1. Trust Us, We’re Experts: Sheldon Rampton and John Stauber

2. Microsoft and PR initiative Microsoft and PR initiative: Microsoft hired Edelman Public Relations Worldwide to direct a PR campaign against various anti-trust investigations in 11 different US states. (8)

3. Microsoft and PR initiative Microsoft and PR initiative: Campaign designed to create “appearance of a groundswell of public support for” MS. (8) Campaign included: 1) Planting articles 2) Letter To Editor 3) Opinion pieces (op-eds)

4. Microsoft and PR initiative Microsoft and PR initiative: Additional MS PR efforts: Open Letter to Clinton from 240 Economists (appeared in Washington Post and NYTIMES) Ad was paid for by the Independent Institute. Front groups: Independent Institute The Institute also authored a book: Winners, Losers andMicrosoft: Competition and Antitrust in High Technology. Use of Experts: Independent Institute seen as Expert WSJ cites Winners, Losers as an expert analysis of antitrust issue.

5. Microsoft’s Opponents Anti-MS PR: MS opponents launch PR campaigns (12) Strategies: Start front groups (Procomp) (p. 12) Use of Experts: Netscape: Robert Bork Hired Think Tank support (PFF) (p. 13) NY TIMES expose was itself a PR stunt by Oracle (13)

6. Someone’s Else Mouth Someone’s Else Mouth: Third Party Technique (17) Why say itself when it is more effective to have someone else say it on your behalf. Advantages of Third Party Techniques (19) 1) Offers Camouflage 2) Can appear Independent 3) Replaces Facts with emotion-laden symbols

7. Serving the Self-Serving Praise for Third Party Technique PR professionals view it as a proven method. Example: Tort Reform Campaign against “frivolous” consumer lawsuits against corporations for faulty or dangerous products. Question: How do you convince the public that there desire to sue companies for product liability is not a good idea?

8. Serving the Self-Serving Blame Lawyers!!!! Who likes lawyers? Blame them for the excessive lawsuits. After all, who really benefits/profits from such suits? Campaign Against Tort Reform Need a Spokesperson Need the Appearance of Public Support

9. Making News Media and Third Party Technique The media is an obvious target for third party advocacy: it has credibility and reaches millions of people. Video News Release: VNRS One of the main ways PR professionals attempt to influence the content of broadcast journalism is through the production of videos inserted into the “news.”

10. Video News Release