Difference between revisions of "Talk:Sandra Macleod"

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Her fellow director is [[Roger Hayes]], the Executive Director of the [[International Institute of Communications]] (founded in 1968 with the support of the [[Ford Foundation]]{{ref|4}} whose career includes "senior positions with the [[British Nuclear Industry Forum]], [[Ford]] of Europe, [[Thorn EMI]], [[PA Management Consultants]] and [[Burson-Marsteller]]..."  and [[Pinnacle PR]] {{ref|5}}http://www.echoresearch.com/en/directors/
 
Her fellow director is [[Roger Hayes]], the Executive Director of the [[International Institute of Communications]] (founded in 1968 with the support of the [[Ford Foundation]]{{ref|4}} whose career includes "senior positions with the [[British Nuclear Industry Forum]], [[Ford]] of Europe, [[Thorn EMI]], [[PA Management Consultants]] and [[Burson-Marsteller]]..."  and [[Pinnacle PR]] {{ref|5}}http://www.echoresearch.com/en/directors/
  
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===move to Echo page==
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===move to Echo page===
 
Echo's web site gives us a glimpse of the process of PR.  Its section called 'What the Critics Say' includes no criticism. Only three articles are cited, one states Echo was "providing communications research and reputation analysis for [..] Government Departments such as The Home Office."{{ref|6}}  http://www.echoresearch.com/en/news/
 
Echo's web site gives us a glimpse of the process of PR.  Its section called 'What the Critics Say' includes no criticism. Only three articles are cited, one states Echo was "providing communications research and reputation analysis for [..] Government Departments such as The Home Office."{{ref|6}}  http://www.echoresearch.com/en/news/
  
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:* [[APEX Communications]] (Nairobi, Kenya) for a public information campaign 'to combat public scepticism toward the privatised Nairobi Water Company. They built confidence in the new company and raised revenue collection by 54 percent'.
 
