such as predatory lending and sales practices; the "smart growth" movement, which is offering new strategies for rebuilding downtowns and redefining community development; and the increasing complex array of options for consumers in dealing with real estate agents, as well as securing mortgages and refinancing.

The "Tips" and "Q&A" columns by Joe Catalano, which alernated every other week, will no longer appear.

Roel said another advice column will be added soon, and it is reinstituting the annual "Real Estate Outlook" for the Long Island and Queens region. The special report will forecast what's ahead in 2002 for home prices, housing supply, new construction, mortgage rates and more.

Washington Technology, a 16-year-old magazine published by a unit of the Washington Post Co., has expanded its content.

Steve LeSeueur said a new section has been added that is dedicated to emerging technologies and solutions plus a new page in the federal section that will take an in-depth look at a different federal agency in each issue.

Other elements of the redesign include more focused coverage on the integrator community in a new section called "The IT Crowd" and increased coverage of relevant policies coming out of Congress and the White House.

The magazine is written for the private-sector government integrator, an audience with an interest in how contracts are awarded, or what technologies they can integrate into their offerings.

MEDIA BRIEFS

Insider Advantage.com, based in Atlanta, will begin publication of online political and business newsletters in Iowa, New Hampshire, and North Carolina in the coming two weeks.

Insider Advantage, a full service public affairs and lobbying firm, already publishes political newsletters in Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina.

The company was started by former Georgia Rep. Matt Towery and former Ga. Lt. Governor Pierre Howard. Towery also writes a syndicated column based out of the Florida Times-Union in Jacksonville.

Hawaii.com, a tourism and entertainment website, is now being run by Gannett Co. and Donrey Media of Las Vegas.

The site features stories for people who live in, or are planning vacations to, Hawaii.

Gannett, which publishes 96 newspapers, including The Honolulu Advertiser, will develop content for the site, which was started in July 2000 by Donrey, which publishes three local Hawaiian papers and also operates LasVegas.com.

Jacki Doppelmayer, who is content editor, is located at 1357 Kapiolani blvd., Honolulu.

The San Francisco Chronicle's locally edited Sunday Magazine will be published every other week, instead of weekly.

Court TV and Ladies' Home Journal will offer content about female and family safety issues across both mediums and jointly sell the ad space.

"Democracy Now!," a radio program hosted by Amy Goodman, has returned to the Pacifica Radio Network.

It had been dropped five months ago in the midst on an attempted corporate takeover of the radio network.

The crisis moved toward resolution last month after a nationwide listener boycott and the settlement of three lawsuits against the Pacifica National Board.
Among the issues yet to be resolved are the return of banned and fired producers at WBAI and a resolution of a news stringers strike against the Pacifica Network News.

Democracy Now has presented some of the harshest critics of the "war on terrorism."

Texas writer Vanessa Leggett was released from prison on Jan. 4.

She was jailed on July 20 for refusing to hand over notes, research, tapes and transcripts to a federal jury investigating a 1997 murder of a Houston millionaire's wife.

Leggett was conducting the research and interviews to complete a book manuscript on the slaying.

(Media news continued on next page)

BARRON'S TO PUBLISH TECH SECTION

Barron's will start publishing a new section entiled "Technology Week" in the issue dated Jan. 14.

The new section comes at a time when many tech and non-tech publications are dropping tech sections or going out of business completely.

Ed Finn, editor and president of Barron's, said the section will help investors to pick the right tech stocks.

Weekly features include a new column entitled "Tech Trader," written by Bill Alpert, plus "Plugged In," a column penned from the West Coast by Mark Veverka.

Finn can be reached by calling his secretary at 212/597-6936. The New York editorial offices for Barron's are located at 1156 6th ave.

MUSIC EDITOR NAMED AT TEEN PEOPLE

Matt Hendrickson was named music editor at Teen People.

Hendrickson, who spent five years at Rolling Stone as a staff writer, helped launch Maximum Golf as a senior editor focusing on men's lifestyle issues.

Jeremy Helligar moves from senior entertainment editor to articles editor, where he will edit lifestyle and other pieces in the features department.

Michael Jenning was named deputy editor. Jenning rejoins TP after a stint at Cosmopolitan as deputy managing editor.

