15 Mar 2012 | Magazine, Volume 41.01 Spring 2012
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14 Feb 2012 | Middle East and North Africa
The Bahraini government spends thousands and thousands of dollars on PR companies every month. Their purpose of using such companies is simple: to project a positive image of Bahrain while also tempering any negative press coverage.
One such company is Qorvis, a Washington D.C. Based PR firm that receives a monthly stipend from the Bahraini government of 40,000 USD. They operate by attempting to influence journalists or opinion makers through the strategic placement of favourable reports defending the actions of the Bahrain government. Their methods range from circulating articles on outlets such as PR Newsire, to emailing journalists directly in order to defend the actions of the regime.
Some PR companies are also suspected of engaging in more clandestine activities, such as creating sock puppet accounts on Twitter to spread pro-regime propaganda. The revelation that BGR Gabara, yet another British PR firm reportedly working for Bahrain, planned to organise a Twitter campaign on behalf of Kazakh children exacerbated such concerns. Given that the US government are also involved in such sock puppetry, there is no reason the private sector won’t seek to profit from it.
Another dimension of PR work is minimising negative publicity. For example, the Guardian recently took down an article from its Comment is Free section after a British PR firm representing the Bahrain International Circuit made a complaint. The article, which Dragon Associates argued contained “considerable inaccuracies”, threatened to derail Bahrain’s plans to host the F1 Grand Prix this year. It has yet to be put back up, either in its original or altered form.
Perhaps the most worrying players in the murky world of PR are the likes of Olton, a British intelligence firm who officially have a contract with the Economic Development Board, but who also appear to work for Ministry of the Interior. As well as providing “reputation management”, their software is reported to be able to identify “ringleaders” through using social media such as Twitter and Facebook. Given that dozens of students were dismissed from university based on evidence garnered from their Facebook profiles, many are demanding to know who is doing the watching.
The threat posed by unscrupulous PR companies to freedom of speech should not be underestimated. It is bad enough that they distort the public sphere in exchange for money, yet it is the rise of companies like Olton that is the most alarming, for when does intelligence gathering become ‘evidence’ gathering? Furthermore, when does “reputation management” involve facilitating the silencing of those narratives that oppose the desired rhetoric of the paying client?
Marc Owen Jones is a blogger and PhD candidate at Durham University. He tweets at @marcowenjones
13 Feb 2012 | Middle East and North Africa, News and features, United Kingdom
The global police organisation went beyond its remit in pursuing Saudi Arabian journalist Hamza Kashgari, says Denis MacShane MP. Now we must ensure the kingdom’s authorities respect free speech
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10 Feb 2012 | Uncategorized
Somerset lay preacher Michael Overd has been cleared of charges of Intentional harassment, alarm or distress (Section 4A of the Public Order Act).
Overd had been charged after it was alleged he had told two gay men that they would “burn in hell” while preaching in Taunton town centre in July. Reports claim he had an altercation with the same two men in October 2010. Police spoke to Overd on that occasion.
The complaint apparently came from Overd’s preaching from 1 Corinthians. The specific verse complained of was 1 Corinthians 6:9
6:9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived! The sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, passive homosexual partners, practicing homosexuals, 6:10 thieves, the greedy, drunkards, the verbally abusive, and swindlers will not inherit the kingdom of God.
(Note, reader, the delicious reference to the “verbally abusive”).
Overd’s lawyers maintain that the two men became abusive and threatening towards the preacher, but no action had been taken about this.
The Public Order Act has been used far too often to curb free expression, but in this case the court has got it right. Overd is entitled to his Bible-bashing, and people are allowed to disagree. The Public Order Act should only be invoked when there is a genuine threat of a disruption of the peace.
The government is currently examining the wording of the Public Order Act, and will report by the end of March (Index on Censorship has submitted its views). We should hope that it will take the lesson of this verdict into account. it is a positive step.
