BELL POTTINGER - "The Devil's representative worldwide"?

by **Tony Bennett** 23.03.12 23:25

Today - by chance - I met with members of the Tatiana Giraud Foundation, out on the streets with a megaphone, outside the offices of Bell Pottinger, on High Holborn, London.

What were they doing? For a start, holding up a variety of hard-hitting banners, one of which said: "BELL POTTINGER: The Devil's representative worldwide". A particular target for their anger was Peter Bindle, apparently one of the company's top executive.

They were protesting at the vast sums being paid to one of the planets' leading 'reputation managers', i.e. Bell Pottinger, by the so-called Democratic Republic of the Congo. One of their executives, the above-named Peter Bindle, appears to be handling their lucrative contract with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a country apparently rich in uranium and diamonds.

That in itself would not seem so shameful, except for that fact that the top of the political establishment in that endemcially corrupt country is co-operating with the United Nations in facilitating human and child trafficking, and rape, on an industrial scale.

And Bell Pottinger has form for trying to promote the reputation of countries with a bad human rights record.

You can read more about the appalling things going on in the Congo, including the depraved conduct of U.N. officials, here:

[url=http://www.ingeta.com/congolese-women-activists-vs-bell-pottinger/]http://www.ingeta.com/congolese-women-activists-vs-bell-pottinger/

htttp://www.tatianagiraudfoundation.org/

Bell Pottinger's cover-up of gross human rights abuses in Sri Lanka is covered in an article at this link:

http://www.zimbio.com/Democratic+Republic+of+the+Congo/articles/d-eF7UThYu0/Cunning+Fox+EDITORIAL+Sri+Lanka+must+sue+Bell

And the way top U.N. officials not only connive in human trafficking and rape but actually promote it and organise it was covered by writer Kathryn Bolkovac, who documented what was going on in Bosnia in a book, soon to be made into a film:

http://journalstar.com/entertainment/movies/article_e6339f3e-611e-528d-a746-12ac4d6fe0e2.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/9041974/What-the-UN-Doesnt-Want-You-to-Know.html

The way Bell Pottinger is going - never mind salvaging the reputation of others, it might be having to start worrying about its own reputation. Surely a reputable organisation like Bell Pottinger doesn't want to be associated with covering up organised sexual abuse?

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BELL POTTINGER - "The Devil's representative worldwide"? B212

by **Tony Bennett** 24.03.12 0:30

The online journal 'PR-SAY' recently had some tough things to say about Bell Pottinger.

This is from December last year:

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Bell Pottinger Lobbying Scandal: The ‘Dark Arts’ of Unethical PR

Posted by Rosanna Fiske in December 12th 2011

Revelations in the U.K. last week of spurious and unethical actions from the renowned global PR firm Bell Pottinger have cast a pall over the U.K. PR industry. For any public relations professional who values transparency and ethics ahead of lofty client billings, the multi-day exposé in The Independent newspaper of London makes for grim reading.

The editorial series is worth a read, and I encourage you to dig into it to form your own opinions.

Before diving into some of the specific issues addressed in the reports, let’s be clear on two important points:

First, offering to manipulate a client’s online reputation through the use of fake online accounts, newly created blog pages or fake online reviews is not only foolhardy (the likelihood of getting caught is very high), it is unethical. Lacking in transparency, such activities would be in violation of PRSA’s Code of Ethics and are banned in both the U.K. and the U.S. (the latter through the FTC’s “Blogger Rules.”).

It has been said before, but is worth repeating: the Internet does not forget. It is one of the greatest truth-seekers the world has ever known. If, like the Bell Pottinger executives, you are asked by a potential or current client to manipulate a Wikipedia entry or online review, your obligation as an ethical practitioner is to explain the lack of ethics behind such manipulation. And, if the client does not understand or refuses to acknowledge those concerns, the next step is refusal to comply.

Second, the act of representing a dictatorship, such as Bell Pottinger would have done had it taken on the proposed work with the Uzbekistan government, is a slippery slope for the public relations profession. As PRNewser reports, “Uzbekistan has a reputation for child labor and other human rights violations.”

We have made clear PRSA’s position that public relations firms should not represent dictatorships, regardless of whether they are helping to engender genuine reform in a country. Every person or organization has the right to have its voice heard in the global marketplace of ideas. But for PR firms to represent dictatorships that do not afford that same freedom to their own people is disingenuous to democratic societies’ reputations as marketplaces for dissenting ideas.

Back to the revelations of Bell Pottinger’s spurious practices, as raised by The Independent.