N.Y. TIMES HIRES TWO MEDIA REPORTERS

David Carr and Lorne Manly have been hired by The New York Times to cover media news, starting in February.

Manly, who is currently editor of Folio, a magazine trade publication, once wrote a media column in The New York Observer before becoming media editor of Inside.com.

Carr, a former editor of The Washington (D.C.) City Paper, had covered the publishing industry for Inside.com, and more recently, he has written for New York Magazine and The Atlantic Monthly.

PEOPLE

Marty Lederhandler, 83, a senior photographer with The Associated Press, retired in December, ending a 66-year career with AP in which he photographed virtually every world leader and news event in New York.

Igor Cassini, 86, a publicist who wrote a society column for Hearst newspapers, under the name of Cholly Knickerbocker, for 20 years, died Jan. 5.

Ethan Bronner, 47, was named assistant editorial page editor of The New York Times. Bonner, who had been an editor on the investigation team of the Times since the Sept. 11 terror attacks, was education editor of the paper from 1999 to 2001.

Christa Worthington, 46, a freelance fashion writer and former Paris bureau chief for Women's Wear Daily and W, was found slain in her Truro, Mass., home the weekend of Jan. 5-6.

James Smith, currently Mexico City bureau chief of The Los Angeles Times, has joined The Boston Globe as foreign editor, replacing Chris Chinlund, who was named the paper's ombudsman.

Bill Wyman, Salon.com's arts editor, has left to join The Atlanta Journal-Constitution as arts editor.

Michael Schrage's last "Brave New Work" column appears in Fortune's Jan. 21 issue.

Dianne Donovan, 53, currently an editorial writer at The Chicago Tribune, was named The Baltimore Sun's editorial page editor, replacing Jacqueline Thomas, who resigned. Donovan will be assisted by Jean Thompson, who was named co-associate editor. The Tribune Co. owns both papers.

Susan Lyne, 54, former editor-in-chief of Premiere magazine, was promoted to president of ABC Entertainment, replacing Stuart Bloomberg, who resigned.

CORRECTION: The New York Daily News has dropped the gossip column written by Mitchell Fink. It was erroneously reported in the Jan. 9 NL that the column was written by Eric Mink, a former TV critic, who recently left the paper.

VAN SUSTEREN DUCKS INTERVIEW

The St. Petersburg Times said TV newswoman, Greta Van Susteren, who is leaving CNN to join Fox News Channel, declined to be interviewed about her relationship with the Church of Scientology, citing privacy concerns.

The paper wondered why a celebrity like Van Susteren keeps a low profile in the church which "trots out its celebrity members (Tom Cruise, John Travolta, Kirstie Alley, Chick Corea and Lisa Marie Presley) for maximum PR effect."

Van Susteren's husband, John Coale, a Washington, D.C.-based trial lawyer, known as "Bhopal Coale" for going into India after the 1984 Union Carbide poison gas leak that killed more than 2,000 people, is also a member of the church, which is headquartered in Clearwater, Fla., where they have a home.

AP STAFFERS UNDERGO SURVIVAL TRAINING

Some 300 news staffers for The Associated Press have undergone an intensive five-day survival course, called Centurion, which is run by former British soldiers.

They are taught how to look for booby traps; get through a checkpoint manned by hostile soldiers, and survive an abduction. Staffers usually go in groups of about 15 to an estate in Hampshire, England, but courses have also been held in Virginia, and in Israel.

CRIPPS JOINS COUNCIL OF PR FIRMS

Kathy Cripps, who joined Hill and Knowlton as its healthcare chief in February, has succeeded Jack Bergen as president of the Council of PR Firms.

CPRF chairman and Fleishman-Hillard CEO John Graham said Cripps beat out 14 other candidates for the post.

Cripps, a 25-year PR veteran, has worked at Burson-Marsteller, Creamer Dickson Basford and was founder of healthcare firm SCIENS Worldwide PR. She also held media relations posts at Farberware and Nestle Co. She was chair of the Counselors Academy of PRSA in 2000.

The Council, which has 125 member firms, is again collecting information for a ranking of PR firms in which the firms self-certify their own revenues and staff totals. Members as well as non-members have been sent forms.

