tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8180720476129665242024-03-15T18:09:59.984-07:00Media Ethics and SocietyEvery day there are ethical decisions that impact the hundreds or thousands of people who watch, read, listen, and/or click on a media source. The foundation for making the right decision starts with ethics classes in college. Students in the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism will use this blog to reflect on ethical questions in the media today.Media Ethics Classhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00723099161416810794noreply@blogger.comBlogger3346125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-818072047612966524.post-25636645844747722462022-06-13T17:10:00.002-07:002022-06-16T10:37:28.802-07:00Marketing in Media<p><b>Avoiding Marketing</b> <br /></p><p>When reading about Astroturfing, I thought back about how many times I have seen products placed in a TV show or substitutes put into the show instead. There are countless shows that have used the "Lets" potato chips as a replacement for the name brand, as we can see by the two examples below. These bags are used as a way to avoid paying copyright fees to the big brands while still giving the feeling that they are the brands we know and love. They use the same colors, same type of lettering, and of course, hold the same product. While this is not the only example of avoiding copyright, it is one of the most common. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTAYqo457cuiXQbssTag6NDWZpzaBmff3h_EOaKl5vqbs0tXBTtWGUsoMg0a52TjZM8vhZcJ9DqC6-bzLupSFGka6Kl8gMyhBeIfl8Jlt4Gw_cxr5Qd4X_T82gEnnY-n2z-np02Z0vZq7GRUkGIRjDMkjIF897x5oBpf2zLtITdd7VamECUeegXRYJ/s600/Screenshot%202022-06-13%20at%2018-47-10%20The%20Same%20Fake%20Potato%20Chip%20Brand%20Is%20In%20A%20Mind-Blowing%20Number%20Of%20TV%20Shows.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="337" data-original-width="600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTAYqo457cuiXQbssTag6NDWZpzaBmff3h_EOaKl5vqbs0tXBTtWGUsoMg0a52TjZM8vhZcJ9DqC6-bzLupSFGka6Kl8gMyhBeIfl8Jlt4Gw_cxr5Qd4X_T82gEnnY-n2z-np02Z0vZq7GRUkGIRjDMkjIF897x5oBpf2zLtITdd7VamECUeegXRYJ/s320/Screenshot%202022-06-13%20at%2018-47-10%20The%20Same%20Fake%20Potato%20Chip%20Brand%20Is%20In%20A%20Mind-Blowing%20Number%20Of%20TV%20Shows.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: Orange is the New Black<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnD_d_eAr7pt492V3HRcHBuzAy6d4SiI2x4uGzSo-FMSzQLijru96r7k45OkxwfiR3M1fhndT9F3SV5x8uReKE9HaLIZcDBeK1nn11gPjJShuHiFnrgPFStdV1U4y-xFTiwvApMnAubkdSevGpsGv77TycJRtg7TiJ58Nn4S64qJiSe8X1tif-HjsH/s600/Screenshot%202022-06-13%20at%2019-04-55%20The%20Same%20Fake%20Potato%20Chip%20Brand%20Is%20In%20A%20Mind-Blowing%20Number%20Of%20TV%20Shows.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="398" data-original-width="600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnD_d_eAr7pt492V3HRcHBuzAy6d4SiI2x4uGzSo-FMSzQLijru96r7k45OkxwfiR3M1fhndT9F3SV5x8uReKE9HaLIZcDBeK1nn11gPjJShuHiFnrgPFStdV1U4y-xFTiwvApMnAubkdSevGpsGv77TycJRtg7TiJ58Nn4S64qJiSe8X1tif-HjsH/s320/Screenshot%202022-06-13%20at%2019-04-55%20The%20Same%20Fake%20Potato%20Chip%20Brand%20Is%20In%20A%20Mind-Blowing%20Number%20Of%20TV%20Shows.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: Community<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p> <b>Advertising in TV Shows and Movies<br /></b></p><p>The idea of astroturfing made me think of "Schitt's Creek", a Canadian TV show that became popular after being on Netflix. In this show, there is a moment where Alexis, one of the main characters, is trying to have a screening of her mother's new movie. As most things do in this series, everything went wrong. Crows attacked the audience and mayhem ensued. Alexis somehow is able to play this off as a PR stunt that she supposedly orchestrated to help hype up the movie. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YSUG3J6G3U">You can watch the clip here.</a> It causes her to land a job with the streaming company, Interflix. While Alexis did not mean for anything to happen, she was able to capitalize on the 'successful screening' and the movie became an instant classic. </p><p></p><p>Advertising has become so prevalent that we do not always realize it is happening. It has become so ingrained in our society that it can be hard to know if we wanted to buy -that- specific brand of deodorant because we think it works well or because we briefly saw an ad for it online or in a show.<br /></p><p>One of the most popular movie franchises of the last decade, The Avengers, is not immune from this, either. If you sit down and watch a Marvel movie with the intention of finding product placement, you will be surprised with how many you can find. It has happened so often that Disney+ now has <a href="https://www.cbr.com/disney-plus-prooduct-placement-warning/">product placement warnings on certain movies</a> where it is common. Is Disney+ doing the right thing with these warnings or are they an unnecessary addition in this world where everything is an advertisement? After all, the movies had to be sponsored by someone. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-818072047612966524.post-33875072657740542042022-06-11T22:57:00.003-07:002022-06-19T12:25:03.613-07:00<p style="text-align: center;">The Perpetual Conflict Machine</p><p style="text-align: center;">Guerilla Marketing </p><p style="text-align: left;">Carole Lyn Zeleny</p><p style="text-align: left;">cz812701@ohio.edu</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizm-M0Jxt-wy2Sn4C61jNCRCmjg9fVF0TzMSIobtR65RnZhNJ9W9oOwRbakEpCWZYDpmP1HI064vjDtl1c0VZS3-cpFkwGQiG_fVjMlVjgJaeGykU1gfTtdfZhBQV10ZV8uNDBjSSt7R3YCKl-dore-EnWVVmevWZib-xlOGKw8oIPOqHezV7BW5e4/s1163/111Screenshot%202022-06-11%20223120.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="280" data-original-width="1163" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizm-M0Jxt-wy2Sn4C61jNCRCmjg9fVF0TzMSIobtR65RnZhNJ9W9oOwRbakEpCWZYDpmP1HI064vjDtl1c0VZS3-cpFkwGQiG_fVjMlVjgJaeGykU1gfTtdfZhBQV10ZV8uNDBjSSt7R3YCKl-dore-EnWVVmevWZib-xlOGKw8oIPOqHezV7BW5e4/w531-h128/111Screenshot%202022-06-11%20223120.png" width="531" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Image by <a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/search/stealth+marketing">Shutterstock</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: left;">Media and stakeholder groups have accused public relations practitioners of being spin doctors and describing a reality that suits their purposes. This attitude is encapsulated in the descriptor that an activity is merely a "PR ploy", a "PR maneuver" or a "PR effort." Practices such as "flogging" (fake blogging), "astroturfing" (fake grassroots lobbying), and "stealth marketing" (fake promotions with actors masquerading as private citizens) have come under criticism.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaxezpOGPCxiV3z4WE8HGuzA_Z_iG1SXcR54ca_COekt5Gd3GPVxciAvzhhK6PNNvqTLNqb4-EK65uCfqPITZ5i1z4uMCp5kurTiaUNX-gs5hafJgQCR88QZCytVxg0dQLsruauEgB8TN7JfWXTMBvHc6ls8AmPxqbQdLQ0sv0buwNvQgEgiXGJY5x/s659/Screenshot%202022-06-11%20220529.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="282" data-original-width="659" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaxezpOGPCxiV3z4WE8HGuzA_Z_iG1SXcR54ca_COekt5Gd3GPVxciAvzhhK6PNNvqTLNqb4-EK65uCfqPITZ5i1z4uMCp5kurTiaUNX-gs5hafJgQCR88QZCytVxg0dQLsruauEgB8TN7JfWXTMBvHc6ls8AmPxqbQdLQ0sv0buwNvQgEgiXGJY5x/s320/Screenshot%202022-06-11%20220529.png" width="320" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: center;">Image by <a href="https://www.mycustomer.com/hr-glossary/stealth-marketing">Market Watch</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>Of all the word-of-mouth marketing techniques, stealth marketing is particularly efficient. In a digitized world, it might be surprising to learn that word-of-mouth marketing can often give content marketing and email marketing a run for their money. To learn how effective this organic method is for spreading the news about a product check out these figures. There are 2.4 billion brand-related conversations every day in the US with over 90% of them happening offline and 66% are positive.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdkFoZOlRGA02yDcH9a6EK9GSSmEn57kTRD3AuTpXaLCrPNRlG8t8k00vSmaLLVdxWIJXPIeNcy9Pz3LueeYVIu9FCOlb2qk97Zh_iLRa1VfdMY_2RVcy0j_1QBRAkhjJ1qLhxw0funK3BrVmIjzuHcui8m9dd4XruRXlyMiOE01hRns4b3xkLEJ8m/s648/stealth-marketing-examples-Starbucks-content.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="431" data-original-width="648" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdkFoZOlRGA02yDcH9a6EK9GSSmEn57kTRD3AuTpXaLCrPNRlG8t8k00vSmaLLVdxWIJXPIeNcy9Pz3LueeYVIu9FCOlb2qk97Zh_iLRa1VfdMY_2RVcy0j_1QBRAkhjJ1qLhxw0funK3BrVmIjzuHcui8m9dd4XruRXlyMiOE01hRns4b3xkLEJ8m/s320/stealth-marketing-examples-Starbucks-content.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Image by <a href="https://www.starbucks.com/menu?utm_campaign=fy22brand50th_20211004&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=starbucks&utm_matchtype=e">Starbucks</a></div><p>Every year, Starbucks the coffee brand releases a unique design for their holiday cups and in 2015, the design was thought by some to be very understated, too plain and not Christmassy enough! Pundits, consumers and critics made their voices heard and their opinions known about the lack of elaborate cup design. The whole ordeal created a massive media buzz about the product across the entire planet. Much later the news leaked that the cup controversy was fake. In fact only very few people actually hated the cup, but the stir caused Starbucks’ sales to soar. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglgBdTnjERM7utAnarlS3tLYEpH266M8tpsXkxc4HP-5RWo92TiaLXkyCs3CkUqQwNM5rx2JeWC7DxYje4Flw1N3ZqCNJlzeprpK3ozrWy2ImUhJ2M75HhotwkH53R9jWtGzImkAMnnH9OhKwTb_5cyTRJo8zf8VSsYOnPmIJihgMZnXYi43xTcHto/s650/stealth-marketing-examples-Starbucks-Game-of-Thrones-content.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="367" data-original-width="650" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglgBdTnjERM7utAnarlS3tLYEpH266M8tpsXkxc4HP-5RWo92TiaLXkyCs3CkUqQwNM5rx2JeWC7DxYje4Flw1N3ZqCNJlzeprpK3ozrWy2ImUhJ2M75HhotwkH53R9jWtGzImkAMnnH9OhKwTb_5cyTRJo8zf8VSsYOnPmIJihgMZnXYi43xTcHto/s320/stealth-marketing-examples-Starbucks-Game-of-Thrones-content.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Image by <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/so-we-now-know-who-left-that-starbucks-cup-in-the-game-of-thrones-episode-2019-10-31">Market Watch</a></div><p>The massively popular TV show “Game of Thrones” suffered a so-called “blooper” when a Starbucks cup was visibly left on the table in one of the scenes. Obviously, this wasn’t really a blooper, but the unexpected appearance of the object got the people talking online and offline. This was a well-thought-out publicity stunt that captured the attention of viewers across the world.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibNz7LO3pffmkmsqU3mQ_KuEZd-67rVYhn-laKH4ZWzOVdlEg4yGfL3rt6CiKL1IHBErKUYfmwi5JE5xtiYwuJDiKCzbWZLOJyVY4-n7vl_ofDkkFm_-Qq9HWWn0KaM-T0pkHMS_vM7mQ_hF-Xwkkb1GSNtmFVMGOn85PcgQ5s_zS4QCB24Nges_1C/s688/Axw.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="688" data-original-width="650" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibNz7LO3pffmkmsqU3mQ_KuEZd-67rVYhn-laKH4ZWzOVdlEg4yGfL3rt6CiKL1IHBErKUYfmwi5JE5xtiYwuJDiKCzbWZLOJyVY4-n7vl_ofDkkFm_-Qq9HWWn0KaM-T0pkHMS_vM7mQ_hF-Xwkkb1GSNtmFVMGOn85PcgQ5s_zS4QCB24Nges_1C/s320/Axw.jpg" width="302" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Image by<a href="https://www.adsoftheworld.com/campaigns/emergency-exit-sign"> Ad of the World</a></div><p>In line with the Axe body spray brand’s commercial messaging of men becoming irresistible to the opposite sex when using Axe body spray, their new guerilla marketing campaign created a new narrative as well as a story about the traditional exit sign. In a classic guerilla/stealth move, Axe made a modification to a traditional “exit” sign used in places such as garages and public buildings. Then Axe body spray added customized stickers in the same style to that of existing exit man sign; however, they then added women figures chasing after the man figure.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpEFa8QdyeVUQDJTCgibgjBdFjg1pIoJkW-Z3xcMHkRoovC89ul_bCrxEcXeGllaXdxcd2wUA5z3DeInDWux2Dm3toRIMu4IuzvkeKX_WMSjvzQWyLjuX6B_ycyJWyZiCn6m3dChp32BeFEMVYILqeG7gGPPi2gMo2aCa_ZDZCUVjD3ExDs1Ruuz_C/s650/stealth-marketing-examples-Mini-Cooper-content.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="403" data-original-width="650" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpEFa8QdyeVUQDJTCgibgjBdFjg1pIoJkW-Z3xcMHkRoovC89ul_bCrxEcXeGllaXdxcd2wUA5z3DeInDWux2Dm3toRIMu4IuzvkeKX_WMSjvzQWyLjuX6B_ycyJWyZiCn6m3dChp32BeFEMVYILqeG7gGPPi2gMo2aCa_ZDZCUVjD3ExDs1Ruuz_C/s320/stealth-marketing-examples-Mini-Cooper-content.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Image by <a href="https://headstuff.org/entertainment/film/the-italian-job-remake-at-15/">Headstuff</a></div><p>Released in 2003, "The Italian Job" was a re-make of a much-loved film. The 2003 version used some key elements from the 1969 original such as the title, a once in a lifetime robbery, and the Mini Cooper to inspire a story about revenge and payback set in LA. Movies are a commonly used media for product placement and this movie turned into a big screen ad for the Mini Cooper brand. </p><p><br /></p><p>Undercover marketing stirs up conversations to bring consumers closer to the brand and get better acquainted with their products. In the process, it ensures significant perks for the marketers using it. Stealth marketing advantages include the fact that it creates pre-launch interest, promotes without advertising, boosts brand image, identifies ideal customer profiles and saves money.</p><p>Stealth marketing does have potential pitfalls and downsides, such as damaging the brand image. Instead of building a positive brand image, stealth marketing campaigns can backfire dramatically. In 2006, Sony’s online video and fan site campaign promoting the PSP console took a turn when consumers discovered that the enthusiastic fan from the videos was really a paid actor. While this did not impact PSP sales negatively, it did some damage to Sony’s reputation through negative buzz about the brand. Certain stealth marketing acts and practices fall into the gray area of legality in certain jurisdictions. In the European Union, for example, numerous stealth marketing strategies are forbidden by law. A business that considers using undercover marketing first needs to be aware of local laws regarding this type of advertising.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE0wp9nEBGh3v5pe198nvHZGXHFZg3b0PQJr7kIHLtGk8pU9lgk2T0b8N3xPUwe6ItDxWahQhfOupccaZ893jP5fV6os_6xY-kOPb2inQNoNTYfvMWKpYh3m4k8pAiB003ToK5-tstE8WeM5fgodM0aFwkslIsovHZESqhKeVjlQyCg1vfb1EIHS11/s600/chains-20160215061434959.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE0wp9nEBGh3v5pe198nvHZGXHFZg3b0PQJr7kIHLtGk8pU9lgk2T0b8N3xPUwe6ItDxWahQhfOupccaZ893jP5fV6os_6xY-kOPb2inQNoNTYfvMWKpYh3m4k8pAiB003ToK5-tstE8WeM5fgodM0aFwkslIsovHZESqhKeVjlQyCg1vfb1EIHS11/s320/chains-20160215061434959.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;">Image by <a href="https://www.prweek.com/article/1383444/dentsu-pr-vector-caught-japan-stealth-marketing-issue">PR Week</a></p><p style="text-align: left;">In Japan, the term "stealth marketing" is used to describe the failure to disclose promotional material in the media as such, or the presentation of paid content or advertorials as legitimate editorial coverage. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2g2DWXzoQ-AZp6l2megOGnwXXeu4oaMtJeUxFJgizKb92mKLJ8nHNvcXpj0Z1ThesReNp7ymySlVDQ8KPkaVKUfAfjWDL1ViE_kt8fDSFU6dw_Wq9q0QhHjgsOHzfdDd4BH0-P64NcSvxxTG1Iyl70oRp5CxYc4-8YEA2ZnOsccH2INjR0sxmU9bL/s5184/Common-501c3-Rules-and-Regulations.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2g2DWXzoQ-AZp6l2megOGnwXXeu4oaMtJeUxFJgizKb92mKLJ8nHNvcXpj0Z1ThesReNp7ymySlVDQ8KPkaVKUfAfjWDL1ViE_kt8fDSFU6dw_Wq9q0QhHjgsOHzfdDd4BH0-P64NcSvxxTG1Iyl70oRp5CxYc4-8YEA2ZnOsccH2INjR0sxmU9bL/s320/Common-501c3-Rules-and-Regulations.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;">Image by <a href="https://www.boardeffect.com/blog/common-501c3-rules-regulations/">Board Effect</a></p><p style="text-align: left;">Recent investigative reports in the Japanese business media around so-called ‘stealth marketing’ tactics led by PR firms have sparked questions as to whether the industry needs to draw up more stringent regulations to ensure greater transparency.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIT3rwbeDppnV8CeQOp-JN76AkApp3LHPwDl7pH03ulOzbae09EgyyZ4WKIYSFT-EJCr6hQFrCCy55KPbmTr5zlNzl85p_yfsw5-WaEkfBt0QvDuF8Qiyp4Z4A_Nd8HDOagHoiAgCX4pjpMfy_BbSJj_ulcnrsQuH-n4KUxwfTG96RjTQ_dY_IVI0F/s351/1212121.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="252" data-original-width="351" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIT3rwbeDppnV8CeQOp-JN76AkApp3LHPwDl7pH03ulOzbae09EgyyZ4WKIYSFT-EJCr6hQFrCCy55KPbmTr5zlNzl85p_yfsw5-WaEkfBt0QvDuF8Qiyp4Z4A_Nd8HDOagHoiAgCX4pjpMfy_BbSJj_ulcnrsQuH-n4KUxwfTG96RjTQ_dY_IVI0F/w399-h287/1212121.jpg" width="399" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Image by <a href="https://pediaa.com/difference-between-ethics-and-morals/">PEDIAA</a></div><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">When in doubt as to whether an act is moral or not, apply the categorical imperative, which is to ask the question: </p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">"What if everyone did this deed?"</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-818072047612966524.post-57597539044678946592022-06-11T22:50:00.001-07:002022-06-19T12:32:45.578-07:00Protect Kids, Not Guns<p>Shannon Limbach</p><p>SL668021@Ohio.Edu</p><p><br /></p><p><b style="font-size: large;"><u>Today I Marched</u></b></p><p>I went to a park today. I walked in silence among 300 strangers as I held a sign that read Protect Kids, Not Guns. We listened to speeches and grieved together as the names of the victims of the latest mass shootings were read aloud. </p><p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA0lKsczrd-wahROKMToxoRdrFuZsMOlVxsOAt3jIeOvf5lGoc52pzkvZufhKqHsLCzufGtxl0RwJq9sbgP-eRvNQWl5DVsv80ftEY9yIA-evmVviaQXW23jXt5imjaSKYLhHgWZe-Pp8-ZKUwdq3yONvEGrI3u_BZwTWm2AU2BksSkvuCWpIEd4i03Q/s3024/10646267-DC92-4D00-8D59-D0F629CC48DE.