Several ethical concerns emerge in the series of reports. The further one digs into the story, however, the more it becomes apparent that firm appears to have acted in good faith to convey the very real need for its potential client to be ethical in its actions, in order to effectively win over various governments and the public. Listening closely to the undercover video in the initial Independent story reveals that Bell Pottinger representatives repeatedly tell their guests that to have a positive impact on the U.K. government and the public, the client must move toward genuine governmental reform and greater transparency.

Unfortunately, that alone does not absolve Bell Pottinger. There are deeper issues that must be examined.

It’s not just that the tactics Bell Pottinger boasts of using are unethical and potentially illegal. It is also that they are amateur and unproductive. They take the public relations profession back several years in terms of our professionalism and our value to businesses.

Also of concern is the need to raise the professional standards for public affairs professionals to rid the industry of its “dark arts.” Jane Wilson of the U.K.’s Chartered Institute of Public Relations has addressed this issue in a timely post, and it is one we believe is worth exploring in the U.S.

Certainly, the PR industry should not look past Bell Pottinger’s use of spurious and unethical tactics. PRSA has been forthright in our concern over those practices when they have been exposed. But if anything good comes of this, it will hopefully be a greater push toward more transparent lobbying and public affairs practices, which we understand both the U.S. and U.K. governments are pursuing.

Rosanna M. Fiske, APR, is chair and CEO of the Public Relations Society of America.

by **tigger** 24.03.12 6:38

Journalism barely exists anymore.
I've just discovered the Charlie Brooks' series on 'Newswipe' on youtube - hope this isn't off topic - in which the rise of PR against the decline of journalism is explained. Can't recommend it highly enough.

We all know what PR has done for TM.

by **Tony Bennett** 24.03.12 7:49

Here's the leaflet I picked up from the demonstration, published by 'Women Together for Peace':

WE ASK BELL POTTINGER TO STOP REPRESENTING THE GOVERNMENT OF THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO

Women and children have been the main victims of an economic war, which has been imposed on the Congolese people for the economic interest of multinational corporations that are breaching OECD guidelines.

Multinational corporations trading in minerals extracted in the Dem Rep of Congo are sponsoring armed militia groups that have been abusing women and children through sexual violence, humiliiation, torture and murder - to control land-rich mineral resources.

Bell Pottinger is a public relations and lobbyong firm. It was hired to improve the image of Jospeh Kabila's murderous government abroad. In 2001, Joseph Kabila's government was imposed on the people of the Dem Rep of the Congo.

Since 1996, the Dem Rep of Congo has been invaded by Burundi, Uganda and Rwanda, mainly in eastern Dem Rep. They have set up different armed groups who steal, kill and use rape to force civilians to mine minerals, such as gold or coltan, used for computers and mobile 'phones [bolding in the original].

As a result, 8 million Africans have died! - and 48,000 women were raped just in 2008 alone.

The government army led by Jospeh Kabila has also been involved in looting and raping of Congolese women. In 2006 and in the recent 2011 elections, Kabila's government has stolen the election and imposed themselves using violence.

by Ross 24.03.12 9:09

The ‘Dark Arts’ of Unethical PR

"Unethical PR" is a tautology. When we were children we were often told 'it's wrong to tell lies' and quite right too. However, as adults, if you lie cleverly enough for corrupt and powerful parties you are showered with wealth and might even end up in the House of Lords. Such is the nature of the beast.

If you are unfamiliar with the story of Sigmund Fraud's (sic) nephew Edward Bernays, the so-called 'father of PR', it is a sobering and revelatory tale. As he bragged:

"The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and
opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who
manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government
which is the true ruling power of our country.

We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested,
largely by men we have never heard of. This is a logical result of the way in
which our democratic society is organized."

Indeed.

by Upsy Daisy 24.03.12 11:03

slowly but surely the world is starting to waken up and become aware of the lies and manipulation that exists throughout the world thanks to the internet...how many people for how many years accept whatever is told to them at face value, unaware of what lies beneath, truly shocking things that go on.... I am sure I must have lived in a bubble for a long time until I started to scratch beneath the surface and find out what is going on...... not sure if it's just age, in that, as you age you naturally become aware of more and the ignorance is much less and if the internet had never been invented would we still be so gullible? Maybe it's just me, not entirely sure BELL POTTINGER - "The Devil's representative worldwide"? 890363

BELL POTTINGER - "The Devil's representative worldwide"? 890363

by **Nina** 24.03.12 11:14

Ross wrote:
The ‘Dark Arts’ of Unethical PR
"Unethical PR" is a tautology. When we were children we were often told 'it's wrong to tell lies' and quite right too. However, as adults, if you lie cleverly enough for corrupt and powerful parties you are showered with wealth and might even end up in the House of Lords. Such is the nature of the beast.