:* [[APEX Communications]] (Nairobi, Kenya) for a public information campaign 'to combat public scepticism toward the privatised Nairobi Water Company. They built confidence in the new company and raised revenue collection by 54 percent'.
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<blockquote style="background-color:beige;border:1pt solid Darkgoldenrod;padding:1%">This is the only chance you have to gain advantage. Therefore, set up throughout your kingdom ears and eyes that can pick up the weakest signals before they are apparent to your enemies.<br>&mdash;Machiavelli {{ref|1}}</blockquote>
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'''Sandra Macleod''' is part of [[Editorial Intelligence]] and Chief Executive of [[Echo Research]] Limited and Inc {{ref|2}}. She has been in 'communications and reputation analysis and evaluation' for 20 years so what is her own reputation?  Her European PR consultancy, [[Hayes Macleod]], won the Best New Agency of the Year Award in 1989 {{ref|3}}. One regular activity of the PR industry are 'awards' ceremonies.  Hayes Macleod (there is no record of it on the web) was most likely a temporary venture with her fellow Echo Research Non Executive Director, [[Roger Hayes]], the Executive Director of the [[International Institute of Communications]] (founded in 1968 with the support of the [[Ford Foundation]]{{ref|4}}) whose career includes "senior positions with the [[British Nuclear Industry Forum]], [[Ford]] of Europe, [[Thorn EMI]], [[PA Management Consultants]] and [[Burson-Marsteller]]..." {{ref|5}} and [[Pinnacle PR]] {{ref|6}}.
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The British Nuclear Industry Forum (like some nuclear reactors) has changed its name and is now the [[Nuclear Industry Association]]: the UK nuclear industry trade association which "undertakes representative, informational and lobbying activities on behalf of its members."{{ref|7}} Their new web page{{ref|8}} sets the tone thus: "'''Nuclear — Climate Friendly Energy'''," below a repeated pattern of fluffy clouds. 
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The site offers 'news,' as if it is unbiased.  We are to ignore that [[Philip Dewhurst]], the Chairman has been [[British Nuclear Fuels Ltd]]'s Group Corporate Affairs Director since April 2001 and is a "communications specialist by profession", President of the [[Institute of Public Relations]] in 1999, founder member of the [[City of London Guild of Public Relations Practitioners]]{{ref|9}} and in 1998 was voted PR Professional of the year by 'the readers' of [[PR Week]]. Before joining BNFL, Dewhurst was UK Chief Executive of the leading consulting group [[Shandwick International]].{{ref|10}} 
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It is much the same case with the other directors. [[Keith Parker]], the Chief Executive of the NIA is 'Head of Corporate Communications, accountable for the strategic direction of the Forum’s communications, public affairs, media relations and issue management programmes'. His biography tells us that during the 1980s Parker worked in the Department of Energy on the 2 major 'public inquiries' into Sizewell B and Hinkley Point C.  In the early 1990’s he was closely involved in policy formulation and decision making in the areas of nuclear power, coal, electricity generation and energy efficiency.  Now he is a lobbyist and spin doctor for the industry — which does give us something of an insight into how things are done in the Nuclear Industries and their dependence on PR.{{ref|11}} {{ref|12}}
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== PR Weak ==
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But what of Macleod's reputation? If we were to believe PR Week (which she writes for) and Echo's own press releases (ditto) she "has been named as one of the 100 most influential figures in the PR industry in the UK", although ''has been named'' is somewhat specious there.{{ref|13}}  Echo's web site gives us a glimpse of the process of PR.  Its section called 'What the Critics Say' includes no criticism.{{ref|14}}  Only three articles are cited, one states Echo was "providing communications research and reputation analysis for [..] Government Departments such as The Home Office."{{ref|15}} 
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Here is Echo's own statement on another big client, the Ministry of Defence:
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:"The [[Ministry of Defence]] has the role of defending the United Kingdom and its interests, and strengthening international peace and stability. Like many government departments, it is continuously under scrutiny by the public and in the news media and responds to many calls for information and explanation. Echo Research analyzed the profile of the Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces across all their operations, including [[Operation Telic]] (Iraq), assessing in particular the media debate around the case for Allied action in Iraq."{{ref|17}}
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Echo also work for The [[Environment Agency]], let's hear the blurb this time:
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:"The Environment Agency protects and improves the environment, for both current and future generations. Its role includes legal action against infringements of environmental regulations. In this context, Echo Research tracked media coverage to see how the Agency's actions to "name and shame" organizations violating environmental regulations had penetrated the public consciousness. The Agency also has a public information responsibility to help people deal with environmental hazards. Echo Research evaluated the extent to which people had access to safety information in times of flooding — a hazard likely to increase in tandem with the effects of global warming."{{ref|18}}
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Now you might be thinking 'hey didn't Mcleod's fellow Echo Director [[Roger Hayes]]' have an intimate proximity to the Nuclear Industry's main lobby group?'  The inference being that Echo might not necessarily suit this environment as it were.  But what is 'The Environment Agency', really i.e. as opposed to the quote above? It has an £805m budget and is a government funded quango of government appointees and Echo's relationship is all quite normal.
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The Environment Agency's, Professor [[Lynda Warren]] is also on something called the '[[CoRWM|Radioactive Waste Management Committee]],' which is itself full of appointees including [[David Bonser]] Director of [[BNFL|British Nuclear Fuels]] plc and other representatives of the Industry{{ref|19}} {{ref|20}} {{ref|21}}. Another board member is Dr [[Lyndon Stanton]] from [[ICI]] and the [[Nuclear Decommissioning Authority]] which has quite a line-up itself{{ref|22}} , {{ref|23}}.
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The Agency runs charging schemes such as water abstraction licences{{ref|24}} hence it has [[Peter Matthews]], the Deputy Managing Director of Anglian Water International{{ref|25}}.
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The Agency's [[Sara Parkin]] OBE{{ref|26}} and [[Barbara Young]] ([[Baroness Young of Old Scone]]){{ref|27}} are members of The [[Forum for the Future]] — an elaborate form of 'Corporate Social Responsibility,' much as the Agency is itself.{{ref|28}}  According to Friends of the Earth, though, the Agency's reports are misleading:
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:"...research has shown that a number of firms are legally allowed to release hundreds of tonnes of cancer-causing gases every year, but these companies are not highlighted as poor performers in the Agency report. Ironically, the biggest polluter — [[Ineos Chlor]] in Runcorn, releasing over 2000 tonnes of cancer-causing chemicals in 2002 (latest published data) — is highlighted in the Agency report as a good performer."{{ref|29}}
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It is also worth noting that data for Scotland and Northern Ireland is not available, since the Agency runs no 'Pollution Inventory' for these countries.{{ref|30}} When asked her opinion of the efficacy of Agency's reprimands to big business, Lady Young of Old Scone, the chief executive replied:
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:"No deterrent whatsoever..."{{ref|31}}
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== The International Public Relations Association proudly presents... in a good light==
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The Public presumably assume that PR is aimed at them, but oddly PR seems to be in need of PR itself and is engaged in a dizzying self-referential spiral:
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:"For a further consecutive year, Echo presented an analysis of how the British press portrays PR at PR Week's PR The Media conference. Has the image of PR changed since tracking began in 1999? What conclusions can be drawn from the interdependence between the media and PR? Is PR's image spinning out of control? Or is greater advocacy by the PR industry on its value and role good for PR?" {{ref|32}}