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2543" data-original-width="3024" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA0lKsczrd-wahROKMToxoRdrFuZsMOlVxsOAt3jIeOvf5lGoc52pzkvZufhKqHsLCzufGtxl0RwJq9sbgP-eRvNQWl5DVsv80ftEY9yIA-evmVviaQXW23jXt5imjaSKYLhHgWZe-Pp8-ZKUwdq3yONvEGrI3u_BZwTWm2AU2BksSkvuCWpIEd4i03Q/s320/10646267-DC92-4D00-8D59-D0F629CC48DE.heic" width="320" /></a></p><p><br />When I was in elementary school, my greatest fear was not for myself but for the awkward kid who was consistently picked last for the recess kickball team. When it was my turn to be captain, I always picked him first. The traditional fire-drill was a once a month occurrence at the school and four times a year we had our regular California earthquake drill. We did not have active shooter drills. It was unheard of. </p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><u>1999</u></span></b></p><p>My daughter was two years old the day of the Columbine shooting. One of the high school students murdered that day was Lauren Townsend. Lauren was a valedictorian nominee. A member of the honor society. Captain of the volleyball team. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YM7vvxlS2PI" width="320" youtube-src-id="YM7vvxlS2PI"></iframe></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">9 News</div><div style="text-align: center;"><u><br /></u></div><div style="text-align: left;">I think about her often. She most likely would have her own little ones running around as grandma and grandpa doted on their grandchildren. But gun violence ended her life and so many others who were killed that day. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><u>My Daughter's Name is Lauren</u></span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I have never met the Townsend family but I made a secret promise to the them. I promised I would raise my daughter, Lauren, to be kind, spirited, academic, and a leader, just as their Lauren was before her life was tragically cut short. I feel so lucky. My daughter has grown into an accomplished young woman. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">My daughter's school years were much different than mine. Of course there was the traditional fire-drills and earthquake drills and now K-12 lockdown shooter drills. Once she entered middle school, there were self defense assemblies, which coincided with the lockdown shooter drills. The flyer sent home with the kids went as follows:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;">Step one: report any strange sound</div><div style="text-align: left;">Step two: If you hear active shooter alarm, barricade yourself in classroom, lock all doors</div><div style="text-align: left;">Step three: pile desks in front of entrance</div><div style="text-align: left;">Step four: hide</div><div style="text-align: left;">Step five: if shooter is in classroom, fight back if possible</div><div style="text-align: left;">Step six: if shooter is on other side of campus, escape by foot to nearest neighborhood</div><div style="text-align: left;">Step seven: don't wear bright colors to school, it makes you an easy target when running</div></blockquote><p> </p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><u>NRA Public Relations </u> </span></b></p><p>The National Rifle Associations Convention was to take place a few days after the Columbine mass murders and only a few miles from the killings. Twenty years after that eventful day, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/11/09/1049054141/a-secret-tape-made-after-columbine-shows-the-nras-evolution-on-school-shootings">National Public Radio </a>received a recorded audio of a meeting that took place a day after Columbine with the NRA and their public relations firm. They huddled in distress, not over the loss of life, but for the negative press that would be coming their way. Columbine was a defining moment for the NRA. </p><p>Over the next two decades, this unapologetic message would come to define the NRA's tone in the wake of mass shootings at American schools. After 32 people were killed at Virginia Tech <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/orlando-nightclub-massacre/how-nra-has-responded-mass-shootings-over-years-n592551">in 2007 </a> : <b>"This is a time for people to grieve, to mourn, and to heal. This is not a time for political discussions or public policy debates." </b>After the <a href="https://www.npr.org/2012/12/21/167824766/nra-only-thing-that-stops-a-bad-guy-with-a-gun-is-a-good-guy-with-a-gun">2012 shooting</a> at Sandy Hook Elementary School: <b>"The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun." </b>And after the 2018 shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida, the NRA's spokesperson <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/22/politics/dana-loesch-cpac-media/index.html">said bluntly</a>, <b>"Many in legacy media love mass shootings."</b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b><u><span style="font-size: medium;">The Perfect Spin</span></u></b></p><p>Corporate news is big business. The National Rifle Association is a 501 C4 tax exempt "non-profit" and a helluva big business. They have their own in-house public relations firm and a willing Congress to project the NRA talking points. In referencing the Financial Times <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/937b06c2-3ebd-11e4-adef-00144feabdc0">article</a>, The Invasion of Corporate News, The lines between journalism and PR are rapidly becoming blurred as business interest bypass traditional media to get their message across. The public relations tapes revealed by NPR showed an interesting connection to corporate news, messaging, and Congress. As noted in the NPR piece: "We got a call from Congressman Tancredo, who is ... as good as they get, and he's nervous as a cat on a hot tin roof," says baker. La Pierre claims that Senate Majority Whip Don Nickles, R-Okla., had secretly asked him for talking points to use after the shooting. "I was talking to Nickles' office this morning, and what they told me is they're planning on sending them all to schools because what they wanted us to do was secretly provide them with talking pints." </p><p>And here we go ......... the National Rifle Association public relations firms sends talking points to members of Congress. These pro-NRA members of Congress are interviewed and or quoted by every local and national paper, and it costs them nothing. </p><p><br /></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><u>A Master Class in Deception</u></span></b></p><p>October 1, 2017 - 58 Dead. An assault rifle was used to massacre 58 people enjoying a concert in Las Vegas. 500 people were injured. The NRA was praised for their "action on gun safety". </p><p>In the <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-the-nra-can-teach-us-about-the-art-of-public-persuasion-85610">article</a> what The NRA can teach us about the art of public persuasion, "Whatever you think of the national Rifle Association you have to give them credit for some highly effective issue management. In the wake of the shooting rampage in Las Vegas, they could have dusted off their usual response after every previous mass shooting. But instead, the public relations at the NRA came up with an audacious new approach - they called for a review of the so-called bump stocks, which are devices retrofitted to turn a legal semi-automatic weapon into an illegal automatic killing machine. In issue management terms, the NRA's strategy was a classic case of "look over here" while maintaining its devotion to its core objectives."</p><p>"By seeming to give away something that is peripheral to the gun rights issue, the NRA implemented a perfect example of the tried and true "issue diversion tactic". In doing so, it positioned itself as part of the solution, rather than as a key part of they problem." </p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZblcCjqhCIzrNECzgHPCV07KgGX5FywnSbt-FRIvTshVztrtHeqgyUPgUjPm8gfenvKr_Bqr3CpnW8kmlFiK3VkumRSqmw30k_k9vmVxEJk8SJ-fvLsesBPivvJttNDzBQ28A8CF2FTT2lD3U0g5uK6P_X-jM7TV-jeS4KZWTZ79ZNWXbCqk8gvd3GA/s986/Screen%20Shot%202022-06-11%20at%209.50.41%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="678" data-original-width="986" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZblcCjqhCIzrNECzgHPCV07KgGX5FywnSbt-FRIvTshVztrtHeqgyUPgUjPm8gfenvKr_Bqr3CpnW8kmlFiK3VkumRSqmw30k_k9vmVxEJk8SJ-fvLsesBPivvJttNDzBQ28A8CF2FTT2lD3U0g5uK6P_X-jM7TV-jeS4KZWTZ79ZNWXbCqk8gvd3GA/s320/Screen%20Shot%202022-06-11%20at%209.50.41%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://theconversation.com/what-the-nra-can-teach-us-about-the-art-of-public-persuasion-85610">BUMP STOCKS</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Once again, the press ate it up faster than the slaughter of 58 people.</div><p></p><p><a href="https://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/las-vegas-shooting-leads-1st-signs-movement-gun-50313809">ABC News </a></p><p><a href="https://sputniknews.com/20171005/NRA-additional-gun-control-las-vegas-shooting-1057987478.html">Sputnik</a></p><p><a href="https://www.ocregister.com/2017/10/05/gun-control-war-dramatically-changes-with-gop-nra-agreeing-to-regulations/">OC Register</a></p><p><a href="https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/worldtoday/nra-supports-crackdown-on-rapid-fire-device-used-in-las-vegas/9023098">The World Today</a></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><u><br /></u></span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><u>Life is Beautiful </u></span></b></p><p>In late September 2017, my Lauren was in Las Vegas at the Life is Beautiful festival. The Vegas shooter booked a room overlooking the event. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/oct/05/las-vegas-gunman-booked-other-rooms-stephen-paddock">It was not clear if he aborted plans to carry out massacres at those sites. </a> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwwTi9hAnYC-IMFH-hhjxXvaMSMyhQoogdR6vzAaC6rp_wFdIhALQV09OJbrIcupi3zlYB_Re35l2rp8o-pjnojQWoRaQ5dfot9pM2Etg0ihM25Cm8KSiKxOvaCfunbQxo2b27Jr0xR_1fJRIW1YslL5wwJD8XLFDREe2p6ltJES6fdUKjv9Dz6Pwpow/s692/Screen%20Shot%202022-06-11%20at%2010.37.29%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="268" data-original-width="692" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwwTi9hAnYC-IMFH-hhjxXvaMSMyhQoogdR6vzAaC6rp_wFdIhALQV09OJbrIcupi3zlYB_Re35l2rp8o-pjnojQWoRaQ5dfot9pM2Etg0ihM25Cm8KSiKxOvaCfunbQxo2b27Jr0xR_1fJRIW1YslL5wwJD8XLFDREe2p6ltJES6fdUKjv9Dz6Pwpow/w466-h180/Screen%20Shot%202022-06-11%20at%2010.37.29%20PM.png" width="466" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"><p>Today we marched. </p></span><p></p><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-818072047612966524.post-72194525180929461712022-06-11T22:42:00.005-07:002022-06-19T12:38:52.665-07:00Wait, Who Said That?<p> Tony Zimmerman</p><p>tz996419@ohio.edu</p><p><br /></p><p>Grassroots, ground-up organizing is the most effective way to motivate and fire up people about an issue. In political campaigns, it is well understood that the most effective messenger to potential voters is their friends or family. Having a friend share and advocate for the campaign's positions leads to people being far more receptive to the information. Why is this? It’s because people trust people they know and are less trusting of big corporations and campaigns. The only thing is that wealthy donors who fund campaigns are aware of this too. </p><p>Their solution to getting around the general public not trusting them is simple. Change the messenger to "local advocates." This is precisely what the Koch family did in <a href="https://apple.news/AK6MV3rC5Rfqf_b0CLmOY5w">Virginia</a> when they found some local parents who were upset about the COVID policies of their local school. They could take a natural movement, amplify it, and fund it far beyond what it actually was. Why did they do this? To push the agenda, they have been driving and advocating since the 1960s, defunding public education and promoting privately funded education. How does this type of astroturfing work? It isn’t all <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/10/28/its-not-easy-spot-disinformation-twitter-heres-what-we-learned-political-astroturfing-campaigns/">done with bots</a>, as one might assume, but rather by real people employed to create multiple fake profiles. All of these profiles are then pushing the same narrative making it appear as though it is a widely and deeply held position. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_5JdMze8tFyXZfqJOF7Uw0z43rM6zraTgVvaedD0_p53SYieBxOZvZpVNFCCq9lmZI2lkucONyB12UET-k1Q_hL188772JygPfHmQFw5Mv3NP_yRzOMd6v7uKrpKTeMg_4viYb7j9HdYqOoyErXvI-5mfVrWqX1AFGY9AbOusMt2-6KNjd8OAJVk_6Q/s1314/screen_shot_2018-08-13_at_1.39.38_am.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="733" data-original-width="1314" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_5JdMze8tFyXZfqJOF7Uw0z43rM6zraTgVvaedD0_p53SYieBxOZvZpVNFCCq9lmZI2lkucONyB12UET-k1Q_hL188772JygPfHmQFw5Mv3NP_yRzOMd6v7uKrpKTeMg_4viYb7j9HdYqOoyErXvI-5mfVrWqX1AFGY9AbOusMt2-6KNjd8OAJVk_6Q/w320-h179/screen_shot_2018-08-13_at_1.39.38_am.jpg" title="https://theweek.com/speedreads/789916/john-oliver-explains-how-spot-astroturfing-admits-isnt-easy-warns-that-cynicism-toxic" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://theweek.com/speedreads/789916/john-oliver-explains-how-spot-astroturfing-admits-isnt-easy-warns-that-cynicism-toxic">Source: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p>It takes a lot of money to employ real people to perform these actions but setting up a website with fake or inflammatory news stories isn’t complicated or expensive as one researcher found. It not only wasn’t tricky, but it was profitable to do. The researcher received an a<a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fake-online-news-spreads-through-social-echo-chambers/">d revenue check</a> shortly after creating it. So, not only is political astroturfing a way to set a narrative around an issue, but it is also a potentially very lucrative practice. This helps us see why it is so dangerous. </p><p>A silver lining is that if a group is outed as being funded by millionaires or billionaires, it can lose credibility with the people it’s trying to sway. People do not like being tricked into doing something or taking a position on something. People are willing to listen to someone if they are upfront and transparent about their connections to an issue but far less forgiving when they are purposefully misled about a person’s ties to a subject.</p><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-818072047612966524.post-21912516823572878322022-06-11T21:36:00.009-07:002022-06-19T12:49:00.695-07:00Follow The Oil..<p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Gabriel T</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">gt814529<br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Follow The Oil..<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sometimes the spheres of information and advertisements mix, whether it be an ad made to appear like a story in a newspaper, or even more pointed, releasing false information to misrepresent an issue, as in astroturfing. <br /><br />One interesting area in this arena is a company run website, or brand journalism, such as the Richmond Standard news site that is funded by Chevron. One slight area of caution is that it was run by the company itself, so things like oil spills or environmental concerns, may not be fully covered. While it presents news, its coming from the company itself could be seen as a conflict of interest when unfavorable stories take place.<br /><br />I was quite surprised to come across a similar type of site, when looking up the Dakota Access Pipeline, a highly contested piece of infrastructure that would carry oil across several states, and whose construction was met with much protest by environmentalists and indigenous tribes, ever since it was first announced in 2015.<br /><br />When I searched DAPL (for short), the top search result was a site called <a href="https://www.daplpipelinefacts.com/index.html" target="_blank">Dakota Access Pipeline Facts</a>. And one of the first lines read that “The pipeline is the safest and most efficient means to transport crude oil from the geographically constrained region”, which I was momentarily surprised again to read, as that seemed to be quite the flip side from everything I recall hearing about the pipeline when it was first built. I remember many months of protests, and widespread support for the prevention of the pipeline, citing that it would be built near important Native American land, and could endanger water nearby sources. So to read that it was very safe, runs counter to what I had heard. <br /><br />I went to check the publisher of the website for clues, and it looks like it was from Energy Transfer, the company behind the pipeline. Upon further looking, many of the pages of the site mentioned the benefits the pipeline would bring, and (written in bold lettering) that it did not cross any Native American lands. Once again, these claims seems to be opposed to the ones of the protestors and objectors of the pipeline. It definitely seems as though the site was mentioning only the benefits the line had, and not too much of the controversy surrounding it.<br /><br />There was one graph though, that did stand out. It mentioned how the DAPL line was constructed along the same path as an already existing pipeline. This makes it seem that it is not drilling into a completely new area, just extending a similar pipe line trail. Could this be taken as truthful information?<br /><br />With the website’s info at hand, and the protests surrounding the pipeline, I decided to see if there were any other sites out there reporting on the line that might show an objective look at the situation.<br /><br />One article I found mentioned how since the line has been built, there have only been a couple very minor leaks (at least, up until that year). With the most extensive spill coming from a different section of the line that ran past Tennessee, operated by an Energy Transfer <a href="https://theintercept.com/2018/01/09/dakota-access-pipeline-leak-energy-transfer-partners/" target="_blank">subsidiary</a>. <br /></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwa_zzi6WGnlW832gKc5ToTcDhk6nDD1q3_cfffB_s7m8QS93rmLQTDq5xwb1Om6XsVhC4eG6XmspBPHX0esTFU1vhEu_5VFwZUwF7JaHI_qHQwziYTsNozVwQZnBeQwGCtdZCSpzHBsGnOI4ZuhJNnz-7LDD-FjiWrFcXFe3pI3hSgd_5V-5P_63xBw/s2226/bakken2e-1515522166.