If you are unfamiliar with the story of Sigmund Fraud's (sic) nephew Edward Bernays, the so-called 'father of PR', it is a sobering and revelatory tale. As he bragged:

"The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and
opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who
manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government
which is the true ruling power of our country.

We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested,
largely by men we have never heard of. This is a logical result of the way in
which our democratic society is organized."
Indeed.

Common Purpose?

by Ross 24.03.12 11:22

Nina wrote:
Ross wrote:
The ‘Dark Arts’ of Unethical PR
"Unethical PR" is a tautology. When we were children we were often told 'it's wrong to tell lies' and quite right too. However, as adults, if you lie cleverly enough for corrupt and powerful parties you are showered with wealth and might even end up in the House of Lords. Such is the nature of the beast.

If you are unfamiliar with the story of Sigmund Fraud's (sic) nephew Edward Bernays, the so-called 'father of PR', it is a sobering and revelatory tale. As he bragged:

"The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and
opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who
manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government
which is the true ruling power of our country.

We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested,
largely by men we have never heard of. This is a logical result of the way in
which our democratic society is organized."
Indeed.
Common Purpose?

Yes, a deeply, deeply sinister organisation that appears to have successfully insinuated itself into every branch of the polity. Brian Gerrish is a quiet hero of our times.

by **tigger** 28.03.12 6:18

Great and succinct post Ross - thumbsup

Not so much 'PR' then as 'DR'.

Have you seen 'Orwell rolls in his grave'? It's on youtube, very good documentary.

by Ross 29.03.12 4:26

Thank you Tigger. Here's a thought.

Thirty years ago, and for many years before that, every medium sized employer and larger had a Personnel Department. Three decades on I doubt that a single one does. Instead, they all have something called 'Human Resources'. There was never any announcement about this. No government minister stood up in the House and informed the nation that this change was to take place. There were no adverts on bus stops reminding people that as from January 1st we all had to stop referring to employees as personnel and start calling them a human resource instead.
This change was reflected across the media and also in academia, where every college and higher learning institute dealing with the subject changed the name of their curriculum to accommodate this new reality. Every young person entering the world of work today will simply accept that they are designated as a human resource, and the word personnel will drift into obsolescence.

This begs three questions:

Who decided this change should take place?
Why did they decide to implement this change?
How did they silently bring this universal change about?

Orwell said "In a time of universal deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act." so perhaps the next time you have to deal with a corporate entity firmly but politely ask to speak to the 'personnel department'. It would in itself be a revolutionary act.

by **tigger** 29.03.12 6:44

Customer relations departments of large firms seem to have fallen by the wayside as well.

I worked for a short time for 'Mass Observation' - we had a large and confidential! book on classification of people.

These classes each had a designated capital letter. I think an accountant was class C and so forth. But if he owned a house and two cars then he could move to class F - just an example, can't remember the system exactly.

I believe this was the result of a study done in the US in the fifties. I'll look it up, I found it appalling and the unquestioning acceptance of such a system even more so.

by russiandoll 29.03.12 9:47

Until a hospital launched an investigation into aspects of my late father's care , I was not aware that patients do not exist any longer, in all corresponence to me quoting hospital policy docs, patients were referred to as customers to whom they provided a service. This is by definiton wrong as far as I know as if you are treated on the NHS you do not pay for any service.

by Kololi 29.03.12 11:23

We do pay Russiandoll. We pay for the NHS everytime they deduct NI from our salaries.

by **tigger** 29.03.12 11:52

Kololi wrote:We do pay Russiandoll. We pay for the NHS everytime they deduct NI from our salaries.

We're getting a bit off topic here, but that's why the NHS has been ailing for decades. Our NI contributions are not only for the NHS - but also for the pensions - it's nowhere near enough.
I have to pay 150 euros a month for a limited National Health Service - on top of that you have to pay the first 200 of any treatment - so if you don't use it at all for a year - you're just 200 euros better off.
Even so - the service is perhaps faster, but no better than the UK NHS.

by **PeterMac** 29.03.12 12:58

TOTALLY off topic, but only socialists insist that Education, Health Care, Justice, Police, Fire, Ambulance, roads, and everything else the State provides, are FREE.
All sane people know we pay for them, in NI, taxes, VAT, excise duty, and so on - and dearly.
Nothing is free.

by **PeterMac** 03.06.15 8:27

Have just come across this, a photo of the page in the book where Bell clearly says he was paid half a million by the McCanns to keep the story on the front page of the papers for a year.