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Macleod has contributed to two 'Gold Papers' for the [[International Public Relations Association]]: “Quality, Customer Satisfaction, Public Relations” and “Public Relations Evaluation: Professional Accountability”. She was also a member of their Summit Advisory Board {{ref|33}}, {{ref|34}} along with Hayes and Dewhurst mentioned above.  The 2005 'summit' proudly boasted of the inclusion of [[Alistair Campbell]] {{ref|35}} no doubt heading the IPRA Campaign for Media Transparency.  The IPRA gave awards to various campaigns such as:
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:* [[Fleishman Hillard]]'s on behalf of the document shredding machine maker Fellowes,
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:* [[Edelman]], who works for the [[Moroccan American Center for Policy]] - a somewhat anonymous agent for the Government of Morocco {{ref|36}} -  which put up a phoney humanitarian look-alike site {{ref|37}} at http://www.freethemnow.org as some sort of vestigial remnant of the Cold War. The object of the game here is to overturn the [[International Court of Justice]]s' ruling in 1975 that Morocco has no claim to the territory of Western Sahara {{ref|38}}.  Sahara-Watch had already spotted that the website was registered by Edelman's [[David White]] {{ref|39}}. The mentality here is that while
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::"Reports from Amnesty International and other groups show that the Moroccan Government is still denying its people basic political rights including the imprisonment of peaceful human rights activists and the use of torture.  One of the most notable human rights violations by the Moroccan Government has been its attempts to silence debate on the issue of how to resolve the Western Sahara dispute." {{ref|40}}
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:* [[APEX Communications]] (Nairobi, Kenya) for a public information campaign 'to combat public scepticism toward the privatised Nairobi Water Company. They built confidence in the new company and raised revenue collection by 54 percent'.
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The IPRA Board also includes [[Donald Boham]] of [[Shell]] Nigeria — how well is he doing according to these criteria?:
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:"The way oil wealth is managed in Nigeria is one of the key issues facing those living there.  The government and oil companies have profited by hundreds of billions of dollars since oil was first discovered.  Yet most Nigerians living in the oil producing regions are living in dire poverty.  The oil region in Nigeria seems to be stuck in a time warp, with little real change since oil was discovered 45 years ago.  Away from the main towns there is no real development, no roads, no electricity, no running water and no telephones.  Most people are struggling to survive on less than $1 a day.  People who live in the Niger Delta blame the oil companies for this shocking state of neglect, particularly Shell Petroleum Development Company, which produces most of the country's oil." {{ref|41}}
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That BBC report — which goes on to detail the poverty — is the first thing which came up on Google with the search terms "Donald Boham of Shell Nigeria".  Boham blames the government.  The second entry (from Forbes) blurs that distinction somewhat:
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:"Cozy ties between oil multinationals and the government (a partner in all ventures via the state-owned [[Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation]], or NNPC) make evidence of mischief hard to find." {{ref|42}}
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The report outlines the all-too-familiar mendacity inherent in Shell's activities in Nigeria, in this case Abacha's petroleum minister, [[Dauzia Loya Etete]] claimed to have taped conversations between agents of the vice president and Shell discussing dirty deals and concludes with:
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:"Shell hopes to settle the dispute via arbitration in London. "It's all speculation," says Boham, of Etete's charges. "The process of law will tease out the actual situation." Maybe. Fire struck the NNPC offices in December, destroying many documents. Police are looking into arson. Given the history of past investigations into corruption, this trail will probably go nowhere." {{ref|43}}
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And the third hit on Google — containing accusations that foreign oil companies are "providing their helicopters and air strips for military operations in the oil region" — is from [[Fox News]]. {{ref|44}}  Neither the BBC, Forbes or Fox News are what one would term Anarchists.
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== The Institute for Covert Connections ==
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Macleod is a Trustee of the [[Institute for Public Relations]] (USA){{ref|46}}, a Fellow of the [[Institute of Public Relations]] (UK), Member of the [[Market Research Society]], a Companion of the [[Chartered Institute for Management]], Editorial Advisor to the Corporate Communications Journal, and Member of the Advisory Committee to Stirling University (Department of Film and Media Studies).
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Echo Research engages in reputational analysis and measurement, with offices in Europe, North America and Asia Pacific, Echo works for a quarter of the FTSE and Fortune 100 companies (together with Government Departments such as The Home Office, the DTI and Surrey Police, and non-governmental organisations such as [[UNICEF]] and [[WWF]]) on: Consumer, Financial Services, Health, IT, Professional Service, Telecoms & Media, Utilities, Public Sector and NGOs. Echo Research is on the Register of Expert Witnesses.
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She has also served as Board Member of the DTI's Business Links and is a Freeman of the [[City of London Guild of Public Relations]] and is part of the Measurement Industry {{ref|47}}
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== Conferences ==
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She was part of the Expert Speaker Faculty at the Public Relations Conference in Dubai in September 2006. {{ref|48}} This kicked off with the Chairperson’s Welcome And Opening Address ([[Nima Abu-Wardeh]], Presenter, BBC World – Middle East Business Report and Founder, MZone, UAE).  'Nation Shall Speak PR unto Nation'
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:Sandra Macleod will be the moderator of the 'How To Influence The Media Agenda' {{ref|49}} But this is no tedious homage to [[Dale Carneigie]], right after the session its straight into:
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:"Effective Media Relations – Your Chance To Face The Media Head On! This is an open Q&A session as you take to the ‘hot seat’ and voice your concerns on the hot media relation issues of 2006, the good , the bad and the ugly, to a distinguished media panel.
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Moderator: [[Fiona Ross]], OBE, TV Presenter and Former Political Editor, Scottish TV, UK
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:Panelists: [[Nima Abu-Wardeh]], Presenter, BBC World – Middle East Business Report and Founder, MZone, UAE, [[Brian Scudder]], Managing Director, [[Switch Media]], UAE. MZone are sponsors of the event {{ref|50}}.
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===Notes===
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#{{note|1}} quoted by Macleod at http://216.239.59.104/search?q=cache:Oq6JTLbQg4sJ:www.ipra.org/istanbul/sandra%2520macleod.ppt+Sandra+Macleod&hl=en&gl=uk&ct=clnk&cd=4 (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
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#{{note|2}} from Echo Research website at http://www.echoresearch.com/en/directors/ (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
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#{{note|3}} quoted on Mount St. Vernon University website at http://www.msvu.ca/alumnae/PR25Years/thinktank.asp (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
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#{{note|4}} see the About Us section of the IIC website at http://www.iicom.org/index.htm (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
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#{{note|5}} see note 2
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#{{note|6}} from Pinnacle PR website at http://www.pinnaclepr.co.uk/team.php (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
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#{{note|7}} originally at http://www.world-nuclear.org/portal/nuclear_trade_ind_orgs.htm. This website is no longer available but can be accessed via the Wayback service at the [http://web.archive.org/web/20050913161937/http://www.world-nuclear.org/portal/nuclear_trade_ind_orgs.htm Web Archive] (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