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2226" data-original-width="1020" height="601" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwa_zzi6WGnlW832gKc5ToTcDhk6nDD1q3_cfffB_s7m8QS93rmLQTDq5xwb1Om6XsVhC4eG6XmspBPHX0esTFU1vhEu_5VFwZUwF7JaHI_qHQwziYTsNozVwQZnBeQwGCtdZCSpzHBsGnOI4ZuhJNnz-7LDD-FjiWrFcXFe3pI3hSgd_5V-5P_63xBw/w276-h601/bakken2e-1515522166.jpg" width="276" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oil Spills Graph: The Intercept, 2018<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />Though another <a href="https://www.iowapublicradio.org/agriculture/2022-05-27/lessons-from-dakota-access-pipeline-shape-farmers-battle-over-proposed-carbon-pipelines" target="_blank">article</a> mentioned that some farmers in the area, whose land the pipe cuts across, feel that not all of the soil has returned to its previous growing state, and that the company hasn’t yet fully rebuilt or remediated the soil of which they said was part of the construction process. All while a note from Energy Transfer said that “the company is mostly done remediating Iowa land impacted by the project and working with a few farmers to fix things. The spokesperson said the company also paid farmers in advance for three to five years worth of crop loss.”<br /><br />One more article I saw mentioned how the DAPL case had been taken to courts, especially over how the Energy Transfer company had yet to full disclose to the Native American cities nearby the full extensive plans and backups they had in case of leaks, which the Native Tribes said could endanger Lake Oahe, and a vital drinking water source for many. A judge even ruled in favor of pausing the pipeline and conducting another more extensive environmental review. <br /><br />While the pipeline hasn’t stopped since, the review is still on and to be <a href="https://grist.org/fix/dakota-access-pipeline-operating-illegally-shut-it-down-for-good/" target="_blank">completed by September of 2022, this year.</a> <br /><br />While the DAPL site above does present information about the pipeline, it does not entirely encompass the whole picture or the multiple perspectives surrounding the construction. Labeling the site as “Facts” makes it sound pretty definitive. And if this info was the first you had read about the Dakota Pipeline, as it came up first in the search results, it could be misleading. Particularly when considering the possible motives of Energy Transfer to want to put information out there about the project. It could be looking to brush aside some of the other ongoing counterpoints.<br /><br /></span><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-818072047612966524.post-84068497124176775542022-06-11T19:54:00.001-07:002022-06-11T19:54:42.609-07:00Payola in the Music Industry<p style="text-align: left;">Matilda Jakovac</p><p style="text-align: left;">mj244121@ohio.edu </p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>"Sympathy and Payola"</b></p><p style="text-align: left;">In 2018, during an ongoing feud between female rappers, Nicki Minaj and Cardi B, Minaj stated on her radio show that Cardi B's claim to fame was "sympathy and payola." According to <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/what-does-payola-mean-nicki-minaj-says-cardi-b-built-her-career-sympathy-1114943" target="_blank">NewsWeek</a>, the term payola quickly became a trending topic with more than 23,000 mentions on Twitter. </p><p style="text-align: left;">So what exactly is payola? According to Dictionary.com, payola is a secret or private payment in return for the promotion of a product, service, etc., through the abuse of one's position, influence, of facilities. </p><p style="text-align: left;">In other words, Nicki was claiming that Cardi's publicity team was paying to have the artist's music and image promoted. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifJCt5zwp56jtYoKJvOt07KmEgZIPC7bgQDGJfGM88A19rx-onPJrLSLi14SxOeyLfMvtLvxsq3WfIAoycPjp0oWfK1bdFm2bkOIWDTUrd8lwFPhoayysIeuzRezT5sjqGTmlwcZO3qzCMnW9g2KrOnd-ywsd2KjkXEVy-FDIv4cka-ukje0YWeJBj/s976/download%20(1).jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="549" data-original-width="976" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifJCt5zwp56jtYoKJvOt07KmEgZIPC7bgQDGJfGM88A19rx-onPJrLSLi14SxOeyLfMvtLvxsq3WfIAoycPjp0oWfK1bdFm2bkOIWDTUrd8lwFPhoayysIeuzRezT5sjqGTmlwcZO3qzCMnW9g2KrOnd-ywsd2KjkXEVy-FDIv4cka-ukje0YWeJBj/s320/download%20(1).jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of BBC</td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Payola throughout the decades</b></p><p style="text-align: left;">If you're shocked at the idea that an artist could pay their way to the top of the music charts, you'll be disheartened to know that this isn't the first-time this kind of thing has happened. </p><p style="text-align: left;">As a matter of fact, payola has been in the music industry for quite some time and was made illegal in the U.S in 1960. </p><p style="text-align: left;">According to <a href="https://www.musicthinktank.com/blog/crime-and-corruption-recognizing-unethical-practices-in-the.html" target="_blank">MusicThinkTank</a>, "the first evidence of payola can be traced back to W.M Hutchinson, a rising song publisher, could not get famous singers of the time to sing his songs since the singers were so busy with other publishing companies. W.M. decided he would pay them some money to sing his song, plus the royalties." </p><p style="text-align: left;">Since then, stories of money being exchanged to promote musicians or help maintain their images in the eye of the public, have circulated throughout the music industry for decades. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>The impact on music journalism</b></p><p style="text-align: left;">From a journalist perspective, payola is an issue for several reasons. The biggest problem is that it poses a threat to the integrity of the field of journalism. </p><p style="text-align: left;">According to the Society of Professional Journalists <a href="https://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp" target="_blank">Code of Ethics</a>, "journalists should refuse gifts, favors, fees, free travel and special treatment, and avoid political and other outside activities that may compromise integrity or impartiality or may damage credibility." </p><p style="text-align: left;">The Radio Television News Association <a href="https://www.rtdna.org/content/rtdna_code_of_ethics" target="_blank">Code of Ethics</a> takes a similar stance by stating that "commercial endorsements are incompatible with journalism because they compromise credibility. In journalism, content is gathered, selected, and produced in the best interests of viewers, listeners and reader- not in the interests of somebody who paid to have a product or position promoted and associated with a familiar face, voice or name." </p><p style="text-align: left;">With that being said, it's clear that there's no room for payola in music journalism or in any other field of journalism for that matter. At a time when anyone can publish a story on the internet and call themselves a journalist, it's more important than ever that true journalists act independently... even if that means turning down a couple extra bucks in exchange for an artist's promotion. </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-818072047612966524.post-85224627274737294272022-06-11T19:53:00.004-07:002022-06-20T13:30:12.622-07:00Bigger Pockets Means Bigger Issues<p>Cait Williams</p><p>cw699619@ohio.edu</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Money, relationships and their cost</h4><p> For this blog post, I want to talk about checkbook journalism. Checkbook journalism is the practice of news outlets and journalists paying sources for information. Checkbook journalism, though usually not called that, is typically talked about in some aspect within ethics codes. Ethics codes warn about paying any source for information. Payments which may involve money, but also concern any kind of exchange for source material. It's unethical for several reasons. It creates incentives for people to sell stories instead of just coming forward, it may cause a disadvantage for news networks that lack funds to pay sources, and it can lead to questionable credibility of the source and network. However, does that mean that all compensation for people who speak with journalists is unethical? </p><p> In an article by Robert Boynton for the <a href="https://archives.cjr.org/essay/checkbook_journalism_revisited.php" target="_blank">Columbia Journalism Review</a>, he explores checkbook journalism a little more in depth. In his writing he discusses instances where subjects were compensated by journalists and why those instances may have not been as morally unsound as it may seem. In several of the stories, subjects had agreed to speak without being offered compensation in the start, but had been paid after the writer felt indebted to their subject. In one instance during the article, Boynton references the writer John Krakauer. Krakauer wrote <i>Into Thin Air, </i>a book that chronicles the fatal story of eight climbers who died while trying to summit Mt.Everest. Krakauer insisted that after writing his book the subjects be compensated for their contributions. The people involved in his book had been through horrendous pain and loss, but had been willing to talk about it for the sake of his book. In another story in the article, Boynton writes about Alex Kotlowitz, a former reporter for the Wall Street Journal. Kotlowitz spoke to him about a story he had done where his subject was a poor African-American family. After covering the family for 2 years, Kotlowitz began to feel a connection to them. A situation that had begun as strictly business had become blurred, not because of money, but because of human emotion. I think this is the aspect of checkbook journalism that intrigued me most. In examples like the above 2, it seems that the unethical issue was not that subjects had been compensated, but that a relationship had formed between the writer and their subject. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZQjBs1-B8aDApvXfRyrzrH0IZ_ylcpQ-Yxiv_7teZuSjDgvO0RAdQ6v8IOYkmyBGFtvQesIYN3i-9OZ5ShTQ-CQbQjDnk9kKtiQeDmvuHO-t2zwXyP_r-74DHoSNZjinEI1GzyHxuLHh4X18pTgKFs1YML-bG4pp1ZfaAnwhwxAbRg5CUq-7fDYah/s1472/Screen%20Shot%202022-06-11%20at%2010.35.55%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="558" data-original-width="1472" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZQjBs1-B8aDApvXfRyrzrH0IZ_ylcpQ-Yxiv_7teZuSjDgvO0RAdQ6v8IOYkmyBGFtvQesIYN3i-9OZ5ShTQ-CQbQjDnk9kKtiQeDmvuHO-t2zwXyP_r-74DHoSNZjinEI1GzyHxuLHh4X18pTgKFs1YML-bG4pp1ZfaAnwhwxAbRg5CUq-7fDYah/w482-h167/Screen%20Shot%202022-06-11%20at%2010.35.55%20PM.png" width="482" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://natlib.govt.nz/records/23208425" target="_blank">National Library of New Zealand</a><br /></div><br /><p> In an article for <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/ask-propublica-illinois-reporters-and-sources-relationship" target="_blank">Propublica</a>, Steve Mills writes about the difficulties journalists face when it comes to having professional relationships with sources, while also having to discuss deep and personal issues. I enjoyed reading both articles that I mention here because they take an issue that looks relatively black and white and exposes how easy it is to actually fall into. Checkbook journalism may be something that a journalist does not intentionally take part in, but may accidentally be implicated in when they become to close to sources. It is certainly an issue that journalists need to be weary of when they consider giving any kind of compensation to subjects, even when they do not intend for it to be used to improve their story or quality of information they are receiving. I felt inclined to brush this subject off because it felt simple to avoid, but I think doing that would be irresponsible. I would caution anyone going into journalism to think twice about this topic. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-818072047612966524.post-54481345578064803562022-06-11T19:51:00.005-07:002022-06-11T19:51:23.146-07:00What is even real anymore?<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Ann Sims | as770992</div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Who can you trust? </h3><div>We all want to belong and feel like we fit in. We like to think that we're part of something bigger. We seek out things to belong to. We feel our opinions strongly and want to find those who are like-minded. </div><div><br /></div><div>But do we really know what we're trying to belong to? Are all the causes presented on the internet or television real? Not always. The lines are becoming blurred due to the efforts of one side or another using paid talent to grow their numbers. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="317" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ksrn-uFbzM8" width="381" youtube-src-id="ksrn-uFbzM8"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">How the Media Manipulates you with Astroturfing, Denton & Sasquatch</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Sadly, we are so easily manipulated online and in televised news. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">What is really scary is that there is the strong possibility that the advocates that you believe and trust in aren't real. What you thought was a real cause was actually staged for the benefit of something else. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This is called <b>astroturfing</b> and it should really grind your gears. Astroturfing misrepresents what is really going on. What can look like a genuine grassroots campaign might actually be paid demonstrators, placed for your manipulation. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWT1ylZIskS36xA8jUgHb746cqasRs8c3LtC6Zcal05qdUDG0GkNNpqOnrWrMeFK83bpl6yg6Sdqh5L5knRj6Qj5dIiHoDJ1Nw-XHycCF8sVy6Lg14HyPB-NQQdFjDGliWTB4omjXw69Lb3B27v542vHcWs84c-ruc4nKUQHDK0YHipPTRG8Hz7tpCjA/s274/3C5F5B43-5B07-4E58-B797-196B6C477226_4_5005_c.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="182" data-original-width="274" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWT1ylZIskS36xA8jUgHb746cqasRs8c3LtC6Zcal05qdUDG0GkNNpqOnrWrMeFK83bpl6yg6Sdqh5L5knRj6Qj5dIiHoDJ1Nw-XHycCF8sVy6Lg14HyPB-NQQdFjDGliWTB4omjXw69Lb3B27v542vHcWs84c-ruc4nKUQHDK0YHipPTRG8Hz7tpCjA/s1600/3C5F5B43-5B07-4E58-B797-196B6C477226_4_5005_c.jpeg" width="274" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Photo Source: Roll Call <a href="https://rollcall.com/2020/06/07/protesters-flood-capitol-hill-and-across-washington-lawmakers-among-them/" target="_blank">Protesters March on Washington</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">What's an easy way to get people to join your side? Make it look popular, make it look like something people don't want to miss out on. If there are a lot of participants, it makes others want to join in. But what if your cause isn't naturally popular, how do you attract attention? You can pay people to be part of it! Problem solved! </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">However, solving your numbers problem with paid demonstrators creates a whole other set of difficulties, but on a much larger scale. This downgrades true activism and prevents actual change from happening. Causes and activism lose credibility in general. There is more mistrust in the collective consciousness. People become less likely to want to be involved and believe in things. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The beauty of the internet is that everyone and anyone can have a voice. Who is everyone and anyone, though? Some of those voices belong to bots. Some are generated by persona management software, which creates realistic profiles. If you think these fake profiles are only used by shady companies and internet trolls, think again. These are everywhere, including the United States government and military. The <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/127878875/US-Air-Force-Persona-Management-Software" target="_blank">Air Force</a> is particularly guilty of these tactics. </div><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Truth and the tRuTh</h3><div>Aside from the false grassroots of astroturfing, some companies employ reviewers to build themselves up. They also pay reviewers to tear down the competition. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-jefHVn6ciLUPtocY-UWOjDNeIxGg80WJSj0hWsxC4O5OFrYtRV-UHZZkBVqUfe5v9uvbLigV09c-6iHeIeRR-KhQ1ttAhONCPKOYn9B5buOUsKhIk89lGsWad9q9K99_7MmRetneDr9eLmVCoHoI7Vpl8srgV4dlVlSHHot5dbf2TwkVJJjgYZu6UQ/s310/Unknown.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="162" data-original-width="310" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-jefHVn6ciLUPtocY-UWOjDNeIxGg80WJSj0hWsxC4O5OFrYtRV-UHZZkBVqUfe5v9uvbLigV09c-6iHeIeRR-KhQ1ttAhONCPKOYn9B5buOUsKhIk89lGsWad9q9K99_7MmRetneDr9eLmVCoHoI7Vpl8srgV4dlVlSHHot5dbf2TwkVJJjgYZu6UQ/s1600/Unknown.jpeg" width="310" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Spam Reviews on Google</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Photo Source: <a href="https://www.reputationdefender.com/blog/online-reviews/5-reasons-you-shouldnt-buy-google-reviews" target="_blank">Reputation Defender</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is unethical because it doesn't accurately represent the company, brand, or product. We are taken in by false claims. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We are also subjected to corporate advertising disguised as news. These stories are produced and presented in the same manner as real news and we are loath to tell the difference at times. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/E_F5GxCwizc" width="320" youtube-src-id="E_F5GxCwizc"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Native Advertising</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>Native advertising is another thing that confuses the lines of reality. Ads and paid content are produced to resemble actual news. Who is behind the stories?? Who is paying for the stories? <div><br /></div><div>We need to learn to differentiate between real and fake. Advertising and actual journalism. It takes patience and perseverance to make the distinctions. <br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-818072047612966524.post-82950326553336074652022-06-11T19:15:00.006-07:002022-06-20T15:38:25.640-07:00What is Astroturfing and How Can we Spot it?