No Proofs, Account Lists Required

No account lists are required for these rankings nor any proofs of fees or total employees. Firms have the "option" of submitting a statement by a CPA. Otherwise, all figures are attested to by principals or CFOs of the PR firms.

Revenue is defined by the CPRF as fees for PR counseling and "revenues from related qualifying services, media commissions from corporate and issues advertising up to 10% of total firm revenues, and mark-ups from collateral activities such as graphics, video production, events and printing. Related qualifying services include research and measurement in support of PR programs and Internet consulting and services.

Firms that own 50% or more of another firm may count 100% of the revenues. If ownership is less, the revenues may not be counted.

"PR firms that control PR operations on the books of parent ad agencies may count those PR revenues," says another rule. This rule appears to allow ad/PR conglomerates such as Interpublic and Omnicom to combine revenues of their hundreds of PR units at their discretion. Asked about this, Bergen said that any PR income counted should be done under the name of the firm counting it and that the CPRF would revise this rule.

The CPRF form says that participating firms "may be subject to a random audit by an independent CPA firm hired by the Council to verify my disclosed revenue data."

CPA: No Audit Is Being Performed

However, the CPRF instructions to firms picked for such an "audit" specifically state that an audit is not being performed.

The form has the PR firm saying: Our understanding (is) that you (the CPRF's CPA firm) were not engaged to, and did not, perform an audit, the objective of which would be the expression of an opinion on the specified elements, accounts, or items (described/clarified) above.

"Further, these agreed-upon procedures do not constitute an examination of the effectiveness of the internal control over financial reporting or any part thereof, the objective of which would be the expression of an opinion thereon. Accordingly, you did not express any such opinions."

The CPRF's CPA firm is Mendonca & Suarez, Elizabeth, N.J. Robert G. D'Uva is the CPA involved on the account.

The CPA firm examines various "worksheets" provided by the PR firm and the PR firm attests to the validity of the records supplied. There is no indication that copies of income tax returns or W-3s (total of W-2s) are being collected or examined. No attempt is made by the CPRF to collect account lists of the PR firms.

The search committee for Cripps included Graham, along with CPRF executive committee members Rich Jernstedt (Golin/Harris International), Helen Vollmer (Vollmer PR) and Sabrina Horn (The Horn Group) and the search committee of Bob Druckenmiller (Porter Novelli), Steve Cody (PepperCom) and Sarah Drennan (CPRF's acting president).

IVY LEAGUE PROFS 'OUTED' AS LIBERALS

Seventy-one percent of the Ivy League professors who were polled in a study for The Center for the Study of Popular Culture, believe the news media's coverage of political and social issues reflects a liberal bias.

Twenty-nine percent think journalists are as politically liberal as they are, while 22% believe news people are more liberal than they are. Thirty-two percent believe news people are somewhat (24%) or much more (8%) conservative than they are.

When asked to choose between The New York Times or The Wall Street Journal, 72% said they agreed with the editorial page of The Times, as compared to 5% who agree with The Journal's editorial views.

Three percent of the professors identified themselves as Republicans, and only 9% voted for George W. Bush.

David Horowitz, who runs the Los Angeles-based CSPC, said the survey, which was conducted by Luntz Research, reveals a disturbing lack of intellectual diversity among the Ivy League professors polled, and raises questions about political bias in the hiring of faculty.

NASA LAUNCHES RFP FOR HISTORY BOOK

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration plans to issue an RFP for a book-length manuscript about "The History of the Kennedy Space Center" as the facility is set to mark its 40th anniversary.

It's looking for a "readable and publishable" work focusing on missions, launches, safety, personal anecdotal stories, workforce, engineering accomplishments and technical contributions made at KSC.

The contract will be for one year with another year option. Sharon Wright is contracting officer. 321/867-7230.

Here are my (Fraser Seitel's) choices for outstanding performances in 2001:

PR Professional of the Year: Karen Hughes.

While Presidential PR advisors of the past served as press secretaries or communications directors, Hughes is a full-fledged Presidential counselor, who, along with political advisor Karl Rove, shape Bush's agenda, political strategy and communications.