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#{{note|8}} the NIAUK site, at http://www.niauk.org/ has been changed. The original can be accessed at the [http://web.archive.org/web/20060424065815/http://www.niauk.org Web Archive] (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
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#{{note|9}} see their website at http://www.prguild.com/ (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
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#{{note|10}} see the NIAUK website at: http://www.niauk.org/industry-link/issue-7/nia-welcomes-new-chairman.htmlhttp://www.niauk.org/industry-link/issue-7/nia-welcomes-new-chairman.html (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
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#{{note|11}} this information was contained on the NIAUK website at www.niauk.org/article_17.shtml but is no longer avaiable. It can be accessed at this [http://web.archive.org/web/20060213015055/http://www.niauk.org/article_17.shtml Web Archive] site (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
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#{{note|12}} see the Guardian story at http://www.guardian.co.uk/nuclear/article/0,2763,1584356,00.html (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
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#{{note|13}} see the Echo Research website at http://www.echoresearch.com/en/press-releases/ (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
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#{{note|14}} see the Echo Research website at http://www.echoresearch.com/en/news/ (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
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#{{note|15}} see the Echo Research website at http://www.echoresearch.com/en/press-releases/118-id.109051907.html (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
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#{{note|16}} see the BBC website at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/5007148.stm (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
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#{{note|17}} see the Echo Research website at  http://www.echoresearch.com/en/publiccasestudies/ (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
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#{{note|18}} see the Echo Research website at http://www.echoresearch.com/en/publiccasestudies/ (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
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#{{note|19}} see the Environment Agency's website at http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/aboutus/233207/233312/111200/233392/238939/?lang=_e (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
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#{{note|20}} see Defra's website at http://www.defra.gov.uk/rwmac/members.htm (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
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#{{note|21}} see CoRWM website at http://www.corwm.org.uk/content-266 (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
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#{{note|22}} see NDA website at http://www.nda.gov.uk/print.aspx?pg=20&lang=0&printsection=true (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
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#{{note|23}} see the Environment Agency's website at http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/aboutus/233207/233312/111200/233392/371364/?lang=_e (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
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#{{note|24}} see the Environment Agency's website at http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/aboutus/233207/234518/?lang=_e (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
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#{{note|25}} see the Environment Agency's website at http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/aboutus/233207/233312/111200/233392/239004/?lang=_e (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
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#{{note|26}} until August 2006 http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/news/1450010 (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
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#{{note|27}} http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/aboutus/233207/233312/233392/?lang=_e (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
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#{{note|28}} http://www.forumforthefuture.org.uk/business/ourpartners_page86.aspx (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
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#{{note|29}} http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/press_releases/20020724120817.html (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
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#{{note|30}} http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/press_releases/20010928100152.html (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
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#{{note|31}} see the Guardian website at http://www.guardian.co.uk/renewable/Story/0,,1334322,00.html (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
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#{{note|32}} from the Echo Research website at http://www.echoresearch.com/en/imageofpr/ (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
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#{{note|33}} see the Pinnacle PR website at http://www.pinnaclepr.co.uk/documents/IPRA_programme_260706.pdf (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
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#{{note|34}} see the IPRA website at http://www.iprasummit.org/index.php?page=76&node=76 (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
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#{{note|35}} again see the IPRA website at http://www.iprasummit.org/index.php?page=85&node=85 (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
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#{{note|36}} see their website at http://www.moroccanamericanpolicy.com/about_macp.php (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
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#{{note|37}} see the Sahara Watch website at http://sahara-watch.blogspot.com/2006_04_01_sahara-watch_archive.html (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
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#{{note|38}} see the report of a hearing before a committee of the US House of Representatives at http://commdocs.house.gov/committees/intlrel/hfa24601.000/hfa24601_0.HTM (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
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#{{note|39}} see the Sahara Watch website at http://sahara-watch.blogspot.com/2006_04_01_sahara-watch_archive.html (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
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#{{note|40}} from the report of a hearing before a committee of the US House of Representatives at http://commdocs.house.gov/committees/intlrel/hfa24601.000/hfa24601_0.HTM (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
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#{{note|41}} from a report available on the BBC website at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/1732196.stm (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
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#{{note|42}} from the Forbes magazine website at http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2003/0428/092.html (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
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#{{note|43}} ibid
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#{{note|44}} see the Fox News website at http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,185315,00.html (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
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#{{note|46}} http://www.instituteforpr.org/ipr_info/sandra_macleod/ (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
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#{{note|47}} http://www.themeasurementstandard.com/advisoryboard.asp (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
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#{{note|48}} http://www.iirme.com/pr/index.cfm/Link=15/goSection=17 (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
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#{{note|49}} http://www.iirme.com/pr/index.cfm/Link=20 (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
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#{{note|50}} http://www.iirme.com/pr/index.cfm/Link=24/goSection=22 (Last viewed 1 March 2007)