<p> Regan Morello</p><p>Alert.reganmorello@gmail.com</p><p><br /></p><p>What is Astroturfing? </p><p>Astroturfing, as defined by <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/astroturfing">Merriam-Webster</a>, is "organized activity that is intended to create a false impression of widespread, spontaneously arising, grassroots movement in support of or in opposition to something (such as a political policy) but that is in reality initiated and controlled by a concealed group or organization (such as a corporation)." </p><p>In times before the Internet appeared, examples of astroturfing could be found in your local community paper. It was first used on the letters page where fake people would write letters to the newspaper about what politician they support, what local business they may support, what policies they were against, and much more. Once the Internet came around, the world was handed a vast new playground for all of their astroturfing desires. In modern times, the purpose of astroturfing remains the same, to make it seem like there are more people in support of or against something than there really are. </p><p>We see it every day we are on any social platform or surfing the web. Fake accounts on Twitter pledging their vote to certain politicians; reviews on big corporations like McDonald's seem much more desirable than they really are, etc. However, this sort of scam does not only happens on the Internet. For example, according to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/astroturfing-grassroots-movements-2011-9#mcdonalds-paid-people-to-get-in-line-for-a-quarter-pounder-burger-in-japan-6">Business Insider</a>, McDonald's paid 1,000 of their part-time employees to wait outside a McDonald's restaurant in Japan overnight to make it seem like a lot of people were heavily anticipating the release of their new burger. This is only one of the astroturfing publicity stunts big corporations have pulled, so the question I'd like to ask is, how can we spot the others? </p><p>We are all guilty of spending time browsing through the comments on a viral post on social platforms. I am sometimes guilty of spending more time in the comments of social posts than looking at the actual post. However, this isn't necessarily a bad thing. Throughout the various times I have done this I have seen multiple duplicated comments on various posts that have nothing to do with each other - except for the fact that they have gone "viral." If I were astroturfing, I would want my fake comments to be visible to hundreds of thousands of people, wouldn't you? What better place for a bot to hide out and astroturf than in the comments of a viral post thousands of people are scrolling through every minute? </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg67WsYUYPlf5pvmyOVwZ_HodTLCrpUKEL0RVE0al_oDwAmou7nQOEeE4ZcSWFpbQeoDVbfymzA9Hkfk_q-I5EoAVcn8woDc1hFJoZxZnKuHVPLmpavxpdBa7go7i6OexX3iUhvyXxz2NJKVIjLrxQuEU1KWv7Ij_8JV31_1m0p0Wqx_WZUOMBisTPdBQ/s1024/1aZGUXLoI48BlY68fj4xFLA-1024x1016.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1016" data-original-width="1024" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg67WsYUYPlf5pvmyOVwZ_HodTLCrpUKEL0RVE0al_oDwAmou7nQOEeE4ZcSWFpbQeoDVbfymzA9Hkfk_q-I5EoAVcn8woDc1hFJoZxZnKuHVPLmpavxpdBa7go7i6OexX3iUhvyXxz2NJKVIjLrxQuEU1KWv7Ij_8JV31_1m0p0Wqx_WZUOMBisTPdBQ/w358-h356/1aZGUXLoI48BlY68fj4xFLA-1024x1016.png" width="358" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://samanthanorth.com/what-is-astroturfing-an-example-from-facebook/">Bots Spam Comments on a Facebook Post</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>In order to identify these fake users/comments, we have to first identify what we are looking for. You should be looking for various wording of the same comment on different posts, similar profiles (spam posting the same content or message), as well as wording (does it sound like a robot wrote this?). If these apply to the comment/post you are looking at, then you are most likely a victim to astroturfing. Next time you decide to scroll through TikTok, Instagram, or Twitter, see if you can identify one of these comments/profiles. If you do happen to, always, and I mean always report it. You could save the next person scrolling from fake information. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1gbWSMBx1xluQU9nZ5ir9q71oVeQ75cYxzbwwsUknV6rwkeSP93H4p7CakKWzTu76HK6O0EhO-fcLc3g8yygIG8KIpTVdq6kXt4fHqxfaU98XPjdiZMgDrLSd6PiUSvz4z6YHgtXLdnFaoUx-A81CHfqVoFWgvEaOfpu5SGnJ7CKAE-rT_mvzMx0QWw/s2532/buy-tiktok-comments-07.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2532" data-original-width="1170" height="411" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1gbWSMBx1xluQU9nZ5ir9q71oVeQ75cYxzbwwsUknV6rwkeSP93H4p7CakKWzTu76HK6O0EhO-fcLc3g8yygIG8KIpTVdq6kXt4fHqxfaU98XPjdiZMgDrLSd6PiUSvz4z6YHgtXLdnFaoUx-A81CHfqVoFWgvEaOfpu5SGnJ7CKAE-rT_mvzMx0QWw/w222-h411/buy-tiktok-comments-07.jpeg" width="222" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blog.hootsuite.com/buy-tiktok-comments/">Buying Bot Comments on Tiktok </a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-818072047612966524.post-24127807858457769672022-06-11T18:51:00.013-07:002022-06-20T15:53:26.111-07:00<p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Audrey McQuillan</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">am646319@ohio.edu<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">In the age of social media, the access to information has never been so widespread in any point in human history. We can hear about events occurring across the planet in mere minutes. With this access to such information, the average person has a tough time deciphering what is true and false. Social media sites, such as Twitter and Facebook, are filled with fake accounts promoting certain political positions or societal values. Some could describe this phenomenon as “astroturfing”.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">According to an article from <a href="https://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/news-literacy-project/astroturfing-and-the-rise-of-misinformation-campaigns">ACB7 Denver’s Ash-Har Qurais</a><a href="https://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/news-literacy-project/astroturfing-and-the-rise-of-misinformation-campaigns">hi,</a> astroturfing is defined as “an effort to mobilize the mass public in a way that distances that mobilization from the person who is sponsoring it or the organization that's sponsoring it”. Whether that mobilization is for a goal of political policy change or promoting a social value, astroturfing is not limited to social media. Mass protests around the country have increased significantly in the last decade, whether about police brutality, Covid restrictions, or from certain political nominations. Quraishi describes how many of these protests are not as spontaneous as they seem. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">“When things appear to be spontaneous and exciting, and especially, they're happening all over the country, that tends to gain a lot of media attention,” Quraishi states. “But many of these protests that appeared to be generated spontaneously were in fact manufactured by well-funded organizations. The practice is known as ‘astroturfing.’” While the philosophy of astroturfing has been deployed by governments and organizations for decades, it has increasingly become more widespread in the social media age. People can coordinate events </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">much more efficiently and quickly, calling on other individuals to take part in such demonstrations both online and in the real world.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">A real-world example can be found in 2018, when then-President Donald Trump nominated <a href="https://capitalresearch.org/article/leftists-astroturf-supreme-court/">Brett Kavanaugh</a> to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy’s position on the Court. Protests at the steps of the Supreme Court broke out almost immediately, fearing that Kavanaugh’s appointment may lead to the Court reversing decisions on rulings, such as Roe v. Wade. For a supposedly spontaneous protests, there were photographs of different signs saying, “STOP BARRETT, STOP KETHLEDGE, STOP HARDIMAN, STOP KAVANAUGH”. These were the names of the short list of candidates Trump was considering for the nomination. So, it seemed that they were ready to protest any nominee that was chosen, not just Brett Kavanaugh, and it was a planned event, not spontaneous. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Capitol Research Center, an organization that studies non-profits to encourage philanthropy, charity, and volunteerism, went to the protest and identified many of the speakers as activists affiliated with left-leaning non-profits. This is an example of astroturfing. You can identify astroturfing when you see people, whether in person or online, calling on emotions and virtues to call people to support or oppose certain political or social policies. So, if you see this type on content in the real world or on social media, make sure to stop and think twice on if it is trying to call you to action, whether in good faith or in the service of a government or corporation.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTjNOOOuwvMxLIw6zcBe766UhEHofvwkS0omgpzOaSL3iLFSbLqHIS5uTveIBT8reagHQxtW06c3uCzx7JUhaMeDSeEj4GTQtGqMKA1UemcZ6PIlEdwo4OZGbn0ohJMf_U3rP3Q-3Unm7anWNZScRDAd-wfXUfHRpto5fOyhUMu2-IjzjLz5b02JCv/s618/2BB39F52-259E-4C3D-B966-815F8660D149_4_5005_c.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="306" data-original-width="618" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTjNOOOuwvMxLIw6zcBe766UhEHofvwkS0omgpzOaSL3iLFSbLqHIS5uTveIBT8reagHQxtW06c3uCzx7JUhaMeDSeEj4GTQtGqMKA1UemcZ6PIlEdwo4OZGbn0ohJMf_U3rP3Q-3Unm7anWNZScRDAd-wfXUfHRpto5fOyhUMu2-IjzjLz5b02JCv/s320/2BB39F52-259E-4C3D-B966-815F8660D149_4_5005_c.jpeg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://capitalresearch.org/article/leftists-astroturf-supreme-court/">Capital Research Center </a></span></div><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-818072047612966524.post-81470974169617877292022-06-11T18:51:00.012-07:002022-06-20T15:47:03.332-07:00 The Responsibility of Public Relations<p><br /></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-d1a624fb-7fff-ecab-c7c1-d4b31ec43c0a"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Julia Batoki</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="mailto:jb478621@ohio.edu" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">jb478621@ohio.edu</span></a></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What is Public Relations?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Public relations is an organization set up by a company whose purpose is to create a positive image of said company. They place a high emphasis on building strong relationships with the public and the organization that they work for. In order to accomplish this, PR uses communication methods and means to manage and organize information regarding their company. This can include speeches, press releases, dealing with other companies, and focusing on the public’s opinion. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">According to </span><a href="https://www.feedough.com/what-is-public-relations-pr-functions-types-examples/#:~:text=Public%20relations%20is%20a%20strategic%20communication%20process%20companies%2C,to%20build%20mutually%20beneficial%20relationships%20with%20the%20public." style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">FeeDough</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, public relations adds trust to the company from the public. Having PR increases credibility due to its position in being a third party. Because of this, the public views PR as more trustworthy than the advertising company. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Responsibilities of PR</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Public relation departments wear a lot of hats for the people that they work for. They primarily are in charge of addressing the public in a beneficial way for both parties. They compile information and present in a professional manner. This can include social media, interviews, and more. Additionally, public relations can handle press releases, new product releases, and predict the public's reactions towards new ads, products, and actions made by the company.</span></p></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="147" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/WwOCPzsu3DJNyIKEnEo4PEz5lkfuk4ERS2xPXpbm5GiOG9vnT5pjrNc8A0MnDWedKJxzj5tjEVnU5QciZIOO926qKOHPBE_86jc8l6eyIKmgpE951ltCe8wMthnz-KJsTeyVbQysclKi8TRuYA" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px;" width="343" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Source: Alpha Public Relations</td></tr></tbody></table><span id="docs-internal-guid-d1a624fb-7fff-ecab-c7c1-d4b31ec43c0a"><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Public Relations and Ethics:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In order for public relations to have an ethical platform to stand on, and for them to continue to gather trust from the public’s eye, they must follow a set of ethics. A major point is accountability. PR professionals must hold respective parties responsible for their actions. Explained, this means that cover-ups and deceit are heavily discouraged and looked down upon. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Additionally, public relations must have specific roles. Each role has various responsibilities. Employees must be aware of the actions of their coworkers, CEO’s must understand the companies that they represent, and transparency and honesty are important. This relates to accountability and credibility. Following ethics and having high standards for the information that they are releasing is essential in public relations. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Roles of PR</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">According to </span><a href="https://www.thedailymba.com/2010/03/11/five-roles-of-public-relations/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Daily MBA</span></a>, <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">there are many roles of public relation professionals. First, they are in charge of building the reputation for the company that they work for. They are the face that is presented to the public. Also, PR is responsible for crafting and shaping messages for their audiences.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Public relation departments are held to high standards because of this. Sharing information to various audiences is important. As a society, we need to have a level of trust in the information we are receiving as well as the company presenting it. The roles that public relation professionals play follow a code of ethics, which reinforces our trust in it. Solely believing the word of a company whose main goal is for themselves, is exceedingly difficult. Having PR firms, who are obligated to live up to specific ethics and honesty aids in building that trust. </span></p><br /><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-818072047612966524.post-71039188857802129202022-06-11T15:07:00.002-07:002022-06-20T15:59:00.631-07:00Astroturfing: The True Problem of Its Use <p> Aaron Liles </p><p>al508219@ohio.edu</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicMZVBYKizc01CV1ozgP0lRsk_G9oTfGR5k4Cf11FJdfWOZdEc0bSTiqdvvtIEguXW2zH7de-TTKvzRvyhD7IsI46Ywf8Lsztx59a-ubQYHV4-3f1j0jRh5sXuQ6OB0wkAH3t28D0_sEDy6QGGez1fm0L0FcG2iHffHyb8Od3iJl9OEM_fj9BvmYHctQ/s1024/astroturfing-3-1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="1024" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicMZVBYKizc01CV1ozgP0lRsk_G9oTfGR5k4Cf11FJdfWOZdEc0bSTiqdvvtIEguXW2zH7de-TTKvzRvyhD7IsI46Ywf8Lsztx59a-ubQYHV4-3f1j0jRh5sXuQ6OB0wkAH3t28D0_sEDy6QGGez1fm0L0FcG2iHffHyb8Od3iJl9OEM_fj9BvmYHctQ/w320-h186/astroturfing-3-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <a href="https://fameable.com/astroturfing/1245/" target="_blank">Fameable</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p><b>What really is astroturfing?</b></p><p>Astroturfing can be most easily explained by looking at the textbook <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/astroturfing" target="_blank">definition</a> for it; "organized activity that is intended to create a false impression of a widespread, spontaneously arising, grassroots movement in support or opposition to something (such as a political party) but that is in reality initiated and controlled by a concealed group or organization (such as a corporation)." This is what makes astroturfing so popular to companies, it simulates a real uprising of people either supporting or opposing an issue at hand. </p><p>The term astroturfing was coined by U.S. Senator Lloyd Bentsen as a result of him receiving mountains of letters promoting industry interests, and these letters were deemed not to be from genuine humans. That is just the beginnings of astroturfing however, as it has ballooned in uses by companies attempting to promote their own self-interests or even their own products. An example of this could be a company hiring people to write fake reviews to make it seem like their product is more popular than it really is. It is estimated that up to around one-third of all reviews online are not <a href="https://www.bigcommerce.com/ecommerce-answers/what-is-astroturfing/" target="_blank">true reviews</a> by people who actually have used what they were reviewing. </p><p><b>The problem with astroturfing</b></p><p>For companies/organizations it can be very tempting to use astroturfing methods in order to promote something, but this would not be a wise choice for many reasons. For one, is is stated in the code of ethics by the Public Relations Society of America that astroturfing is <a href="https://www.anthologycoms.com/2021/02/09/we-need-to-talk-about-astroturfing/" target="_blank">prohibited</a>. Not only that, many countries themselves have laws prohibiting astroturfing including but not limited to, the United States. If the general public were to find out that a company was using astroturfing, that company could find themselves in a PR nightmare. </p><p>With all of this information at hand, why would a company want to do this with all of the ethical issues associated with it? The ease of doing it is why companies do it, it is very easy to pay people to write fake reviews, and it can get results quickly. Many popular companies have took part in using astroturfing <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/astroturfing-grassroots-movements-2011-9#working-families-for-walmart-turns-out-to-be-pro-walmart-because-they-are-in-fact-walmart-9" target="_blank">including</a> McDonald's, Comcast, and Walmart just to name a few. This just goes to show that astroturfing is all around us, and it can be hard to avoid. Hopefully these companies will start to realize that using these deceptive methods of promotion are not truly effective, and more often than not cause harm that will be hard to get rid of. </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-818072047612966524.post-21807588069473601582022-06-11T14:50:00.002-07:002022-06-26T07:46:08.048-07:00The Deceitful Act of Astroturfing<p>Lucas Rogers</p><p>lr826917@ohio.edu</p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>What is Astroturfing?