Has he complained about being misrepresented ?
Have Cart-Horse sought to have the book pulped on the grounds that it is inaccurate / wrong / libellous ?

If so I am not aware of either
Did this payment show up in the "Fund" accounts ? (Rhetorical, obviously !)

And these were the very people who then Complained at Leveson, under oath and on the record, about Press intrusion
BELL POTTINGER - "The Devil's representative worldwide"? CGL_bnjUoAAM0nl

BELL POTTINGER - "The Devil's representative worldwide"? CGL_bnjUoAAM0nl

by Guest 03.06.15 8:46

That is pretty incredible.

Did people donating to the fund know that's where their money was going?

All those stupid stories.

by **PeterMac** 03.06.15 9:02

BlueBag wrote:That is pretty incredible.
Did people donating to the fund know that's where their money was going?
All those stupid stories.

I wonder how it worked.
Mitchell invented the story
Sent it to the papers who told him to b**** off
rings Bell P
. . . who put pressure on the papers to print the nonsense

or something like that.
I cannot imagine BP bothering to invent the stories themselves.

by **Tony Bennett** 03.06.15 9:07

BlueBag wrote:That is pretty incredible.

Did people donating to the fund know that's where their money was going?

All those stupid stories.

EXTRACTS FROM THE McCANNS' FIND MADELEINE ACCOUNTS

Income                                                                                          £

Children sending us their weekly pocket money                              £xx,xxx

Pensioners sending us their weekly pensions                                  £xx,xxx

Public holding fund-raising events                                                  £xxx,xxx

Sales of tat (Good quality wristbands etc.)                                     £xxx,xxx

Expenditure

Metodo 3 (huge publicity about Maddie being found and
home by Christmas)                                                                    £250,000

Kevin Halligen (sacked after just 4 months) and various
ex-MI5 associates like Henri Exton                                              £500,000

Kevin Halligen's expenses (to fund jet-setting lifestyle with
girlfriend Shirin Trachiotis)                                                                   £xx,xxx

Bell Pottinger for keeping Madeleine on the front page
for a year                                                                                         £500,000

Sending letters threatening libel action or taking libel action              £xxx,xxx

by **Tony Bennett** 03.06.15 9:20

PeterMac wrote:
BlueBag wrote:That is pretty incredible.
Did people donating to the fund know that's where their money was going?
All those stupid stories.

I wonder how it worked.

REPLY: I don't think we can avoid the facts that:-

(a) Clarence Mitchell was formally appointed to run this case on behalf of the government on Sunday 6 May [source: Freedom of Information Act request]
(b) At the time he was the Head of the government's Media Monitoring Unit, and
(c) He subsequently boasted - correctly - that his job was to 'control what comes out in the media'.

How he and the government can exert control over the media includes the following methods:

(1) telling media editors and publishers that they face draconian costs of a libel action if they depart from the official line
(2) threatening to withdraw all government advertising in their newspapers if they depart from the official line.

The very early involvement of Clarence Mitchell suggests the possibility of a high level establishment cabal that was very concerned about the Madeleine McCann case - and we don't yet know why.

To my mind the combined efforts of Rebekah Brooks and David Cameron to force the expensive Operation Grange charade on to the Metropolitan Police was simply further proof - if proof were needed - of the government's desperation to maintain public perception about this case.

And so IMO was the BBC Crimewatch McCann Special charade...

Mitchell invented the story
Sent it to the papers who told him to b**** off
rings Bell P
. . . who put pressure on the papers to print the nonsense

or something like that.
I cannot imagine BP bothering to invent the stories themselves.

by Montclair 03.06.15 9:23

PeterMac wrote:TOTALLY off topic, but only socialists insist that Education, Health Care, Justice, Police, Fire, Ambulance, roads, and everything else the State provides, are FREE.
All sane people know we pay for them, in NI, taxes, VAT, excise duty, and so on - and dearly.
Nothing is free.

Us "leftists" or "socialists" are not insane and know very well that our taxes pay for public services. What we don't want is that some private company makes money off of them and treat patients and the public overall as customers. What we want is to get something from our taxes besides subsidising rich people who want to run the trains, hospitals, schools, etc., so that they can make a profit which will go to offshore accounts.

by **PeterMac** 03.06.15 9:35

Montclair wrote:
PeterMac wrote:TOTALLY off topic, but only socialists insist that Education, Health Care, Justice, Police, Fire, Ambulance, roads, and everything else the State provides, are FREE.
All sane people know we pay for them, in NI, taxes, VAT, excise duty, and so on - and dearly.
Nothing is free.

