Wednesday, May 07, 2008

Hill & Knowlton PR And City Airport's Expansion Plans


by Kate Magee and Clare O'Connor PR Week UK 24-Apr-08, 06:00

London City Airport has called in Hill & Knowlton to help push through expansion plans.
The agency will provide political and stakeholder communications after winning a keenly fought four-way pitch.

Hill & Knowlton PR have been regular vistors of the FTF blog since its creation. Here's a little bit of their business background for those of you who are not familiar with H&K, all from Wikipedia, by clicking here. And for your convenience a few paragraphs copied from Wikipedia:

Controversies
Hill & Knowlton has generated a fair amount of controversy. Numerous PR campaigns, on behalf of both governments and private industry appear to violate both industry ethics and civil statutes. In 1991, Hill & Knowlton received $14 million from countries known to abuse human rights, including China, Peru, Indonesia, and Egypt. They have also taken on cases that dealt with corporate crime, including the El Paso natural gas case and the Bank of Credit and Commerce International case. The company has been involved in possible government conspiracies including the alleged October Surprise and has worked for the CIA in cases where overseas offices acted as covers for US agents.

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




And if that whets your appetite then take a visit to Corporate Watch by clicking here.