</b></p><p><a href="https://www.dictionary.com/browse/astroturfing">Dictionary.com</a> defines astroturfing as "the deceptive tactic of simulating grassroots support for a product, cause, etc., undertaken by people or organizations with an interest in shaping public opinion." A play on the term "grassroots movement" due to the hypothetical grass being fake. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>What Is The Point?</b></p><p>The point of astroturfing is to present a product, service or movement as being highly sought after by a certain customer base as a way to build up excitement for it, all while misleading the people being targeted. This practice is used by businesses, political groups, advertisers etc. and we see it on all different platforms. It is a practice that happens all around by so-called "trusted sources" and usually has no repercussions for being caught in the act. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe3RQeunH7iNyAXWKsKKDbCQdLP0EnvHfqroBp0sWJ3htrhvxDvvXWsxLS4pSlzCTBaGaMbCs4HXCy0QIzEmAyBjPW5wvNOLGYxshg0x-gSwsuH4-Plxt-PhWVUvArA4pLl7wa5kDuShu11BVu7FOEP2X6uEgGLM4DI-kD_vsEweQLo3TutUE_HQx9/s1594/fullsizeoutput_4f.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="928" data-original-width="1594" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe3RQeunH7iNyAXWKsKKDbCQdLP0EnvHfqroBp0sWJ3htrhvxDvvXWsxLS4pSlzCTBaGaMbCs4HXCy0QIzEmAyBjPW5wvNOLGYxshg0x-gSwsuH4-Plxt-PhWVUvArA4pLl7wa5kDuShu11BVu7FOEP2X6uEgGLM4DI-kD_vsEweQLo3TutUE_HQx9/w320-h189/fullsizeoutput_4f.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Source: <a href="https://newslit.org/tips-tools/astroturfing-as-fake-as-it-sounds/">News Literacy Project</a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><b>Where We See It</b></p><p>Although it began in newspapers, (usually to stir up some relevant political drama) astroturfing is now found mostly online through simple blog posts and comment sections. According to this <a href="https://www.bigcommerce.com/ecommerce-answers/what-is-astroturfing/">article</a>, up to one-third of all online reviews are found to be false by some form of astroturfing. Many Western countries now regulate highly deceptive forms of astroturfing in an attempt to control the spread of it. Despite these regulations, we still see many get away with it. Many businesses have experienced significant damage or loss in profit as a result of astroturfing. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>How To Spot Astroturfing</b></p><p>Because there are many different forms of astroturfing, there are many different ways to spot it. This <a href="https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/405807-a-news-consumers-guide-to-astroturf-sources/">article</a> by Sharyl Attkisson shows just a few of them, I suggest taking a look into the article so that you can avoid becoming a victim of astroturfing yourself. </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>One of the most common indications tends to be how dramatized the description of the product, service or movement is. Typically using flashy words, figurative language and hyperbole to convince the viewers just how great this thing really is. <br /></li><li>Another indicator of astroturfing is most have many defense mechanisms when they are on the verge of being found out as fake. They tend to describe other things as "fake news" or "agenda driven" as a way of protecting their image. Most are very protective of their beliefs and will do everything in their power to convince you they are telling the truth. </li><li>It never hurts to look into what you are reading or watching. Look up more information on the company or political campaign that is trying to convince you of something. Do they have a credible history? Are they reliable? Who has backed them in the past? All questions that should be considered. If the claim is from a forum or comment section, I suggest taking a deeper dive into the topic and educating yourself on what the claim is. </li></ul><div><br /></div><div>Take these ideals into consideration and good luck on detecting any astroturfing you may come across in the future!</div><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-818072047612966524.post-80111184615168837102022-06-11T12:59:00.003-07:002022-06-26T09:28:55.241-07:00Hit me with your best shot: Public relations and the campaign for Covid-19 vaccines<p> ew758821@ohio.edu</p><p>Elisabeth Warner</p><p><span> </span>In an irony lost on no one, public relations as a professional practice has terrible PR. Often associated with campaigns that spin slivers of truth into narratives of fool's gold, PR has come to mean corporate or political manipulation with an eye toward lining someone's pocket or maintaining power of a particular realm.</p><p><span> </span>PR cliches abound: the vapid PR flack, inauthentic and fantastical portrayals of harmful products, people, or institutions, and athletic maneuvering to protect those with privilege against the consequences of their own actions. Fairly or not, PR is not typically spoken of in the same breath with ethical and principled occupations.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbzdn24AtDeWLahq7XpoPaAwAo_kvaJyLEN7nzJDiplmeQ0wSH76O7FnjNOPEUrhlkKv3KRPZfmhwkDkvj-9P9NBpBCVe_Xg4qeqwAvfAdNrAvD9YOZptg31BfJppdBBDhuAYfzGmCccLaIgv3VbLmSRVwgLwNzDqsQ9jvi-O2DmPvVEmqPLAgmSB2/s1910/Screen%20Shot%202022-06-11%20at%203.08.05%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1070" data-original-width="1910" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbzdn24AtDeWLahq7XpoPaAwAo_kvaJyLEN7nzJDiplmeQ0wSH76O7FnjNOPEUrhlkKv3KRPZfmhwkDkvj-9P9NBpBCVe_Xg4qeqwAvfAdNrAvD9YOZptg31BfJppdBBDhuAYfzGmCccLaIgv3VbLmSRVwgLwNzDqsQ9jvi-O2DmPvVEmqPLAgmSB2/s320/Screen%20Shot%202022-06-11%20at%203.08.05%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Image</b>: <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2014/09/theres-more-to-know-about-the-more-you-know/380242/" target="_blank">The Atlantic</a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>The more you know</b></p><p><span> </span>But for all the ire PR as a profession receives, the long history of public service campaigns, a marketing endeavor that combines advertising and PR, is almost universally regarded as a positive contribution to society. </p><p><span> </span>Iconic promotions include recruitment drives for working women during World War II, Smokey the Bear's forest fire prevention campaign, awareness for organizations like the Red Cross, Peace Corps, and the United Negro College Fund (though the famous "<a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/opinion/commentary/ct-perspec-indian-crying-environment-ads-pollution-1123-20171113-story.html" target="_blank">Crying Indian</a>" ad, in addition to being racist, intended to promote environmental awareness, and instead turned out to be full of ethical issues).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAels3p2m7Ay2CTPK4rDERWwxGA6LVz9-G1-b7zpju3KZGR5DRZ6sbyRVLy4rGmqNbxB55upHimqKJIHookuTcwUEpVu_PfwkGOIzAWTf8TYBmaFiVeSDCDEgv0vP8tHHWZ2C7DxinsqNkGf3ZSdX2Uvo14MMWgmmiqSBtbDxz_1vI7aw3oHyKXd1F/s1314/Screen%20Shot%202022-06-11%20at%203.43.43%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="858" data-original-width="1314" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAels3p2m7Ay2CTPK4rDERWwxGA6LVz9-G1-b7zpju3KZGR5DRZ6sbyRVLy4rGmqNbxB55upHimqKJIHookuTcwUEpVu_PfwkGOIzAWTf8TYBmaFiVeSDCDEgv0vP8tHHWZ2C7DxinsqNkGf3ZSdX2Uvo14MMWgmmiqSBtbDxz_1vI7aw3oHyKXd1F/s320/Screen%20Shot%202022-06-11%20at%203.43.43%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Image:</b> <a href="https://www.adcouncil.org/our-story/our-history/the-classics" target="_blank">Ad Council</a></p><p><span> </span>But even when promoting behaviors that are intended to protect the public, many of the ethical concerns that exist in conventional PR or advertising* are present in public service campaigns, as well. In any campaign, time is on no one's side, whether the work is in support of a household product or a significant public safety measure. The temptation to get sloppy with the quality of work that results from the pressures around urgency– real or imagined– is evergreen. But the very real stakes of a public service campaign has the potential to amplify that temptation.</p><p><span> </span>Public service campaigns are no less vulnerable to the use of emotional manipulation, excessive fear, or an over-reliance on harmful stereotypes to advance their messaging than their commercial counterparts, either. They may even be more susceptible because the perceived greater good could justify some blurring of ethical guidelines so strictly employed in commercial PR work. </p><p><span> </span>And because so much of any campaign depends of the deployment of agents of influence, the campaign architects may prioritize the potential impact of the influencer over their lack of experience or history of problematic actions or statements, either of which could create injury to the public.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPx1Zi0KgPsiUSgoCsdxeFmjRIHkFUtnK8mgCc2IQVxFg1dSreR9u1SVl_Uzlr9M8v8DhwiGvJ8EsZYVkl9aCb2-wj0t2IyVbdbLrX2W3cPtSKHM5vwbIhU5YuKDHqIlqwSMK5d_ZwHoKiQkR5h1tYjXyj_n74zoqpq11k90q-jj7mPGUsBfDXLRUa/s498/amber-siyavus-bb-amber.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="412" data-original-width="498" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPx1Zi0KgPsiUSgoCsdxeFmjRIHkFUtnK8mgCc2IQVxFg1dSreR9u1SVl_Uzlr9M8v8DhwiGvJ8EsZYVkl9aCb2-wj0t2IyVbdbLrX2W3cPtSKHM5vwbIhU5YuKDHqIlqwSMK5d_ZwHoKiQkR5h1tYjXyj_n74zoqpq11k90q-jj7mPGUsBfDXLRUa/s320/amber-siyavus-bb-amber.gif" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Image:</b> <a href="https://tenor.com/view/amber-siyavus-bb-amber-bb8amber-bb8-big-brother8-gif-16601708" target="_blank">Tenor</a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>No shortage of ethical challenges</b></p><p><span> </span>The US public service campaigns designed to encourage and advance vaccinations against Covid-19 have provided an opportunity to witness many of these ethical challenges in real time. The PR campaigns, notably those created by the Ad Council, the dominant organization producing and disseminating public service campaigns (and the same organization who produced those previously mentioned iconic PSAs), and the US government, have a famously difficult objective– to combat the unique vaccine hesitancies represented in disparate populations. </p><p><span> </span>Any public service announcement faces an ethical obligation to reach as many potentially impacted people as possible. In the case of Covid, that meant the entire country, necessitating complex, resource-heavy strategies. This forces the campaign to weigh the benefits of delaying the launch until each of the campaign's components can be simultaneously coordinated, which meant a longer absence of life-saving messaging, against those of dropping each component as it's completed to reach some targets more quickly, which could advantage those groups unfairly and even put the general population at greater risk.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQcVbDzpLZP6bDBETRtgpZr0GBW50_HbIXWzUM5nDbmWByrKrdN4Ew0lfMpxJELtZu9Dn4wFZ5uureAYJ8NkDmrIrsLxRCnzyP-Gs0jH_NGdIYsxpuqhxf-HaEogVnwYzWAPxydGc0EH4F3VMGIfwQP_c_rkcNoxcDplH0wkIMfGH_-iEESLUEuNyD/s1520/Screen%20Shot%202022-06-11%20at%203.48.13%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="642" data-original-width="1520" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQcVbDzpLZP6bDBETRtgpZr0GBW50_HbIXWzUM5nDbmWByrKrdN4Ew0lfMpxJELtZu9Dn4wFZ5uureAYJ8NkDmrIrsLxRCnzyP-Gs0jH_NGdIYsxpuqhxf-HaEogVnwYzWAPxydGc0EH4F3VMGIfwQP_c_rkcNoxcDplH0wkIMfGH_-iEESLUEuNyD/s320/Screen%20Shot%202022-06-11%20at%203.48.13%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Image: </b><a href="http://www.strategicagilityinstitute.com/blog/2019/10/29/words-matter-actions-matter-more" target="_blank">Strategic Agility Institute</a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Content Counts</b></p><p><span> </span>The content of the Covid vaccine campaign also has ethical implications. In addition to the challenges of knowing when and how to launch, Americans are consuming Covid and vaccine content from a surfeit of sources, making it necessary to curate specific messaging campaigns for a wide variety of population groups. To maximize the efficacy of the messaging impact, some campaign developers may be tempted to loosen ethical prescriptions against using gender, racial, or religious stereotypes for more visceral and immediate reactions. </p><p><span> </span>In some cases, developers <a href="http://www.riprc.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Guttman-2004-Guilt-Fear-Stigma-and-Knowledg-Gaps-Ethical-Issues-in-Public-Health-Communications-Interventions.pdf" target="_blank">may choose</a> vaccine messaging that is entwined with behaviors that are harmful in some other arena of public health to connect with hard-to-reach populations. Messaging that reinforces objectification of women, for instance, celebrates gun use in young men, or shows one population to be superior to another my lead to higher vaccination rates for that targeted group, but would signal that behaviors known to lead to negative social outcomes are culturally acceptable.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjedoNig6OKogyOJcAS8_Fss9V56kXzrDA-dOuMck28e0vpou7nhmyD7BNIpu0JiVNZJPPmAqgVtWqRqrvvJqJieIF3yu78TZr_1jGVBGkl7yEcXrZ14nItpRphlcnl0PbO31vZN9R1lqKlIwGLkUT2AOGoGupdchsmBWegfotWimSW8WosxqIOP5oM/s1432/Screen%20Shot%202022-06-11%20at%2012.16.56%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1432" data-original-width="1104" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjedoNig6OKogyOJcAS8_Fss9V56kXzrDA-dOuMck28e0vpou7nhmyD7BNIpu0JiVNZJPPmAqgVtWqRqrvvJqJieIF3yu78TZr_1jGVBGkl7yEcXrZ14nItpRphlcnl0PbO31vZN9R1lqKlIwGLkUT2AOGoGupdchsmBWegfotWimSW8WosxqIOP5oM/w163-h200/Screen%20Shot%202022-06-11%20at%2012.16.56%20PM.png" width="163" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b> Image</b>: Twitter</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>The Influencers</b></div><p></p><p><span> </span>The use of influencers in public service campaigns is a powerful tool that expands messaging reach, and the success of any campaign often rests on pairing the right influencer with the right target population. Again, as in commercial campaigns, the value of the cultural figure who will resonate with the intended audience is critical, but that may mean the social currency of that figure is more relevant than their lack of expertise, minimizing the value of true experts. </p><p><span> </span>Does anyone believe the members of <a href="https://www.newsnationnow.com/health/coronavirus/vaccine/the-weeknd-and-bts-hope-to-raise-billions-for-global-citizen/" target="_blank">BTS </a>to be more knowledgeable about vaccines than the average epidemiologists? Probably not, but reinforcing the value of celebrity over expertise has consequences to our society. Sometimes an influencer may be highly valued by one group but disdained by another the campaign is trying to reach. PR professionals need to balance competing ethical concerns to determine which course of action will protect the most people, both in the immediate moment and in the future.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ1nQIN41n_NdwuEwC_yscKUOgV6qwkMSQDT0kZFzLc3sDW96hZEO5zTXE6EgA-j5tT1UPTvYn-Gcfw7JdHQQtrp6YVYtnd24bEiRnhq_9tl5qLpgTWsTvP2g4FakmBeIfR3uxUzxnlPWHq9n7SMVpYhAWXMfg3uionhoYlwLtuZZGJkh3KZkAs0GI/s1412/Screen%20Shot%202022-06-11%20at%203.27.53%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1158" data-original-width="1412" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ1nQIN41n_NdwuEwC_yscKUOgV6qwkMSQDT0kZFzLc3sDW96hZEO5zTXE6EgA-j5tT1UPTvYn-Gcfw7JdHQQtrp6YVYtnd24bEiRnhq_9tl5qLpgTWsTvP2g4FakmBeIfR3uxUzxnlPWHq9n7SMVpYhAWXMfg3uionhoYlwLtuZZGJkh3KZkAs0GI/s320/Screen%20Shot%202022-06-11%20at%203.27.53%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span><b>Image: </b><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/magazine/2021/04/26/coronavirus-vaccines-ad-council/" target="_blank">Washington Post</a></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span><b>Individualist v collectivist themes in Covid public service campaigns </b> </span></p><p>Finally, the slogans used in the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/magazine/2021/04/26/coronavirus-vaccines-ad-council/" target="_blank">two primary Covid vaccine campaigns</a> present additional ethical considerations.</p><p><span> </span>In the campaign conceived by the Ad Council, their slogan was, "<a href="https://readystate.com/project/its-up-to-you-vaccine-ad-council" target="_blank">It's up to you</a>". This had the benefit of testing well, as it aligned with those whose primary objection to the vaccine was a belief that it was a government intrusion. "It's up to you" gives individuals a sense of agency, which helped many, especially those in conservative groups, feel more positively toward the message.</p><p><span> </span>At the same time, "It's up to you" underplays their seriousness of Covid by making it appear that vaccines were optional and creating an impression that optional vaccines would somehow lead to a Covid-free future. If Covid were that much of a threat, some might think, the government would mandate vaccines, just as they do seatbelts and drivers liveness. The Ad Council's tagline also lets the government off the hook by communicating that the responsibility to eradicate Covid was the public's, not the government's. This has the added effect of implying the government is too weak to get people to vaccinate through their own possible regulations and incentives.</p><p><span> </span>Conversely, the slogan used by the US government, "<a href="https://wecandothis.hhs.gov/covidcommunitycorps" target="_blank">We can do this</a>", sends a message of collectivism and unity. Many would argue that this approach is both necessary and ideal, considering the nature of the issue– a virus that is exponentially replicating in hosts who are not immune. The conventional wisdom is that Covid can't be eradicated if it can live in its hosts at full strength, so anything less than a full-throated endorsement of a collectivist strategy would risk lives.</p><p><span> </span>But, of course, the United States is as divided as it has been in anyone's living memory, making the earnestness of the government's roll up our sleeves attitude seem embarrassingly out of touch, and easy to dismiss by those who have never felt less connected to their neighbors. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcllwFc1i_6hPgcNkbE_XUY8rsp13TwqLVc6UfwPtiUJo_PjvhRxVK-Igto-lPeSNQXdRrPD6fEqCX4qR_PX4Yct0riCkH4CXtVh5W95cTxpCw4Tw6za2_vEMhiKZvniTuGM3da1SZ0sQ6LzTXzZTKgMmMSI93rlqqR4_RLB3eVxVQ9mccMGkFeg7d/s960/Screen%20Shot%202022-06-11%20at%203.32.59%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="952" data-original-width="960" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcllwFc1i_6hPgcNkbE_XUY8rsp13TwqLVc6UfwPtiUJo_PjvhRxVK-Igto-lPeSNQXdRrPD6fEqCX4qR_PX4Yct0riCkH4CXtVh5W95cTxpCw4Tw6za2_vEMhiKZvniTuGM3da1SZ0sQ6LzTXzZTKgMmMSI93rlqqR4_RLB3eVxVQ9mccMGkFeg7d/w274-h271/Screen%20Shot%202022-06-11%20at%203.32.59%20PM.png" width="274" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Image:</b> <a href="https://imgflip.com/memegenerator/Bernie-I-Am-Once-Again-Asking-For-Your-Support" target="_blank">Imgflp</a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Different dilemma, same ask</b></p><p><span> </span>In each of the ethical dilemmas outlined here, some type of compromise is needed to determine what path will serve the greatest number of people with the lowest cost, and that answer will shift depending on the many variables that require thoughtful consideration.</p><p><span> </span>The work of PR professionals, despite the industry's poor reputation, is essential not just to their powerful clients but to the messaging that comes from public service campaigns that have the power to shape cultural discourse and public health. This supercharges their responsibility to painstakingly explore the ethical questions that present in every communication, and to weigh the potential cost and benefit for each scenario they pursue with an eye to what is in the best interest of the public.</p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;">*PR and advertising are separate occupations but are both under the larger marketing umbrella and naturally have many shared goals and tactics. There is an overlap between the two in public service campaigns, where advertising is one components. Ads are joined with PR efforts to craft the rhetoric supporting a given issue and partner with various media platforms, as well as cultural- and issue- specific influencers, to promote that issue. </span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-818072047612966524.post-9647616377120064122022-06-11T11:58:00.003-07:002022-06-26T09:42:23.163-07:00Ethics in PR leadership - is there such a thing? Yes.<p>Lori Stem</p><p>loristemou@gmail.com (ls603219@ohio.edu)</p><p>I worked for a few years at a media company...a company that published trade magazines, among other things, in the horticulture and agriculture space. Long hours and hard deadlines. That was life.</p><p>I supported two publishers and three directors for five brands, worked alongside the sales staff, teamed up with the media department, and helped our journalists and events colleagues as I could. Top this off with an hour commute each way to the office and back, longer during snowstorms. Oh, did I mention it was also while being a main caregiver for my grandma with dementia and a part-time student? </p><p>I learned plenty, and made some great friends along the way, but am happy to be in a fully remote role with no overtime! <i>No overtime.</i> What a difference that can make. </p><p><b>Skeleton crews are exhausting</b></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLUG_AhWaA2Ho6sImgVF4dpsbCsZGTFyJlWQqCctY-48qPp7WDoMxgZT8_-6llyGQx8DWAnu8aEBRUIP9A4QGpfqbeZzqqutmyLoUrO8EBTYmULXPgE3SqZJ0EFMkHfT1XzhsMTRw0FegGEuveOfLaOdYEFA_V6_Pgm_5UGcN-tAQuM3rs1DGJsRxi/s5422/artur-tumasjan-IDbeTFgI9As-unsplash%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5422" data-original-width="3615" height="387" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLUG_AhWaA2Ho6sImgVF4dpsbCsZGTFyJlWQqCctY-48qPp7WDoMxgZT8_-6llyGQx8DWAnu8aEBRUIP9A4QGpfqbeZzqqutmyLoUrO8EBTYmULXPgE3SqZJ0EFMkHfT1XzhsMTRw0FegGEuveOfLaOdYEFA_V6_Pgm_5UGcN-tAQuM3rs1DGJsRxi/w258-h387/artur-tumasjan-IDbeTFgI9As-unsplash%20(1).jpg" width="258" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Credit: Photo by Artur Tumasian on Unsplash<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Our company owner had the mindset that employees work harder the busier they are, so to say we were short-staffed was an understatement. We were like a family, a dysfunctional one at best, but tight-knit either way.<p></p><p>Leadership can transform a business - sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. Many people are leaving that company now, me being one of them recently. Many employees spent their whole 30-plus year careers there. But it's changed. This <a href="https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20210915-turnover-contagion-the-domino-effect-of-one-resignation" target="_blank">BBC article</a> talks about some social aspects of high turnover.<b><br /></b></p><p><b>Burnout did NOT affect high ethical standards in this case (miraculously)</b></p><p>We worked our butts off to meet hard deadlines for lower than industry standard pay. Top leadership, including the owner (mostly the owner), sent out confusing and controlling communications, complete with plenty of mind games. But our journalists and sales staff practiced their art with the utmost ethical standards and sound judgment. Not all companies are this lucky.</p><p>We were proud of our standards and were considered industry front runners for decades in the hort and ag space. Unfortunately, one can only deal with such high stress for so long before realizing it's just not healthy or sustainable.</p><p><b>Work environments are key, and so are the leaders</b></p><p>I was the middleman between PR professionals and our journalists as well. I filtered through email after email, learning which ones to forward to our journalists. I never wondered what the PR firm's work environments were like since mine felt all-consuming.</p><p>So what makes a solid work culture? What expectations are in the PR world of their leadership? What even makes a successful leader?</p><p>There are some things that come to mind:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>One that promotes ethical standards.</li><li>One that practices what they preach.</li><li>One that creates and maintains a culture of professionalism built on trust.</li><li>One that does not cut corners and leads with a vision.</li><li>One that includes diversity in employees and ideas.</li><li>One that fosters honesty and transparency, and leads with integrity and empathy.</li><li>One that includes company standards and policies front and center, in the office, and to the public.</li><li>One that actively listens and welcomes positive change.</li><li>One that does not lead with fear, but with service. </li></ul><div><b>Interested in learning more?</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqa-DC9k6XL-SdH7XZS1W-snT1oqjz2_4bVXMVyHiAcouNlksqaw7bDMrFyt7_QT5SWFTYOs4rGJ6JuvmlhoLnJXjwzvrTlAZkmXg-KTJtkqz_pTAVFSy8VW4T9MdzQDI4Kzls-sHv1RR2j69ZGOr5Ca1THkSXhSl3-humprNJ39bKgRZnHz_VcZX8/s2000/294.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="2000" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqa-DC9k6XL-SdH7XZS1W-snT1oqjz2_4bVXMVyHiAcouNlksqaw7bDMrFyt7_QT5SWFTYOs4rGJ6JuvmlhoLnJXjwzvrTlAZkmXg-KTJtkqz_pTAVFSy8VW4T9MdzQDI4Kzls-sHv1RR2j69ZGOr5Ca1THkSXhSl3-humprNJ39bKgRZnHz_VcZX8/w295-h295/294.jpg" width="295" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Credit: <a href="<a href="https://www.freepik.com/vectors/unity-icon">Unity icon vector created by iconicbestiary - www.freepik.com</a>" target="_blank">Freepik.com</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Here is a <a href="https://instituteforpr.org/wp-content/uploads/MeasureExcellentLeadershipPR.pdf" target="_blank">study</a> on the topic of leadership skills in the PR industry. Meng and Heymen lead the Conclusions and Implications section of their research with, "this study was motivated by a desire to understand how leadership has been defined in the field of public relations and the key dimensions an effective public relations leader should possess." It's worth a read when the time allows.</div><div><br /></div><div>If you learn better by watching or listening, take a quick five minutes to enjoy this video...</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="320" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eJJByizpM2c" width="384" youtube-src-id="eJJByizpM2c"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;">Credit: YouTube</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Thanks for reading! What are some leadership failures and successes you've encountered?</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-818072047612966524.post-40189128640997596592022-06-11T10:22:00.004-07:002022-06-11T10:22:54.728-07:00There are lies, dammed lies, and astroturfing. <h1 style="text-align: left;">Astro world? Astro what??</h1><div><br /></div><div>No, not astroworld, that was a disastrous concert earlier this year. We are talking about Astroturfing. With the whizz of all the craziness on the internet, you are probably thinking...when will it ever stop? Firstly, we can understand astroturfing as the practice of masking the sponsors of a message. For example, political, advertising, and PR, to make it appear as if this message is coming from a grassroots organization. In the end, this can alter public perception because it makes people second guess their own thoughts or opinions because another viewpoint is so widely supported...or is it? This support is artificial, just like artificial grass, called turf, hence the term "astroturfing". It's hard enough to keep up with the news today anyway, and breaking down what is real from what is false anyway...now this?</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh95OIu8uC3sO6Lrydl1t1Gt6n-G8sie71_O0t-JWddvvjMWrt_5tj8z0CyfFMVE5cTooldzN420ZRVCg7xsy5ZFzXfo-gxl4Z3ohtmWrVXiyQcAUtzL9-9uIZDHp_805wuOE5k-Z4CWyblMlhi6-pdKa6F5KWkbHBy0pvmLBABSaqJXnQ4n8tncnKpaw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="https://imgflip.com/i/1b097s" data-original-height="1058" data-original-width="1398" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh95OIu8uC3sO6Lrydl1t1Gt6n-G8sie71_O0t-JWddvvjMWrt_5tj8z0CyfFMVE5cTooldzN420ZRVCg7xsy5ZFzXfo-gxl4Z3ohtmWrVXiyQcAUtzL9-9uIZDHp_805wuOE5k-Z4CWyblMlhi6-pdKa6F5KWkbHBy0pvmLBABSaqJXnQ4n8tncnKpaw" title="Clip: imigflip" width="317" /></a></div><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><a href="https://imgflip.com/i/1b097s" target="_blank">imigflig</a>: clip astroturfing <br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Clickbait or nah?</h4><p style="text-align: left;">Now, it is no secret that as human beings we have a curious nature and we are going to give a click to whatever catches our eye. This might be a new set of golf clubs on a sporting website, or a new fancy mop bucket...the possibilities are endless. When it comes to news, there is no difference, people just click on the news that has a catchy headline, and most people don't spend much time investigating the sources they obtain their news. This is why astroturfing can become so problematic because many people who fall victim to astroturfing seldomly realize there has been any foul play. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Now there's...bots?!</h4><p style="text-align: left;">We've all heard of "bots" on different websites, but what is the impact they have? Companies that partake in astroturfing also use bots to show they've got support for their movement in "numbers" of online personas. Firstly, these might seem harmless because we don't often think about them, but they are not harmless. I can think of one way a bot has personally affected YOUR choices...you might be thinking, no way! Well, have you ever purchased an item on amazon based on the reviews you've read? It was estimated in 2022 that 61% of <a href="https://www.cnbctv18.com/business/companies/amazon-scrapped-over-3-million-fake-products-4-billion-bad-listings-in-2021-report-13757542.htm" target="_blank">Amazon reviews</a> on electronics alone are fake reviews written by bots. False bot-generated reviews have directly impacted your decision to buy something---that is insane! </p><p style="text-align: left;">Think about more devious ways bots can be used- think of a moral objection you've got to something. Then you see on Twitter, or Facebook that there's overwhelming support for this specific issue, and it makes you feel like an outlier for not going with the crowd. This can sway the opinion of people, very easily, because there is a lot of research behind the strength of <a href="https://www.ntdaily.com/mob-mentality-is-manipulative-and-merciless/" target="_blank">mob mentality</a>. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Legality...question mark...</h4><div>Unfortunately, like most things on the internet that seem absolutely scandalous...there is a lack of regulation for them. Astroturfing, while morally wrong on many fronts, is just another form of campaigning ploy that has been pulling the wool over Americans' eyes. This is just a bit scarier because it's not just a shampoo brand promising you to have no frizz, and a million people aka "bots" confirming the claim that you will have the sleekest hair you've ever seen. There are politics involved, which sway people, and leads to legislation that impacts the lives of people on a much larger scale than if everyone was suffering from frizz. Like most things in this world, there are dollars to be made, and corporations arent going to stop--even if what they are doing really sucks. We can only push back against these types of deceptive tactics and cross our fingers that legislation would be passed to prohibit Astroturfing. The problem is...the same people we want to pass laws against Astroturfing are also the ones greatly enjoying the benefits of it!</div><div><br /></div><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-818072047612966524.post-28547990820433622632022-06-11T08:29:00.004-07:002022-06-26T09:56:15.367-07:00The Deceptive Practice of Astroturfing <p> Elly Merrit</p><p>em489621@ohio.edu</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p><span> </span>The invention of the Internet has been a wonderful gift for mankind. As with any good inventions there are also those waiting to profit from the new experience. The <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/818072047612966524/2854799082043362263#">Internet</a> "is also bonanza for corporate lobbyists viral markets, government spin doctors, who can operate without regulation, accountability or fear of detection". Everyday these operations grow more sophisticated, effective, and dangerous. Astroturfing is the deliberate attempt to manipulate public opinion through deceptive practices. </p><p><br /></p><p><span> The ability to create false identities and maintain anonymity has provide companies with an avenue to run Astroturf operations. Astroturfing benefits creators. They establish web campaigns that present the idea that large numbers of people are revolting or opposing a particular event or policy. Let's look at a few examples of how Astroturfing may appear. The logo for the National Wetland Coalition suggests an environmental friendly organization however, the NWC is a front group that opposes federal policies that regulate the development of United States wet lands. This so called coalition receives it's funding from oil companies and real-estate developers. </span><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzv7hVfkbNFeT0h8TT8Pz6lkNIynpOrPF5xG12RybFKpoqdogwnD4Jx39qa8kWi15y1hm34aaGWWqKMfspIboHyeO1QSZMZW7b0VtR9_0U-XQueaOcFF3XuwyjXWhoTjDyPdQE1HiwSTjaGHw9c8zouYDIRc2MKoneh_y57uWs9m7UwOO50mdljGMgsw/s200/download.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="149" data-original-width="200" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzv7hVfkbNFeT0h8TT8Pz6lkNIynpOrPF5xG12RybFKpoqdogwnD4Jx39qa8kWi15y1hm34aaGWWqKMfspIboHyeO1QSZMZW7b0VtR9_0U-XQueaOcFF3XuwyjXWhoTjDyPdQE1HiwSTjaGHw9c8zouYDIRc2MKoneh_y57uWs9m7UwOO50mdljGMgsw/w320-h232/download.png" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.herinst.org/envcrisis/fronts/examples/nwc.html">NWC</a><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span> <span> The Center For Food Integrity is a industry funded organization aiming to promote consumers trust for processed foods, food additives and antibiotics in meat. The direct opposite of what would be expected from a organization on food integrity. It is not always easy to see what a companies motive really is. The American Council on Science and Health receives funding from chemical companies, e cigarette manufacturers and fracking corporations. This group is a pure straight up opposition to science and health. On their <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/818072047612966524/2854799082043362263#">website</a> they provide a wide range of articles that may remind a person of the headlines on the "National Enquirer." The titles include "Pesticides Negate Benefits of Fruits and Vegetables Consumption? No" also "Is the EPA Really Following the Science on Form aldehyde? and last " Oreology: A Study of Oreo's Stuffing." If a person decides to read one of these articles, they learn nothing. </span></span><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span><span><br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span> </span><span> Astroturfing is not limited to the website, they often obtain questionable experts to testify to their cause. Also organizations may hire fake protesters or advocate to create the illusion of support. Fake websites, fake advocate, fake experts, fake protesters can affect real world change and do real damage. Astroturfing is dangerous and can cause people to be mislead with false information. </span><br /></span></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-818072047612966524.post-3573693667329112392022-06-10T22:31:00.004-07:002022-06-26T09:56:28.208-07:00Don't be fooled...it's astroturfing<p>The whole idea of astroturfing is very interesting. This reminds me of Twitter bots. Fake accounts seem to have taken over social media and that's the first thing that comes to mind when I hear about astroturfing. The fact that any system can be created to be so sophisticated that fake campaigns can be started actually get real people to follow without blinking an eye is amazing. </p><p>It's also scary to know that it's that easy to start so many fake online accounts that are smart enough to convince people that whatever propaganda they're spreading is the gospel. This is why we need to research and pay attention to what we consume via the internet. With so many fake social media accounts and websites popping up we've entered a dangerous time. </p><p>With astroturfing companies can pump their agenda through online messages using multiple fake accounts disguised as real people and create a following of thousands or more within hours potentially. With the right message attached to an agenda that a certain section of people care about this phenomena has the potential to cause major harm. </p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU7_rDu8MXh7825Ehbj0DOw27VqdPQ4bHrRlsp8Bhjmn00Ms0qCON6XHbKUHMFI0bOFTDPlFnJCBh5UoFxJotf55HxKXJa6v_2eQlfPf8KP3FggXzV-AFxSonPxDxngtaVfDaQCLjoLN2Q9HFnsvwWg6vqi0gUWdKGFep9R0QbJTHDoMtdPnsKBw/s1280/maxresdefault.