Us "leftists" or "socialists" are not insane and know very well that our taxes pay for public services. What we don't want is that some private company makes money off of them and treat patients and the public overall as customers. What we want is to get something from our taxes besides subsidising rich people who want to run the trains, hospitals, schools, etc., so that they can make a profit which will go to offshore accounts.

I should have said Leftist Politicians insist that everything will be free . .

by Guest 03.06.15 9:37

Tony Bennett wrote:The very early involvement of Clarence Mitchell suggests the possibility of a high level establishment cabal that was very concerned about the Madeleine McCann case - and we don't yet know why.

Yes.. they sent their TOP media man, almost immediately.

Which suggests that this is very important to someone high up.

The forces that ordinary people wanting to find the truth are up against are colossal.

Truly.

by Rogue-a-Tory 03.06.15 10:02

PeterMac wrote:
Montclair wrote:
PeterMac wrote:TOTALLY off topic, but only socialists insist that Education, Health Care, Justice, Police, Fire, Ambulance, roads, and everything else the State provides, are FREE.
All sane people know we pay for them, in NI, taxes, VAT, excise duty, and so on - and dearly.
Nothing is free.

Us "leftists" or "socialists" are not insane and know very well that our taxes pay for public services. What we don't want is that some private company makes money off of them and treat patients and the public overall as customers. What we want is to get something from our taxes besides subsidising rich people who want to run the trains, hospitals, schools, etc., so that they can make a profit which will go to offshore accounts.
I should have said Leftist Politicians insist that everything will be free . .

As well as introducing the NHS PPI get rich scam.

by Rogue-a-Tory 03.06.15 10:04

BlueBag wrote:
Tony Bennett wrote:The very early involvement of Clarence Mitchell suggests the possibility of a high level establishment cabal that was very concerned about the Madeleine McCann case - and we don't yet know why.
Yes.. they sent their TOP media man, almost immediately.

Which suggests that this is very important to someone high up.

The forces that ordinary people wanting to find the truth are up against are colossal.

Truly.

Except with the help of CMOMM, GA, McCann Files, RDH etc people are beginning to see through all that.

by espeland 03.06.15 10:28

Except with the help of CMOMM, GA, McCann Files, RDH etc people are beginning to see through all that.

If GA gets the McCanns into a UK court and they overcome their propensity to lie they may 'tell all', but would the MSM report it? I fear we will never know everything. Not in my lifetime, anyway.

by sallypelt 03.06.15 11:33

Tony Bennett wrote:

Today - by chance - I met with members of the Tatiana Giraud Foundation, out on the streets with a megaphone, outside the offices of Bell Pottinger, on High Holborn, London.

What were they doing? For a start, holding up a variety of hard-hitting banners, one of which said: "BELL POTTINGER: The Devil's representative worldwide". A particular target for their anger was Peter Bindle, apparently one of the company's top executive.

They were protesting at the vast sums being paid to one of the planets' leading 'reputation managers', i.e. Bell Pottinger, by the so-called Democratic Republic of the Congo. One of their executives, the above-named Peter Bindle, appears to be handling their lucrative contract with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a country apparently rich in uranium and diamonds.

That in itself would not seem so shameful, except for that fact that the top of the political establishment in that endemcially corrupt country is co-operating with the United Nations in facilitating human and child trafficking, and rape, on an industrial scale.

And Bell Pottinger has form for trying to promote the reputation of countries with a bad human rights record.

You can read more about the appalling things going on in the Congo, including the depraved conduct of U.N. officials, here:

http://www.ingeta.com/congolese-women-activists-vs-bell-pottinger/

htttp://www.tatianagiraudfoundation.org/

Bell Pottinger's cover-up of gross human rights abuses in Sri Lanka is covered in an article at this link:

http://www.zimbio.com/Democratic+Republic+of+the+Congo/articles/d-eF7UThYu0/Cunning+Fox+EDITORIAL+Sri+Lanka+must+sue+Bell

And the way top U.N. officials not only connive in human trafficking and rape but actually promote it and organise it was covered by writer Kathryn Bolkovac, who documented what was going on in Bosnia in a book, soon to be made into a film:

http://journalstar.com/entertainment/movies/article_e6339f3e-611e-528d-a746-12ac4d6fe0e2.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/9041974/What-the-UN-Doesnt-Want-You-to-Know.html

The way Bell Pottinger is going - never mind salvaging the reputation of others, it might be having to start worrying about its own reputation. Surely a reputable organisation like Bell Pottinger doesn't want to be associated with covering up organised sexual abuse?