Wendell Potter: How Corporate PR Works to Kill Health Care Reform

[OwnedByFerrets]

September 14th I addressed a gathering at the Center for American Progress in Washington, DC and delivered these remarks:

"It is easy to think of efforts to influence lawmakers as the exclusive domain of K Street lobbyists. Much has been said and written about the millions of dollars the special interests are spending on lobbying activities and the hundreds of lobbyists who are at work as we speak trying to shape health care reform legislation. Very little by comparison has been written about the millions of dollars that special interests are spending on PR activities to accomplish the same goal and that are vital to successful lobbying efforts."

"The industry goes to great lengths to keep its involvement in these campaigns hidden from public view. I know from having served on numerous trade group committees and industry-funded front groups, however, that industry leaders are always full partners in developing strategies to derail any reform that might interfere with insurers’ ability to increase profits. My involvement in these groups goes back to the early ‘90s when insurers joined with other special interests to finance the activities of the Healthcare Leadership Council, which led a coordinated effort to scare Americans and members of Congress away from the Clinton plan."

"What does this all mean for our country and our democracy?

During my 20 years in corporate communications and public affairs, I participated in the steady growth and influence of largely invisible persuasion -- and at a time when newsrooms are shrinking and investigative journalism seems to be vanishing. The number of PR people long ago surpassed the number of working journalists in this country. And that ratio of PR people to reporters will continue to grow. The clear winners as this shift occurs are big, rich corporations and other special interests. The losers are average Americans, most of whom are completely unaware how their thoughts and actions are being manipulated to achieve corporate goals on Capitol Hill."

rest of it here:http://www.prwatch.org/node/8552

[andym]

1. Interesting, health insurers have perfected working behing the scenes to influence

by supporting various conservative groups to do their dirty work. Makes sense, no need to waste money on commercials, when people are more effective.

[OwnedByFerrets]

3. Especially when you have a media that is willing to spread

the propaganda.

[peacetalksforall]

2. I would like to see polling done on two groups - the tea protestors and residents of wealthy suburbs

to find out out how many of them have uninsured children between the ages of 21 and 64.