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU7_rDu8MXh7825Ehbj0DOw27VqdPQ4bHrRlsp8Bhjmn00Ms0qCON6XHbKUHMFI0bOFTDPlFnJCBh5UoFxJotf55HxKXJa6v_2eQlfPf8KP3FggXzV-AFxSonPxDxngtaVfDaQCLjoLN2Q9HFnsvwWg6vqi0gUWdKGFep9R0QbJTHDoMtdPnsKBw/w253-h142/maxresdefault.jpg" width="253" /></a></div><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>Source: Last Week Tonight w/ John Oliver (HBO)<br /><p></p><p>This can be one of the easiest ways to spread misinformation among the masses especially if it involves a controversial topic. The matter of Roe v Wade and abortion has been in the news again recently with some states attempting to outlaw abortion. This type of polarizing topic is prime real estate for those against abortion to rile up those wanting to do away with legalized abortion. </p><p>Since the internet isn't really regulated it makes one wonder what can be done. Like with anything, the criminals or bad people are always a step ahead. But is the breaking the law? Sure, if this astroturfing leads followers to commit unlawful acts based on following or supporting agendas pushed by companies using fake accounts then maybe that's a conversation to be had. But as with most cases that bridge won't be crossed until we get to it. </p><p>For now it's up to real people to be more attentive and pay attention to whom they choose to engage with and follow online. At this point I'm everyone that has an online profile of some sort has interacted with one or many of these fake accounts for one reason or another. We must be careful to not get too wrapped up in any movement that we follow blindly without first asking questions and assuring ourselves that we're on the right side of the argument.<br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-818072047612966524.post-26499051771700403832022-06-10T20:58:00.005-07:002022-06-26T10:07:13.527-07:00Fifty Shades of Green<p>Gina Thurston</p><p>gt213919@ohio.edu</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Astroturfing, say again?</b></p><p>We all know astroturf is fake green grass, usually used for sports fields or in areas where grass doesn't grow or stay green naturally. It's the <i>appearance </i>of real grass. Understand? Okay, good. </p><p>With that in mind, let's take the term <i>grassroots, </i>which is a movement from the ground up, meaning it starts with concerned citizens...or just citizens, us ground-level folks. When I was younger, I was a fan of a very talented local band. We hung posters and spread the word of this band from Vancouver, BC to LA, eventually they were signed and became somewhat famous in the early oughts. I was part of a <i>grassroots fan club. </i> </p><p>So- the term <i>Astroturfing </i>means a FAKE grassroots movement. Now, that doesn't sound like any fun at all. Who would create such a group, and why?</p><p>The <i>Who </i>is INDUSTRY. Industries that are doing things or producing things that are harmful to people and the planet. Industries that don't want to lose profits or change the way they operate, are usually behind astroturfing. </p><p>(A list of companies known for their astroturfing deceptions can be found<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/astroturfing-grassroots-movements-2011-9"> here</a>, it's not surprising...)</p><p>The <i>Why is </i>to create doubt, like in science, where there are never absolutes. Or to create the impression of being a spontaneous grassroots behavior and to disguise the agenda as an independent public reaction to some political, product, service or event. </p><p>There are many ways a company can use astroturfing to deceive or mislead the public by pretending to be a concerned member of said public. </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Fake positive reviews on that company's products</li><li>Fake negative reviews on competitor's products</li><li>Creating fake personas aka "sockpuppets" on social media and popular message board sites which spread similar posts to create the illusion of a populist idea. </li><li>Pay-for-play deals with influencers and bloggers to promote your product in exchange for gifts.</li><li>Paying people to show up at rallies and protests</li></ul><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"></ul><p></p><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQJYN85TRsLvSIlvo7sGi2s30M5yiRD7l5ww9icmyJHoQZjddrBMkrc4UMztCLQzkVwQDBggE7fh8nRN_Xs5kl9B25MW32hiEi5yPyP5RE0KDLRYwbJY5krKDkpWT2NKDISayfUQq4J6FF92q-NBGrjWJrf9JZ563zMB3FRAinusKlLsnvi6nqXT0o/s522/sometimes-the-grass-is-greener-on-the-other-side-because-31257120.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="522" data-original-width="500" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQJYN85TRsLvSIlvo7sGi2s30M5yiRD7l5ww9icmyJHoQZjddrBMkrc4UMztCLQzkVwQDBggE7fh8nRN_Xs5kl9B25MW32hiEi5yPyP5RE0KDLRYwbJY5krKDkpWT2NKDISayfUQq4J6FF92q-NBGrjWJrf9JZ563zMB3FRAinusKlLsnvi6nqXT0o/w427-h272/sometimes-the-grass-is-greener-on-the-other-side-because-31257120.png" width="427" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><p></p><p><b>We can't talk about Astroturfing without talking about its dirty first cousin, the Front Group:</b></p><p>Something that industry lobbyists tend to do is hide who they are when they are trying to <i>manufacture doubt </i>about science or a particular cause. </p><p>A good example of a front group that acted like they represented concerned citizens, but they actually represented corporate interests was the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/24/science/earth/24deny.html">Global Climate Coalition</a>. This organization <i>looks like </i>a group collaborating between scientists and concerned citizens. So when they argue that climate change doesn't exist/we can't do anything about it/science is too uncertain...it seems to represent a legitimate group's concerns. </p><p>However, if you look closely at who is funding the Global Climate Coalition, there is not a single concerned citizen in the mix. It's all the energy industry giants who want to appear like they are neutral and objective, but they are just pushing their agenda in an extremely deceptive way.</p><p>Another example: Pretend McDonald's came out with a mass media marketing ad that stated the Big Mac was nutritious and good for us. Most of us would be skeptical because we know fast food is probably the least nutritious food of all, plus McD's has a huge incentive to lie about something like this. So, McDonald's, being this billion-dollar company, knows better than to even bother. </p><p>Now pretend there was an organization called "American Health Coalition" staffed with 300 "expert nutritionists" that came out with the statement that Big Macs are nutritious. That changes everything, doesn't it? Well, the coalition is owned by McDonalds and all the other fast-food franchise billionaires, and they pay the experts $$$ to make these false statements. </p><p><b>"Uproot" the fake grassroots....</b></p><p>With doubt being the product, people need to learn how to identify phony grassroots organizations and their campaigns. Websites such as <a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/SourceWatch">SourceWatch</a> and<a href="https://www.desmog.com/climate-disinformation-database/"> DeSmoggBlog</a> thoroughly research groups involved in these campaigns and do their best to inform the public when the industry is trying to dupe us into thinking their harmful tactics are in our best interest. </p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-818072047612966524.post-86132115449863312742022-06-10T09:34:00.002-07:002022-06-10T09:34:31.266-07:00Ethical Standards of Public Relations<p> Holly Friedel </p><p>hf004717@ohio.edu</p><p><b>Ethical Values </b></p><p>A lot of my blog posts have surrounded the importance of honesty and transparency in the journalism world. As I investigate and learn more about public relations, I have discovered the importance of a similar moral compass in the industry. I will admit, originally I thought it was a field where you represent and say what a company wants you to release to the public for their own benefit, and where you, as their representative, obtain a greater profit because of it. As I have matured, I have found how important it is to be an honest public relations company, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2021/11/23/ethics-as-the-voice-of-pr-championing-truth-and-transparency-over-embellishments/?sh=16e38bac4fcb">and not only please your client, but follow the responsibility of sharing truth and accuracy to the public, essentially following an ethics code. </a></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhD8iQed0GwzJKEKc9Kqxipwwbv27nDWZePjJA71S11HLuK-Pwyfaxn4YLfAcMDf_6okeTai8jEpuqpfK4F4685zq8-EhsqbvP01XxZgojqg2q6qxhs8cQjK-FJe1DoU7G5MYMR3qiCSJamfHq02TmliOMQh4Gejg4TqiA-S4S3yQ6On2x92_EWld2dBw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="328" data-original-width="493" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhD8iQed0GwzJKEKc9Kqxipwwbv27nDWZePjJA71S11HLuK-Pwyfaxn4YLfAcMDf_6okeTai8jEpuqpfK4F4685zq8-EhsqbvP01XxZgojqg2q6qxhs8cQjK-FJe1DoU7G5MYMR3qiCSJamfHq02TmliOMQh4Gejg4TqiA-S4S3yQ6On2x92_EWld2dBw" width="320" /></a></div><p><b style="font-weight: bold;"> </b>Getty Images</p><br /><b>Top to Bottom, not Bottom to Top</b><p></p><p>Large corporations are no stranger to disobeying and plain right ignoring ethical standards; and as we have seen in many cases, specifically looking at the <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2017/04/the-dirty-truth-about-all-the-murdochs-scandals">Murdoch scandal</a>, we see the people at the top blaming their employers for ethical concerns questioned and judged by the public. But, it is ultimately the role of the boss to be aware of activity by employers, particularly if illegal activity is being conducted within companies. So, as we see in the Murdoch case, the public did not show aggression towards employers, but the man in charge of it all, showing society blames the top, not the bottom. In many cases, employers break rules due to pressure from owners, CEO's, managers, etc. Pushing deadlines, sales, and personal agendas can create an environment where employers feel they have no option to but to break the rules, and those rule breaks can take down an entire empire. </p><p><b>The Solution</b></p><p>Their are many things large and small corporations/companies can do to create an ethical policy and business overall. I find it would be very beneficial for large companies to engage in a focus on ethical standards, because even today we see the biggest company in the world, Amazon, face backlash on certain ways the company is run and treatment of employers. Advice for the companies would be: </p><p>—Provide examples of ethical disasters and as a corporation discuss the issues of it while also discussing what should have been done.</p><p>— Bring in outsiders. Someone with no connection or bias to a company can review the morals and ethical standards of a company and potentially point out something that went unnoticed from employees within. </p><p>—Create a plan of how you want to see change within the company, and provide open forums where employers can comment on the issues they see or are first hand dealing with. </p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-818072047612966524.post-78978898639394082722022-06-10T09:21:00.001-07:002022-06-26T11:11:14.225-07:00Journalism in the Music Industry: Standards of Practice<p>hf346318@ohio.edu</p><p>Hunter Folks</p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Ethical Conflicts</h3><p>Conflicts of interest are incredibly difficult to navigate in the journalism industry. In traditional journalism, organizations and individuals have well defined codes of ethics to look towards for guidance in potentially compromising situations. While these codes of ethics do not have a standard across the industry, they do provide a reference with which journalists can guide themselves.</p><p><br /></p><p>However, things get murkier once you enter the realm of music journalism. For journalists themselves, even more so. The community is small, and simply representing a large media company will not get you in the door like it will in other parts of the media industry. Instead, building and maintaining relationships with key individuals with inside access to musicians is considered standard. This behavior is at the root of music journalism, and where the ethical dilemma begins.</p><p><br /></p><p>Some of the most famous ethical dillemas within this industry are pay to play or “payola” schemes. Most recently, Sony BMG Music Entertainment was involved in a <a href=" https://www.cbsnews.com/news/10m-payola-settlement/ ">scandal</a> where they were caught paying employees of radio stations to give more airtime to their featured artists. This is the oldest and arguably the most easily identified type of ethical conflict within the industry. </p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Breaking Tradition</h3><p>In traditional journalism, giving or receiving any gifts in exchange for information or the potential for information is considered unethical. In music, extravagant dinners and lavish album release parties are standard. Oftentimes to interact with individuals in the industry requires accepting some sort of gift to even get in the room. Additionally, the industry has a long memory and strict control over who can access information. This means that a harsh negative review or op-ed can result in being blackballed nearly industry-wide. Unlike other types of news that often has multiple avenues for information gathering, being blackballed in music journalism would mean a complete lack of access to any information in a timely manner.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiss3wwnirMpT1SHv0x9t7EYFOQcmZaCu5s2CqGjX2zbeqTTMhyzB6T1anqqL0t4CiCQaivH9iUUw5a2gQ3T277He-cEZ653Tek_mxcqZS3Ka1I8KXriNQxfcvxGynGi64JxfjOL3WHlSy002p5jTl2XCb4AMa981jMYvOK9fv7Pj7SFHDcmWQXCfkZbA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Image" class="hoverZoomLink" data-original-height="715" data-original-width="975" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiss3wwnirMpT1SHv0x9t7EYFOQcmZaCu5s2CqGjX2zbeqTTMhyzB6T1anqqL0t4CiCQaivH9iUUw5a2gQ3T277He-cEZ653Tek_mxcqZS3Ka1I8KXriNQxfcvxGynGi64JxfjOL3WHlSy002p5jTl2XCb4AMa981jMYvOK9fv7Pj7SFHDcmWQXCfkZbA=w320-h235" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Image: <a href="https://medium.com/cuepoint/party-bullshit-the-essential-guide-to-music-industry-events-1273b01ce304">Source</a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p>There is also the dilemma of paying for access to address. Industry events do not follow a standard system, although they tend towards specific event types. Oftentimes the most pressing new information is found at up and comers album release parties, or clubs. These are not always free events. If you are not a large and favorable news outlet, you likely will not always get in for free. That is if you can get in at all.</p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">They Know What They're Doing</h3><p>The music industry very purposefully sets up journalists to get caught in a web of ethical issues. When your job is to report on industry happenings, oftentimes you can be put into a position where you are forced to make choices that do not have a completely ethical answer in the frame of traditional journalism. A poor review of a label’s artist could result in having to pay to access information-rich events in the future. In that situation, curtailing your review or paying for access are both traditionally unethical, but you still must make the choice.</p><p><br /></p><p>Fortunately, I believe the solution is simple and already commonplace even if it is not acknowledged. The idea of ethics is based around our cultural standards, norms, and values. In music, the behaviors mentioned previously are standard. I believe it is a journalists duty to navigate in the most ethical way possible, however, exceptions to traditional rules can be made if the industry demands it. For example, in the video game industry it is standard for reviewers to be provided copies of the game for free, and ahead of release. While this is a “gift”, it is so normalized that reviewers consider it an expectation rather than a “gift”. If party invitations and paying for event access is considered standard in music journalism, then it is the journalist’s responsibility to judge every dilemma and decide if it goes above the standard.</p><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-818072047612966524.post-38039115804901738662022-06-09T13:04:00.001-07:002022-06-26T11:14:50.241-07:00Public Relations and Its Power<p> Mallory Porvaznik</p><p>mp397417@ohio.edu</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Taking Responsibility </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgwrqrwP-_i2dBsBqiGOqMk4GZGk7v9K2b5o8u0XqMzBiNoBuJ07ZH4if13dCpARTZOU7ylYRu3VZifGXXI-H6yNud320AQpo9ArnLaQyLv28qn6KKDX5fzI1o0dV7yucit2o5W8lN5QAz5-yKvVcKuNiKzzrsEJ5v6aGamkn5SAEdxV5X-LGhJKw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="167" data-original-width="301" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgwrqrwP-_i2dBsBqiGOqMk4GZGk7v9K2b5o8u0XqMzBiNoBuJ07ZH4if13dCpARTZOU7ylYRu3VZifGXXI-H6yNud320AQpo9ArnLaQyLv28qn6KKDX5fzI1o0dV7yucit2o5W8lN5QAz5-yKvVcKuNiKzzrsEJ5v6aGamkn5SAEdxV5X-LGhJKw=w444-h247" width="444" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Image Source: educba.com</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">When working for a company, being responsible, ethical, and able to communicate will make the organization successful. Especially having a higher role in the company, leading by example with words and actions will pursue others to do the same in any department. Public relations professionals' main job is to <a href="https://scoreindia.org/blog/responsibilities-of-a-pr-professional/">protect and maintain the company's image</a>. They maintain a strong relationship with consumers, the community, other employees, and other groups by writing press releases and other forms of communication in order to grab the consumer's attention. Being responsible when dealing with public relations for a company entails several requirements and duties to maintain an organization's key values.