New Millennium PR

The National Foundation to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse Accuses McDonald's of Hiring Convicted Sex Offenders

The National Foundation to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse (NFPCSA) is calling for a boycott of McDonald's restaurants after Nashville station NewsChannel 5 WTVF uncovered that nationwide, McDonald's restaurants have hired "dozens" of convicted sex offenders.

According to the WTVF report, "McDonald's says it has a policy against hiring sex offenders at its 8,000 or so company owned stores. But at the 18,000 franchise stores that operate under the golden arches, they're free to hire anyone they want."

WTVF's investigation revealed nine sex offenders in Delaware, thirteen in Indiana and sixteen in Louisiana working in McDonald's restaurants. But, unfortunately:

"We can't tell you how many other child molesters or other sex offenders are working at McDonald's restaurants here in Tennessee or anywhere else. That's because in most states, including Tennessee, sex offender registries don't have information about employers. So the public can't find out -- until something bad happens."

No response yet on McDonald's Corporate site.

(Photo sources: Happy Ronald McDonald here and sad Ronald McDonald here.)

Adaptive Abilities More Important Than Detailed Contingency Plans

The May issue of Harvard Business Review has a special report containing thirteen articles about Preparing for a Pandemic that focus on different areas such as the science behind H5N1, the role of leaders, the importance of communication, and modeling, among others.

However, the article on organizations, Survival of the Adaptive by Nitin Nohria, the Richard P. Chapman Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School, is particularly enlightening for PR and and other related professionals counseling clients on crisis management. Nohria writes:

"In the complex and uncertain environment of a sustained, evolving crisis, the most robust organizations will not be those that simply have plans in place but those that have continuous sensing and response capabilities...

We know from complexity theory that following a few basic crisis-response principles is more effective than having a detailed a priori plan in place....

The goal is not to create specific rules for responding to specific threats but to practice new ways of problem solving in an unpredictable and fast-changing environment."

Nohria recommends that organizations have a global network of people in place that can help out as needed if internal communications systems break down, or as either human or physical resources are compromised.

He also compares the characteristics of organizations that will be less, and those that will be more, successful in surviving an outbreak:

• Hierarchical vs. networked
• Centralized leadership vs. distributed leadership
• Tightly coupled (greater interdependence among parts) vs. loosely coupled (less interdependence)
• Concentrated workforce vs. dispersed workforce
• Specialists vs. cross-trained generalists
• Policy and procedure driven vs. guided by simple yet flexible rules

(Photo source is Max xx)

Animal Legal Defense Fund Releases Ranking of State Animal Protection Laws

Earlier this year the Animal Legal Defense Fund released a 3-page report ranking all fifty U.S. states and the District of Columbia based on the strength and comprehensiveness of their state anti-cruelty laws.

Although ALDF makes it clear that all the states' laws need to be strengthened, the states that ranked best were California, Illinois, Maine, Michigan and Oregon, while those that ranked worst were Hawaii, Idaho, Kentucky, North Dakota and Utah.

The latter five states fell into the worst category because, among other things, they either did not have any felony anti-cruelty provisions or because, in the case of Kentucky, felony provisions applied only to select situations.

ALDF also provides a list of Jurisdictions with Felony Animal Abuse Provisions and the year of enactment.

By way of quick definition, a felony is "a crime sufficiently serious to be punishable by death or a term in state or federal prison... [or] a crime carrying a minimum term of one year or more in state prison," [note: given the legal status of animals, whether wild or designated as "property," the death penalty has never been, not is unlikely ever to be, imposed in any animal cruelty case], while a  misdemeanor is "a lesser crime punishable by a fine and/or county jail time for up to one year... [and]are tried in the lowest local court such as municipal, police or justice courts."

With Canada's Seal Hunt Less Than Two Days Away, Rhetoric Is In Overdrive

As the countdown ticker on the Humane Society of the United States site shows, Canada's infamous yearly seal hunt -- this year permitting the killing of 325,000 young seals -- is less that two days away (at the time of this writing, 1 day and 19 hours).

With both supporters and opponents of the hunt preparing for the international media attention this event attracts, rhetoric is in overdrive. 