Latest revision as of 08:05, 19 December 2007

I cut this section as it seems not to know what it is doing there. Any ideas?:

other [1] Conducting Research on Corporate Reputation

Sandra Macleod, Chief Executive, Echo Research

Title: The evaluation of PR on the Internet Author(s): Sandra Macleod Journal: Journal of Communication Management [2] this group also punt John Lloyd's opus on Media


--David 20:11, 5 Feb 2007 (GMT)

Removed bits=

unable to find reference to this

…is a Freeman of the City of London Guild of Public Relations [3]

unable to locate source for this bit

Macleod has contributed to two 'Gold Papers' for the International Public Relations Association: “Quality, Customer Satisfaction, Public Relations” and “Public Relations Evaluation: Professional Accountability”.

unable to locate source for this bit

She was part of the Expert Speaker Faculty at the Public Relations Conference in Dubai in September 2006. [4]??? This kicked off with the Chairperson’s Welcome And Opening Address (Nima Abu-Wardeh, Presenter, BBC World – Middle East Business Report and Founder, MZone, UAE). 'Nation Shall Speak PR unto Nation'

Sandra Macleod will be the moderator of the 'How To Influence The Media Agenda' [5] But this is no tedious homage to Dale Carneigie, right after the session its straight into:
"Effective Media Relations – Your Chance To Face The Media Head On! This is an open Q&A session as you take to the ‘hot seat’ and voice your concerns on the hot media relation issues of 2006, the good , the bad and the ugly, to a distinguished media panel.

Moderator: Fiona Ross, OBE, TV Presenter and Former Political Editor, Scottish TV, UK

Panelists: Nima Abu-Wardeh, Presenter, BBC World – Middle East Business Report and Founder, MZone, UAE, Brian Scudder, Managing Director, Switch Media, UAE. MZone are sponsors of the event [6]???.

the following bits have been removed to be included in the organisations dedicated pages. Before doing so please check sources/refs/wording

might be useful to move this info to echo page (& it needs a source/ref)

Echo Research engages in reputational analysis and measurement, with offices in Europe, North America and Asia Pacific, Echo works for a quarter of the FTSE and Fortune 100 companies (together with Government Departments such as The Home Office, the DTI and Surrey Police, and non-governmental organisations such as UNICEF and WWF) on: Consumer, Financial Services, Health, IT, Professional Service, Telecoms & Media, Utilities, Public Sector and NGOs. Echo Research is on the Register of Expert Witnesses.

move to Hayes page

Her fellow director is Roger Hayes, the Executive Director of the International Institute of Communications (founded in 1968 with the support of the Ford Foundation[7] whose career includes "senior positions with the British Nuclear Industry Forum, Ford of Europe, Thorn EMI, PA Management Consultants and Burson-Marsteller..." and Pinnacle PR [8]http://www.echoresearch.com/en/directors/

move to Echo page

Echo's web site gives us a glimpse of the process of PR. Its section called 'What the Critics Say' includes no criticism. Only three articles are cited, one states Echo was "providing communications research and reputation analysis for [..] Government Departments such as The Home Office."[9] http://www.echoresearch.com/en/news/

Here is Echo's own statement on another big client, the Ministry of Defence:

"The Ministry of Defence has the role of defending the United Kingdom and its interests, and strengthening international peace and stability. Like many government departments, it is continuously under scrutiny by the public and in the news media and responds to many calls for information and explanation. Echo Research analyzed the profile of the Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces across all their operations, including Operation Telic (Iraq), assessing in particular the media debate around the case for Allied action in Iraq."[10] http://www.echoresearch.com/en/publiccasestudies/

Echo also work for The Environment Agency. Echo Research tracked media coverage to see how the Agency's actions to "name and shame" organizations violating environmental regulations had penetrated the public consciousness. The Agency also has a public information responsibility to help people deal with environmental hazards. Echo Research evaluated the extent to which people had access to safety information in times of flooding — a hazard likely to increase in tandem with the effects of global warming."[11] http://www.echoresearch.com/en/publiccasestudies/

"For a further consecutive year, Echo presented an analysis of how the British press portrays PR at PR Week's PR The Media conference. Has the image of PR changed since tracking began in 1999? What conclusions can be drawn from the interdependence between the media and PR? Is PR's image spinning out of control? Or is greater advocacy by the PR industry on its value and role good for PR?" [12] http://www.echoresearch.com/en/imageofpr/

move to IPRA page

[13] [14]. The 2005 'summit' proudly boasted of the inclusion of Alistair Campbell. The IPRA gave awards to various campaigns such as:

"Reports from Amnesty International and other groups show that the Moroccan Government is still denying its people basic political rights including the imprisonment of peaceful human rights activists and the use of torture. One of the most notable human rights violations by the Moroccan Government has been its attempts to silence debate on the issue of how to resolve the Western Sahara dispute." [22]???
  • APEX Communications (Nairobi, Kenya) for a public information campaign 'to combat public scepticism toward the privatised Nairobi Water Company. They built confidence in the new company and raised revenue collection by 54 percent'.