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Having a strong public relations team for your company can make or break how successful it is. For example, one of the most popular companies known for their <a href="http://newsgeneration.com/2014/04/11/pr-case-study-dove-real-beauty/">public relations tactics is Dove</a>. Since the brand launched it has continued to make a name for itself, due to the message it put out to its consumers. The message expressed beauty standards for women, the company incorporated the "throw like a girl" phrase into their campaigns and unity between customers. These messages throughout their products maintained a positive image for the brand. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjPkBO-lEKCPBWKJxbfbe69xjm9W3grcmF2hG5WRj6u0TaIZI1To-y9toKi6ocNzw2_pyWmvjccGtKZp7kibCPm-9FENSxMC3Y42eM-O16TSg9vmxp5D2W3aMAUC1IB0IaBVeM-UvEVWyxmW4Z-FMwVtXQs6K9GPz177iyKgxJVWJCPMzkTPgUzlA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="176" data-original-width="286" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjPkBO-lEKCPBWKJxbfbe69xjm9W3grcmF2hG5WRj6u0TaIZI1To-y9toKi6ocNzw2_pyWmvjccGtKZp7kibCPm-9FENSxMC3Y42eM-O16TSg9vmxp5D2W3aMAUC1IB0IaBVeM-UvEVWyxmW4Z-FMwVtXQs6K9GPz177iyKgxJVWJCPMzkTPgUzlA=w447-h275" width="447" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Image Source: amworldgroup.com</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The Role</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">There is a role to be played in any company for a public relations position when finding out what is acceptable, taking responsibility, and initiating the steps to fix the mistakes. Employee behavior is a key component of the management of an organization and can lead to the content that is being published. If there is negative employee behavior in the work environment, the content that is being published will not be as top tier and vice versa. Most people know the responsible work behavior in a work environment, however, some employees in the industry lack the knowledge to raise the standards for their brand. <br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Accountability</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Several factors can cause an employee to break the demands or expectations of a company. There are several instances in which people working for a company cannot hold upper management accountable for their actions. Especially when a group or employee that is working on a project goes outside the company's boundaries and could possibly ruin their reputation. If this possibly happens between a company and an employee, they need to accept their moral responsibility and improve on their demands. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Ethical Standards</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">As for ethical standards for PR executives, it is important to know that a leader of a company should not even think about running a dishonest company. Any type of public relations professional should make their reputation a top priority. There are several ways in order to make a company a more ethical environment and improve on its standards. Some include bringing in an outside source to look at the standards and help keep the content accountable. Also, these professionals can promote specific practices that the company can use to reach out to its consumers. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-818072047612966524.post-33638265910088363672022-06-09T10:57:00.004-07:002022-06-26T11:23:14.671-07:00Astroturfing: Negative or Postive?<h2 style="text-align: left;"> What is Astroturfing?</h2><div><span> <span> The </span></span><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/astroturfing" target="_blank">Webster dictionary</a> defines astroturfing as: </div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span> "Organized activity that is intended to create a false impression of a widespread, spontaneously arising, grassroots movement in support or opposition to something (such as a political party) but that is in reality initiated and controlled by a concealed group or organization (such as a corporation)."</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></div></blockquote><h3 style="text-align: left;">Let's break it down.</h3><div style="text-align: left;"><span> </span> The internet is here to stay, so corporations are constantly looking to optimize it. A positive online presence with great reviews and countless supporters allows corporations and/or political parties to create a sense of comfort with potential supporters.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>When the positive comments are not coming from the corporation they seem more honest, because why would a random commenter lie? Typically when astroturfing is being done it is because the desires of the corporation/political party do not match the desires of the public. This is why astroturfing can be very negative. Astroturfing has been around for a long time and even existed in newspapers before the internet, but as the internet expands and new software is developed it is becoming increasingly difficult to spot. </div><div style="text-align: left;"> The increase in astroturfing is also a result of blogs and social media sites such as Twitter allowing everyone to have a voice and express their opinions. Due to the government/corporations not always being able to censor these posts, the easier option for them seems to be <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/feb/08/what-is-astroturfing" target="_blank">crowding out the opposition</a> with grassroots movements. Corporations and political parties use astroturfing to build up their own reputations but they also use astroturfing to tear down the reputations of competitors. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjw5u_dbcWy3YFEjUl0hrK7HrbCBr9uBAR_r7gbHBAJDGrFJBQVGDDlj5qxwVWlHHML1iXJALlJHq3g29y9COuu6q4TeTGAauQFOB-LGUvTqulsuBE3nJZhN_GJIxakO5AzCMF4g4l1WzIavsbN248ewSQOeKBMPBhidOEuWcW2U0JlwOXlenQ-ZZnqtg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1406" data-original-width="2500" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjw5u_dbcWy3YFEjUl0hrK7HrbCBr9uBAR_r7gbHBAJDGrFJBQVGDDlj5qxwVWlHHML1iXJALlJHq3g29y9COuu6q4TeTGAauQFOB-LGUvTqulsuBE3nJZhN_GJIxakO5AzCMF4g4l1WzIavsbN248ewSQOeKBMPBhidOEuWcW2U0JlwOXlenQ-ZZnqtg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image Source: <a href="https://www.proxypreview.org/all-contributor-articles/secret-influence-astroturfing-sways-public-policy">ProxyPreview</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span> </span>This image is an amazing visual aid for astroturfing because it illustrates the 'underground' aspect of it. Corporations pay grassroots movements to embellish the support they hold from the public. When these payments are not made public or done under the table like the image above shows it <a href="https://www.proxypreview.org/all-contributor-articles/secret-influence-astroturfing-sways-public-policy" target="_blank">can create</a> legal, financial, and reputational risks.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>A negative example of astroturfing could be that if a person decides to support a political candidate due to the flood of comments in support of said politician, then comes to find out those comments were placed to deceive them they could feel betrayed and withdraw their support. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><span> </span><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span> </span><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><br /></h3><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-818072047612966524.post-17417859224528801662022-06-09T10:15:00.006-07:002022-06-26T11:27:47.060-07:00The Grass is Not Greener!<p><br /></p><br /><br />Amanda Sherman<br /><br />as480920@ohio.edu<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Mr0_q6wLH00Oftx3Alw8zobcgbXMW5t8ocak8a8DWzsNFRzDdk1i4ZHsmxE8LkNPwCgT5Q8zxvRwHx3exv___7q-5d0vvSXu2pGcYSpT8xlW93duSjwNmiW6jmJrjzXvBIQVTITTXefBoYEacqo9l9026N1L2aiABXi9wU8yuOIMIPfiv7jVcBwOGQ/s1080/Misinformer_Astroturfing_EN.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Mr0_q6wLH00Oftx3Alw8zobcgbXMW5t8ocak8a8DWzsNFRzDdk1i4ZHsmxE8LkNPwCgT5Q8zxvRwHx3exv___7q-5d0vvSXu2pGcYSpT8xlW93duSjwNmiW6jmJrjzXvBIQVTITTXefBoYEacqo9l9026N1L2aiABXi9wU8yuOIMIPfiv7jVcBwOGQ/s320/Misinformer_Astroturfing_EN.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Source: Scienceupfirst</span></div><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b>What is it?</b><br /><br />According to <a href="#">Wikipedia</a>, astroturfing is a way to mask the sponsors of a message or organization. The aim is to have the message seem like it is naturally occurring (grass root), instead of from a paid corporation. These include PR, Religious affiliates, advertising, or politics. The hope is that it will drum up more buzz about the topic at hand, which may not have otherwise.<br /><b><br />How is it done?</b><br /><br />Astroturfing has been done for decades. In more recent years, it is tv commercials, internet, and now social media outlets. An example is a new account on Facebook that shares multiple posts on one subject like a political candidate. <br /><br />It is getting worse! According to the <a href="#">Guardian</a>, companies are using software that can create a whole persona for a fake account. This includes names, emails, web pages and even social media. Essentially, in a snap you can have a whole virtual robot setup. These accounts will then run themselves with automatic updates and reposting's. There are multiple ways to keep these accounts live and updated. <br /><br /><br /><span style="color: #262626; font-family: inherit;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOyV4afsjwRLvoRe0LFEJAKUjPRirmbExHndWBIxOu_O7ePbAW2z2Fz77nSjo4fYoVAOlof_yHdotbc32BbWJ88K5ps3sZHqdlx1ELqMn_QvWBR1lyikSaFvFT2Or2FnYmuyxHIblmcDCmxYyPsDuw8tvCSiDITYR8ksr4The_JQSabi6IeSQjVWE1NQ/s1024/Astroturfing-1024x576.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOyV4afsjwRLvoRe0LFEJAKUjPRirmbExHndWBIxOu_O7ePbAW2z2Fz77nSjo4fYoVAOlof_yHdotbc32BbWJ88K5ps3sZHqdlx1ELqMn_QvWBR1lyikSaFvFT2Or2FnYmuyxHIblmcDCmxYyPsDuw8tvCSiDITYR8ksr4The_JQSabi6IeSQjVWE1NQ/s320/Astroturfing-1024x576.png" width="320" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Source: Samantha O'Connell</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></span></div><br /><b>Why is it bad?</b><br /><br />It is a deliberate attempt to manipulate the public. Now, with social media it can be much worse. We have seen this over the last few years with COVID and the 2020 election. The chaos astroturfing can cause will only get worse. <br /><br />We as people already have a tendency to like and share what we have interest in. An article on <a href="#">social media research</a> has claims that social media users attention spans are low, and that illusion becomes reality when there is fake posts because we tend to like popular things as a result of social proof.<p><span style="color: #262626; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3yAodxlD2bVSZs38Tj1AspEOBZGo2wZhpIOmAy_sJajYbvO1LSFh8F4aY56PfT70o_wu0VDCYeW_Z2BJMP5-G0DWXr1VSUuBafgjxoDvduz7In3XgiRF9Dmcmj5pB1X9jmNe09nyxHlqz9gnsuNRaQNMipbArkN-c70VyTxPrDWSDN_zMUSkxqpcUOA/s1024/InfluenceforHire-cover-art-1024x724.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="724" data-original-width="1024" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3yAodxlD2bVSZs38Tj1AspEOBZGo2wZhpIOmAy_sJajYbvO1LSFh8F4aY56PfT70o_wu0VDCYeW_Z2BJMP5-G0DWXr1VSUuBafgjxoDvduz7In3XgiRF9Dmcmj5pB1X9jmNe09nyxHlqz9gnsuNRaQNMipbArkN-c70VyTxPrDWSDN_zMUSkxqpcUOA/s320/InfluenceforHire-cover-art-1024x724.png" width="320" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Source: Jake <span style="background-color: transparent; text-align: left;">Wallace</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; text-align: left;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><b>What can we do to not fall into the trap?</b><p></p><p><br />There is nothing we can do to stop Astroturfer's from trying to share things, but there are many things we can do to not fall for the trap. According to <a href="#">Rockhurst University</a>:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Check your own biases.</li><li>Check the sources.</li><li>Know the difference between satire, opinion, propaganda, and other news.</li><li>Verify with other stories.</li><li>FACT CHECK.</li><li>What is the angle? Political, environmental, PR affiliates?</li><li>Is the site you are on overrun with ads?</li><li>Are most of the responses on the post short? "Thats excellent." "Brilliant." "Yes!" Most people who comment will share an actual opinion.</li><li>Is the information current?</li></ul><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-818072047612966524.post-65508236764934644562022-06-05T05:01:00.002-07:002022-06-26T11:33:02.517-07:00With Great Power Comes Great ResponsibilityJames Weiskittel<div><a href="mailto:jw571818@ohio.edu">jw571818@ohio.edu</a></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: center;">A Guiding Light</h3><div><br /></div><div>At first glance, the core values governing The Public Relations Society of America’s Code of Ethics seem a bit, well, obvious. After all, what organization wouldn’t value ideals like honesty, loyalty, and fairness? But when you stop to consider the inherent ethical difficulties that accompany any public relations role, you begin to appreciate the necessity for an overarching ‘guiding light’ by which one adheres.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://media.makeameme.org/created/obviously-toxh84.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="428" data-original-width="600" height="353" src="https://media.makeameme.org/created/obviously-toxh84.jpg" width="494" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><div style="text-align: center;">Image Source: makeameme.org</div></span><div><br /></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Anything But Funny</span></h3>Virtually everyone is familiar with the term ‘PR.’ From <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0200276/">West Wing</a> to <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1266020/">Parks & Rec</a>, the profession has been depicted countless times in film and television. While ill-timed press leaks and unintentional conflicts of interest make for great comedy, PR missteps in the real world often have repercussions that are anything but funny.</span><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.commonsensemedia.org/sites/default/files/styles/ratio_16_9_small/public/screenshots/csm-tv/parks-and-recreation-ss2_0.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="197" data-original-width="350" height="197" src="https://www.commonsensemedia.org/sites/default/files/styles/ratio_16_9_small/public/screenshots/csm-tv/parks-and-recreation-ss2_0.jpg" width="350" /></a></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> Image Source: commonsensemedia.org</span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Reputation Problem</span></h3><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">In her article, <a href="https://burrelles.com/why-ethics-matters-in-public-relations/">Why Ethics Matters in Public Relations</a>, Tyressa Robbins reflects on the “reputation problem” facing her industry. As she explains, “...it seems the only time PR makes headlines it’s for some digression, while most positive PR stories are relegated to industry-related media.”<br /><br />This quote, from the U.K. PR Academy’s Richard Bailey, further illustrates this point: “Public relations operates in many shades of grey and decisions are rarely binary options. Welcome to real-world public relations ethics.”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Fake News</span></h3><span style="font-family: inherit;">Robbins goes on to argue that in an era where accusations of ‘fake news’ run rampant, adherence to a code of ethics work is now more important than ever–especially for those who work in Public Relations. As proverbial gate-keepers in the business of public persuasion, the role of a PR rep carries far cannot be overstated. Nor can the importance of ethical behavior, especially when dealing with the health and safety of the general public.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div>For instance, during the early days of the COVID, when misinformation ran rampant (<i>I know–it still does</i>), adhering to core values (like those on the PRSA’s list) would’ve benefited so many. Obviously, what was known about the coronavirus evolved, but <b>what began as a human interest story soon became a political talking point</b>.</div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61yJKZIJqjL._AC_SX425_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="425" height="425" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61yJKZIJqjL._AC_SX425_.jpg" width="425" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><div style="text-align: center;">Image Source: Marvel</div></span><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">With Great Power...</span></h3><span style="font-family: inherit;">Right-leaning news outlets accused left-leaning news outlets of sensationalizing and </span>over-reporting<span style="font-family: inherit;">, and left-leaning news outlets tossed accusations of under-reporting and misinforming right back. Lines were drawn so deeply, death-rates from the disease began to geographically correlate with political affiliation (something this </span><a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/12/05/1059828993/data-vaccine-misinformation-trump-counties-covid-death-rate" style="font-family: inherit;">NPR article</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> highlights).</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">The situation got so out of hand, the International Center for Journalists published its own, </span><a href="https://www.icfj.org/news/ethical-considerations-reporting-covid-19" style="font-family: inherit;">COVID-specific code of ethics</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">. Still, I would counter that <b>had all parties involved simply stayed true to some overarching core values, </b>(<i>a list that includes honesty, independence, and the respect of expertise</i>)<b> everyone would have been better off.</b></span></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1