From the Fisheries and Oceans Canada site:

• The Seal Hunt Management Plan's objectives are to "ensure conservation and sustainability, long-term sustainable use, humane hunting practices, and encourage fullest use of hunted seals."   
• "The commercial seal hunt in Atlantic Canada in 2005 was the source of more than $16.5 million in direct revenue from the sale of product – virtually the same as in 2004, and up from an estimated $13 million value in 2003."
• "The seal harvest in Atlantic Canada has been directed at beater pelt sales (independent harp seals between 25 days and 13 months of age).  The primary market is for beater pelts, which can fetch up to $70 each in strong markets."
• "The hunting methods presently used were studied by the Royal Commission on Seals and Sealing in Canada and they found that the clubbing of seals, when properly performed is at least as humane as, and often more humane than, the killing methods used in commercial slaughterhouses, which are accepted by the majority of the public." 
• "Methods used to kill seals in Canada were found to be generally more humane than the shooting of animals for sport. The Commission also found that no methods of killing which have come to their notice, other than clubbing or shooting, achieve acceptable standards of humaneness."

Additional statements from a recent CBS News article:

• "...the reality is that whitecoats can't be hunted anymore. But it's also true that young harp seals lose their white coats (and their protection) at about 12 to 14 days of age. After that, they're fair game for hunters, although they're usually about 25 days old before they're hunted. Most harp seals taken are under the age of three months. Young yes, whitecoats no."
• "A 2002 report in the Canadian Veterinary Journal found that 'the large majority of seals taken during this hunt … are killed in an acceptably humane manner.' This study found that 98 per cent of hunted seals it examined had been killed properly. The federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) cites this study among others as proof that the hunt opponents are wrong in their accusations of widespread cruelty. And regarding the 'skinning alive' charge, the DFO says appearances can be deceiving. 'Sometimes a seal may appear to be moving after it has been killed,' the DFO says. 'However, seals have a swimming reflex that is active, even after death. This reflex falsely appears as though the animal is still alive when it is clearly dead – similar to the reflex in chickens.' "
• According to the DFO, "the club, or 'hakapik,' used by many sealers is 'an efficient tool' that kills 'quickly and humanely.' "
• "The federal government acknowledges that it has laid more than 200 charges against sealers since 1996, but argues that shows it's serious about enforcing its regulations."

And finally, from the Humane Society of the United States, a video and slide show (scroll midway down page to find). Despite the pictures of whitecoats intended to pull at everyone's heartstrings, these images speak volumes.

(Source of photo: CBC News)

Add This One To Your Insults List

Political insults are often biting, but also original and even funny. Thanks to North Korea, there's a new way to insult your enemies: Accuse them of having the "spasm of a lunatic."

The Avian Flu Part III: Opportunistic Marketers

Recently when I wrote two posts about the avian flu, the anticipated date of H5N1's arrival on the American continent was still vague. Yesterday Homeland Security Michael Chertoff stated that H5N1 may be only a few months away (via Avian Flu).

Much work still needs to be done before local municipalities and state governments are ready to handle an outbreak. But opportunistic marketers have already moved into overdrive to make sure they are ready when a panicked and ignorant public searches for a quick H5N1 protection fix.

There's LG Electronics air conditioners that allegedly prevent avian influenza with a special filter coated with a substance extracted from a fermented kimchi (via Boing Boing and Envisioning 2.0).   

And there's the Plan for Flu: Better Safe Than Sorry! site that offers a water purifier, masks, a radio and a crank flashlight for sale, warning readers:

"Please be aware that there is no guarantee that these items will  be available if 'things get worse'. Genuine 3M Masks have already become harder to obtain. We highly recommend that you and your loved ones finish getting prepared as soon as possible."

While the site provides an "Avian Flu News" page, it only posts articles that serve its sales purpose, and doesn't provide a single link to reputable public health information sources such as PandemicFlu.gov, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization or the World Organization for Animal Health. Why? Probably because it wouldn't help stress the urgency to buy now before it's too late:

The least hype-driven sales site I've come across is Flu Armour: Pandemic Influenza Defense Systems. Although it too warns of a product shortage, it does so in a less panic-inducing way than the site mentioned previously:

"Please be aware that a Bird Flu Pandemic or heightened threat may create an excessive demand for Flu Armour products. We encourage concerned parties to be mindful of possible present and/or future shortages when ordering. If an item is sold out, it will not be listed in our product menu."

And to its credit, it links to all the major avian flu information sites.

Guess who I would buy from?

DHS and FEMA Sites Help Kids Feel Safe

Regardless of how hard you try to shield your kids from disturbing news and information, they're going to pick up something somewhere. Either from school, their peers, television before you can switch the channel, a picture in the newspaper, or some place you haven't thought of yet. 

