Naughty Naughty Bell Pottinger!

by uppatoffee 08.12.11 7:49

Interesting story in today's Independent about Bell Pottinger editing Wikipedia entries for their clients.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/the-dark-arts-bell-pottinger-caught-rewriting-its-clients-wikipedia-entries-6273836.html

In particular one paragraph which says
"In other cases, damaging allegations against clients of Bell Pottinger, which The Independent cannot publish for legal reasons, were removed from Wikipedia."

Are they still working for the McCanns or was that just back in the beginning?

The co-founder of Wikipedia says "I am astonished at the ethical blindness of Bell Pottinger's reaction. That their strongest true response is they didn't break the law tells a lot about their view of the world, I'm afraid." Never a truer word spoken! clapping

by Gillyspot 08.12.11 12:27

The last I heard was that the McCanns weren't using Bell Pottinger but gave Harvard PR the contract.

Amazingly though there was no mention in the media that Harvard PR are owned by Bell Pottinger.

by uppatoffee 08.12.11 14:29

Gillyspot I did read that Harvard PR were part of BP but only in their Wikipedia entry I think. Certainly no mention that Mccanns were still using BP anywhere! On BPs Wikipedia entry the Mccanns are listed as past clients. Wonder who updated that?!

Interesting to see that yet another part of the McCann story is coming undone. There is a big backlash against BP and their "dark arts" in today's press. (their words, not mine!)

by Daisy 09.12.11 0:02

Could Bell Pottinger be falling out of favour? The plot thickens.

David Cameron and Vince Cable under pressure over Bell Pottinger links

David Cameron is under growing pressure to introduce a register of lobbyists
after claims that staff at Bell Pottinger Public Affairs have been able to
influence him and senior Cabinet ministers.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/8939617/David-Cameron-and-Vince-Cable-under-pressure-over-Bell-Pottinger-links.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/8939642/Bell-Pottinger-helped-choose-Rebekah-Brooks-phone-hacking-arrest-station.html

by Gillyspot 16.12.11 19:30

Interesting on the Chime PLC website it states that Alex Woolfall was in PDL to assist Mark Warner

"Mark Warner: providing 24/7 crisis management support following the disappearance of Madeleine McCann from a Mark Warner resort in Portugal"

http://www.chime.plc.uk/our-companies/bell-pottinger-issues

I think his idea of protecting Mark Warner ws to make the McCanns themselves the story (not Madeleine) if you read these article written on 19th May 2007, below.

"The coverage, which has almost ignored the fact the child would not have disappeared if her parents had not left their very small children home alone, has been a spin doctor’s dream.

A great deal of credit must go to Alex Woodfall, the top PR man seconded to the Mark Warner holiday village by the Bell Pottinger Group, whose boss, Lord Bell, was Margaret Thatcher’s PR guru when she was Prime Minister.

Day after day there have been relentless, sympathetic, upbeat reports of sightings of suspicious white vans, a man taking pictures of children on a beach, two men and a mystery blonde talking to a child near a supermarket, a lurking man with dark skin and finally a suspect – though there is not enough evidence to charge him.

At times the pictures have seemed almost straight out of Hollywood - with long shots of Madeleine’s parents walking hand-in-hand alone on a deserted beach, the camera crews at a discreet distance."

http://rebeccahamiltonreports.blogspot.com/2007_05_01_archive.html

The above blog is good and well worth a read for the other information and opinion of a Portuguese Journalist (now living in London).

http://rebeccahamiltonreports.blogspot.com/2007_05_01_archive.html