This is the only chance you have to gain advantage. Therefore, set up throughout your kingdom ears and eyes that can pick up the weakest signals before they are apparent to your enemies.
—Machiavelli [23]


Sandra Macleod is part of Editorial Intelligence and Chief Executive of Echo Research Limited and Inc [24]. She has been in 'communications and reputation analysis and evaluation' for 20 years so what is her own reputation? Her European PR consultancy, Hayes Macleod, won the Best New Agency of the Year Award in 1989 [25]. One regular activity of the PR industry are 'awards' ceremonies. Hayes Macleod (there is no record of it on the web) was most likely a temporary venture with her fellow Echo Research Non Executive Director, Roger Hayes, the Executive Director of the International Institute of Communications (founded in 1968 with the support of the Ford Foundation[26]) whose career includes "senior positions with the British Nuclear Industry Forum, Ford of Europe, Thorn EMI, PA Management Consultants and Burson-Marsteller..." [27] and Pinnacle PR [28].

The British Nuclear Industry Forum (like some nuclear reactors) has changed its name and is now the Nuclear Industry Association: the UK nuclear industry trade association which "undertakes representative, informational and lobbying activities on behalf of its members."[29] Their new web page[30] sets the tone thus: "Nuclear — Climate Friendly Energy," below a repeated pattern of fluffy clouds.

The site offers 'news,' as if it is unbiased. We are to ignore that Philip Dewhurst, the Chairman has been British Nuclear Fuels Ltd's Group Corporate Affairs Director since April 2001 and is a "communications specialist by profession", President of the Institute of Public Relations in 1999, founder member of the City of London Guild of Public Relations Practitioners[31] and in 1998 was voted PR Professional of the year by 'the readers' of PR Week. Before joining BNFL, Dewhurst was UK Chief Executive of the leading consulting group Shandwick International.[32]

It is much the same case with the other directors. Keith Parker, the Chief Executive of the NIA is 'Head of Corporate Communications, accountable for the strategic direction of the Forum’s communications, public affairs, media relations and issue management programmes'. His biography tells us that during the 1980s Parker worked in the Department of Energy on the 2 major 'public inquiries' into Sizewell B and Hinkley Point C. In the early 1990’s he was closely involved in policy formulation and decision making in the areas of nuclear power, coal, electricity generation and energy efficiency. Now he is a lobbyist and spin doctor for the industry — which does give us something of an insight into how things are done in the Nuclear Industries and their dependence on PR.[33] [34]

PR Weak

But what of Macleod's reputation? If we were to believe PR Week (which she writes for) and Echo's own press releases (ditto) she "has been named as one of the 100 most influential figures in the PR industry in the UK", although has been named is somewhat specious there.[35] Echo's web site gives us a glimpse of the process of PR. Its section called 'What the Critics Say' includes no criticism.[36] Only three articles are cited, one states Echo was "providing communications research and reputation analysis for [..] Government Departments such as The Home Office."[37]

Here is Echo's own statement on another big client, the Ministry of Defence:

"The Ministry of Defence has the role of defending the United Kingdom and its interests, and strengthening international peace and stability. Like many government departments, it is continuously under scrutiny by the public and in the news media and responds to many calls for information and explanation. Echo Research analyzed the profile of the Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces across all their operations, including Operation Telic (Iraq), assessing in particular the media debate around the case for Allied action in Iraq."[38]

Echo also work for The Environment Agency, let's hear the blurb this time:

"The Environment Agency protects and improves the environment, for both current and future generations. Its role includes legal action against infringements of environmental regulations. In this context, Echo Research tracked media coverage to see how the Agency's actions to "name and shame" organizations violating environmental regulations had penetrated the public consciousness. The Agency also has a public information responsibility to help people deal with environmental hazards. Echo Research evaluated the extent to which people had access to safety information in times of flooding — a hazard likely to increase in tandem with the effects of global warming."[39]

Now you might be thinking 'hey didn't Mcleod's fellow Echo Director Roger Hayes' have an intimate proximity to the Nuclear Industry's main lobby group?' The inference being that Echo might not necessarily suit this environment as it were. But what is 'The Environment Agency', really i.e. as opposed to the quote above? It has an £805m budget and is a government funded quango of government appointees and Echo's relationship is all quite normal.

The Environment Agency's, Professor Lynda Warren is also on something called the 'Radioactive Waste Management Committee,' which is itself full of appointees including David Bonser Director of British Nuclear Fuels plc and other representatives of the Industry[40] [41] [42]. Another board member is Dr Lyndon Stanton from ICI and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority which has quite a line-up itself[43] , [44].

The Agency runs charging schemes such as water abstraction licences[45] hence it has Peter Matthews, the Deputy Managing Director of Anglian Water International[46].

The Agency's Sara Parkin OBE[47] and Barbara Young (Baroness Young of Old Scone)[48] are members of The Forum for the Future — an elaborate form of 'Corporate Social Responsibility,' much as the Agency is itself.[49] According to Friends of the Earth, though, the Agency's reports are misleading:

"...research has shown that a number of firms are legally allowed to release hundreds of tonnes of cancer-causing gases every year, but these companies are not highlighted as poor performers in the Agency report. Ironically, the biggest polluter — Ineos Chlor in Runcorn, releasing over 2000 tonnes of cancer-causing chemicals in 2002 (latest published data) — is highlighted in the Agency report as a good performer."[50]

It is also worth noting that data for Scotland and Northern Ireland is not available, since the Agency runs no 'Pollution Inventory' for these countries.[51] When asked her opinion of the efficacy of Agency's reprimands to big business, Lady Young of Old Scone, the chief executive replied:

"No deterrent whatsoever..."[52]


The International Public Relations Association proudly presents... in a good light

The Public presumably assume that PR is aimed at them, but oddly PR seems to be in need of PR itself and is engaged in a dizzying self-referential spiral:

"For a further consecutive year, Echo presented an analysis of how the British press portrays PR at PR Week's PR The Media conference. Has the image of PR changed since tracking began in 1999? What conclusions can be drawn from the interdependence between the media and PR? Is PR's image spinning out of control? Or is greater advocacy by the PR industry on its value and role good for PR?" [53]

Macleod has contributed to two 'Gold Papers' for the International Public Relations Association: “Quality, Customer Satisfaction, Public Relations” and “Public Relations Evaluation: Professional Accountability”. She was also a member of their Summit Advisory Board [54], [55] along with Hayes and Dewhurst mentioned above. The 2005 'summit' proudly boasted of the inclusion of Alistair Campbell [56] no doubt heading the IPRA Campaign for Media Transparency. The IPRA gave awards to various campaigns such as:

"Reports from Amnesty International and other groups show that the Moroccan Government is still denying its people basic political rights including the imprisonment of peaceful human rights activists and the use of torture. One of the most notable human rights violations by the Moroccan Government has been its attempts to silence debate on the issue of how to resolve the Western Sahara dispute." [61]
  • APEX Communications (Nairobi, Kenya) for a public information campaign 'to combat public scepticism toward the privatised Nairobi Water Company. They built confidence in the new company and raised revenue collection by 54 percent'.


The IPRA Board also includes Donald Boham of Shell Nigeria — how well is he doing according to these criteria?:

"The way oil wealth is managed in Nigeria is one of the key issues facing those living there. The government and oil companies have profited by hundreds of billions of dollars since oil was first discovered. Yet most Nigerians living in the oil producing regions are living in dire poverty. The oil region in Nigeria seems to be stuck in a time warp, with little real change since oil was discovered 45 years ago. Away from the main towns there is no real development, no roads, no electricity, no running water and no telephones. Most people are struggling to survive on less than $1 a day. People who live in the Niger Delta blame the oil companies for this shocking state of neglect, particularly Shell Petroleum Development Company, which produces most of the country's oil." [62]

That BBC report — which goes on to detail the poverty — is the first thing which came up on Google with the search terms "Donald Boham of Shell Nigeria". Boham blames the government. The second entry (from Forbes) blurs that distinction somewhat:

"Cozy ties between oil multinationals and the government (a partner in all ventures via the state-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, or NNPC) make evidence of mischief hard to find." [63]

The report outlines the all-too-familiar mendacity inherent in Shell's activities in Nigeria, in this case Abacha's petroleum minister, Dauzia Loya Etete claimed to have taped conversations between agents of the vice president and Shell discussing dirty deals and concludes with:

"Shell hopes to settle the dispute via arbitration in London. "It's all speculation," says Boham, of Etete's charges. "The process of law will tease out the actual situation." Maybe. Fire struck the NNPC offices in December, destroying many documents. Police are looking into arson. Given the history of past investigations into corruption, this trail will probably go nowhere." [64]

And the third hit on Google — containing accusations that foreign oil companies are "providing their helicopters and air strips for military operations in the oil region" — is from Fox News. [65] Neither the BBC, Forbes or Fox News are what one would term Anarchists.

The Institute for Covert Connections

Macleod is a Trustee of the Institute for Public Relations (USA)[66], a Fellow of the Institute of Public Relations (UK), Member of the Market Research Society, a Companion of the Chartered Institute for Management, Editorial Advisor to the Corporate Communications Journal, and Member of the Advisory Committee to Stirling University (Department of Film and Media Studies).

Echo Research engages in reputational analysis and measurement, with offices in Europe, North America and Asia Pacific, Echo works for a quarter of the FTSE and Fortune 100 companies (together with Government Departments such as The Home Office, the DTI and Surrey Police, and non-governmental organisations such as UNICEF and WWF) on: Consumer, Financial Services, Health, IT, Professional Service, Telecoms & Media, Utilities, Public Sector and NGOs. Echo Research is on the Register of Expert Witnesses.

She has also served as Board Member of the DTI's Business Links and is a Freeman of the City of London Guild of Public Relations and is part of the Measurement Industry [67]

Conferences

She was part of the Expert Speaker Faculty at the Public Relations Conference in Dubai in September 2006. [68] This kicked off with the Chairperson’s Welcome And Opening Address (Nima Abu-Wardeh, Presenter, BBC World – Middle East Business Report and Founder, MZone, UAE). 'Nation Shall Speak PR unto Nation'

Sandra Macleod will be the moderator of the 'How To Influence The Media Agenda' [69] But this is no tedious homage to Dale Carneigie, right after the session its straight into:
"Effective Media Relations – Your Chance To Face The Media Head On! This is an open Q&A session as you take to the ‘hot seat’ and voice your concerns on the hot media relation issues of 2006, the good , the bad and the ugly, to a distinguished media panel.

Moderator: Fiona Ross, OBE, TV Presenter and Former Political Editor, Scottish TV, UK

Panelists: Nima Abu-Wardeh, Presenter, BBC World – Middle East Business Report and Founder, MZone, UAE, Brian Scudder, Managing Director, Switch Media, UAE. MZone are sponsors of the event [70].