She is the most powerful shaper of Bush's words and messages, with some saying that "when Bush speaks in public, Hughes' lips move along with his."

Bush's improvement as a speaker, from his pained, uncertain, syntactically challenged start to today's more articulate and confident communicator, is a tribute to Hughes' professionalism and clout.

And on Sept. 11, with the President, VP and Speaker of the House all scrambling to a safe haven, Karen Hughes was picked to make the first major address to publicly reassure a trembling nation.

PR Hero of the Year: Donald Rumsfeld.

The man who on Sept. 10 was regarded as the most shadowy Administration figure this side of G. Gordon Liddy, has emerged as a PR superstar.

Rumsfeld's thrice-weekly Pentagon press conferences have become, as the Wall Street Journal said, "must viewing." The Secretary of Defense, never known for his tolerance or affection for the press, holds briefings that are informative, thought provoking, often inspiring, and always categorical.

CNN called the 69-year-old Secretary, "a virtual rock star," and Fox News, "a babe magnet."
Rumsfeld and former Mayor Rudy Giuliani have shown that CEOs and others disdainful of the media have nothing to fear as long as they know their facts, do their homework and tell the truth.

PR Company of the Year: Aon Corp.

Aon, which lost 176 employees on 9/11 and which, ironically, insures companies against terrorist attacks, did not make PR missteps like certain other companies did. It set up generous benefits for surviving families, created a $10 million educational fund for surviving children, and issued periodic updates via its website to keep everyone informed.

PR News Organization of the Year: New York Times.

Sure the Times is pompous, arrogant, irrepressibly liberal and often infuriating. But its decision to profile 1,800+ victims of Sept. 11 in a "Portraits of Grief" section was pure journalistic genius.
--Fraser Seitel

Barely a year in office, President Bush, thanks to his misguided $1.35 trillion tax cut, has squandered the economic prosperity that this nation enjoyed under President Clinton.

Corporate profits were strong. Productivity jumped. Stocks soared. Jobs were plentiful. Incomes rose.

The Clinton years marked a "new economy" that offered a golden future to America.

Candidate Bush cashed in on those heady and wonderful days by proposing a massive tax cut.

But nobody envisioned the war on terror or the billions needed to erect a "homeland defense."

The President has to realize that his 10-year tax cut doesn't look fiscally responsible these days.

The war offers a graceful way out of the political quagmire for Bush. He enjoys soaring popularity for his execution of the war. The nation stands united as never before.

He has asked the country for sacrifice and people are more than willing to do whatever they can.

His suggestions, however, have been less than awe inspiring. They include urging people to keep their eyes open, report shady activities, take a trip, and spend as much as possible to power the country out of a recession.

Bush should tell the country: "We now need every cent of the tax cut to protect our people and wipe out terror groups once and for all." Most of the tax cuts are going to the wealthiest Americans.
--Kevin McCauley

A logical cause that PR pros can take up is preserving the spirit and practice of the 1974 Freedom of Information Act. Attorney General John Ashcroft recently told federal agencies to be cautious about releasing any info, adding the Justice Dept. will back up units that reject FOIA requests.

"The Bush Administration has shown a disturbing obsession with secrecy for its own sake," said columnist Dale McFeatters Jan. 11. "Bureaucracies always favor secrecy," the better to hide their errors, he says. As an example, he noted Bush has refused to disclose Vice President Richard Cheney's energy advisors. PR's take should be that the more open an institution is, the more honest it will be, and the more jobs there will be for PR pros. Wartime security considerations are important but should not be abused...the Internet helped defeat the recent move of the American Institute of CPAs to set up a "global credential." Opponents set up cpadirectory.com to combat the "propaganda" of the AICPA. They are angry that a vote of CPAs was not taken before $5M was spent. The AICPA has been telling members there was "overwhelming" support for the credential, noted cpadirectory.com. But the website has been providing CPAs "an alternative forum to AICPA propaganda."This "spin" continues, say the dissidents, with AICPA CEO Barry Melancon saying he believes the AICPA "took the right course by putting this issue to a vote." Say the dissidents: "Where have they been for the last year when members were speaking up?
--Jack O'Dwyer