Notes

  1. ^ quoted by Macleod at http://216.239.59.104/search?q=cache:Oq6JTLbQg4sJ:www.ipra.org/istanbul/sandra%2520macleod.ppt+Sandra+Macleod&hl=en&gl=uk&ct=clnk&cd=4 (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
  2. ^ from Echo Research website at http://www.echoresearch.com/en/directors/ (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
  3. ^ quoted on Mount St. Vernon University website at http://www.msvu.ca/alumnae/PR25Years/thinktank.asp (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
  4. ^ see the About Us section of the IIC website at http://www.iicom.org/index.htm (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
  5. ^ see note 2
  6. ^ from Pinnacle PR website at http://www.pinnaclepr.co.uk/team.php (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
  7. ^ originally at http://www.world-nuclear.org/portal/nuclear_trade_ind_orgs.htm. This website is no longer available but can be accessed via the Wayback service at the Web Archive (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
  8. ^ the NIAUK site, at http://www.niauk.org/ has been changed. The original can be accessed at the Web Archive (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
  9. ^ see their website at http://www.prguild.com/ (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
  10. ^ see the NIAUK website at: http://www.niauk.org/industry-link/issue-7/nia-welcomes-new-chairman.htmlhttp://www.niauk.org/industry-link/issue-7/nia-welcomes-new-chairman.html (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
  11. ^ this information was contained on the NIAUK website at www.niauk.org/article_17.shtml but is no longer avaiable. It can be accessed at this Web Archive site (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
  12. ^ see the Guardian story at http://www.guardian.co.uk/nuclear/article/0,2763,1584356,00.html (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
  13. ^ see the Echo Research website at http://www.echoresearch.com/en/press-releases/ (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
  14. ^ see the Echo Research website at http://www.echoresearch.com/en/news/ (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
  15. ^ see the Echo Research website at http://www.echoresearch.com/en/press-releases/118-id.109051907.html (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
  16. ^ see the BBC website at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/5007148.stm (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
  17. ^ see the Echo Research website at http://www.echoresearch.com/en/publiccasestudies/ (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
  18. ^ see the Echo Research website at http://www.echoresearch.com/en/publiccasestudies/ (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
  19. ^ see the Environment Agency's website at http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/aboutus/233207/233312/111200/233392/238939/?lang=_e (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
  20. ^ see Defra's website at http://www.defra.gov.uk/rwmac/members.htm (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
  21. ^ see CoRWM website at http://www.corwm.org.uk/content-266 (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
  22. ^ see NDA website at http://www.nda.gov.uk/print.aspx?pg=20&lang=0&printsection=true (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
  23. ^ see the Environment Agency's website at http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/aboutus/233207/233312/111200/233392/371364/?lang=_e (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
  24. ^ see the Environment Agency's website at http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/aboutus/233207/234518/?lang=_e (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
  25. ^ see the Environment Agency's website at http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/aboutus/233207/233312/111200/233392/239004/?lang=_e (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
  26. ^ until August 2006 http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/news/1450010 (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
  27. ^ http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/aboutus/233207/233312/233392/?lang=_e (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
  28. ^ http://www.forumforthefuture.org.uk/business/ourpartners_page86.aspx (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
  29. ^ http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/press_releases/20020724120817.html (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
  30. ^ http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/press_releases/20010928100152.html (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
  31. ^ see the Guardian website at http://www.guardian.co.uk/renewable/Story/0,,1334322,00.html (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
  32. ^ from the Echo Research website at http://www.echoresearch.com/en/imageofpr/ (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
  33. ^ see the Pinnacle PR website at http://www.pinnaclepr.co.uk/documents/IPRA_programme_260706.pdf (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
  34. ^ see the IPRA website at http://www.iprasummit.org/index.php?page=76&node=76 (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
  35. ^ again see the IPRA website at http://www.iprasummit.org/index.php?page=85&node=85 (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
  36. ^ see their website at http://www.moroccanamericanpolicy.com/about_macp.php (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
  37. ^ see the Sahara Watch website at http://sahara-watch.blogspot.com/2006_04_01_sahara-watch_archive.html (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
  38. ^ see the report of a hearing before a committee of the US House of Representatives at http://commdocs.house.gov/committees/intlrel/hfa24601.000/hfa24601_0.HTM (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
  39. ^ see the Sahara Watch website at http://sahara-watch.blogspot.com/2006_04_01_sahara-watch_archive.html (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
  40. ^ from the report of a hearing before a committee of the US House of Representatives at http://commdocs.house.gov/committees/intlrel/hfa24601.000/hfa24601_0.HTM (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
  41. ^ from a report available on the BBC website at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/1732196.stm (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
  42. ^ from the Forbes magazine website at http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2003/0428/092.html (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
  43. ^ ibid
  44. ^ see the Fox News website at http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,185315,00.html (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
  45. ^ http://www.instituteforpr.org/ipr_info/sandra_macleod/ (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
  46. ^ http://www.themeasurementstandard.com/advisoryboard.asp (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
  47. ^ http://www.iirme.com/pr/index.cfm/Link=15/goSection=17 (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
  48. ^ http://www.iirme.com/pr/index.cfm/Link=20 (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
  49. ^ http://www.iirme.com/pr/index.cfm/Link=24/goSection=22 (Last viewed 1 March 2007)
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