Depending on kids' ages, the idea of an emergency, disaster, or other uncontrollable event or situation can be terrifying. My oldest, for example, has been worried about "bad guys" lately, even though I try to reassure him that we live in a safe neighborhood and that Mom, Dad and our dog Emma will always protect our family.   

Here are two sites to help parents and caretakers talk to youngsters about emergency preparedness in a non-threatening and fun way: The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Ready Kids and the Federal Emergency Management Agency's FEMA for Kids.

The Avian Flu Part II: Bloggers' Role

In a comment on his post about the West Virginia coal mine disaster, John Wagner wrote,

"I think it would help if newspapers stopped thinking of themselves as the source for breaking news and started thinking of themselves as the provider of a deeper, more analytical look behind the scenes. In other words, a little less focus on 'what' and 'when' and a lot more focus on 'why and how.' "

I agree with John. I especially believe that newspaper coverage, with a renewed focus on in-depth reporting, will be important as the avian flu spreads. Getting accurate and detailed information out to a likely panicked public will be critical in helping stem the spread of H5N1 and to help maintain calm.

And yet, the need for on-the-scene and community-based coverage won't abate. Therefore, as an addition to the mainstream broadcast media (for a view on "the synergistic relationship that exists between traditional news sources and highly specific online news sites, including blogs," read Ed Kohler's post on Traditional Media Covering the Long Tail), blogs and bloggers can cover these and other important areas:

• Examine how their local governments and associated infrastructure are managing the outbreak
• Explain what personal preventive measures the public can take to better protect itself
• Illustrate how individuals and businesses within their communities are coping
• Help inform the public about any new virus mutations or spread
• Quell unsubstantiated and panic-inducing rumors that may circulate 

Blogging critics argue that bloggers, as a group, are not held to the same journalistic standards as professional journalists (although numerous blogs, both in the United States and abroad, are written by journalists). But this absence of mandatory compliance should not minimize or negate the value of bloggers' contributions.

In the chapter What Ethics Should Bloggers Have? in Reporters without Borders' Handbook for Bloggers and Cyber-Dissidents, Dan Gillmor writes,

"Not all bloggers do journalism...But when they do, they should be ethical... In a world of new journalism, where we shift from a lecture to much more of a conversation, ethical journalism depends less on codes of ethics than the values and principles that are a foundation for honorable journalism. There are pillars of good journalism: thoroughness, accuracy, fairness, transparency and independence." 

Bloggers interested in making a contribution to avian flu preparedness and coverage will voluntarily and to the best of their abilities abide by these principles.

Three good resources for anyone intending to report on the avian flu are:

• The Dangers of Bird Flu by the Associated Press
• WHO Handbook for Journalists: Influenza Pandemic by the World Health Organization
• WHO Outbreak communication guidelines  by the World Health Organization

The Avian Flu Part I

For several weeks now I've been thinking about the Avian Flu, otherwise known as 5HN1.

I've been thinking about what I will do if it hits the United States. As the parent of two young children and a little dog who thinks she's a "people," I worry about my kids getting sick. I also worry about what would happen if my husband or I get sick, or worse -- who would be left to take care of everyone?

And what about my friends and extended family living in Germany and other parts of Europe?

These are not good thoughts to be having. They remind me too much of the days after 9/11 when I was living in metro Washington D.C., all of us afraid because no one knew if another attack was imminent.

And then living through the D.C. anthrax scare, when many people, myself included, opened our mail with rubber gloves and masks on because we didn't know if our mail was contaminated.

I've realized that it's the uncertainty, the lack of control, that's difficult to deal with.

So I've decided to do something about that. I'm going to keep track of what's being reported about the avian flu. I'm going to create a "preparedness plan" for my family. I'm not going to sit by idly and do nothing.

Silviu Docia of Avian Flu -- What we need to know and Thomas Crampton of the International Herald Tribune ask whether blogs can be a new way to track disease. On a larger scale the question is whether blogs can be a part of the solution. I say yes.

Blogs and bloggers, if we act responsibly and intelligently, have an unprecedented ability to help out, probably in more ways than we even realize.

Here are some important news links on H5N1:

• FluWire.com
• Bird Flu - Topix.net
• Avian Flu -- What we need to know (blog)
• H5N1 (blog)
• The Coming Influenza Pandemic? (blog)
• Flu Wiki (wiki) (via Avian Flu Watch)
• Zap*Germs (blog about "the battle between Man and germs")

Here are some links to health information resources and other practical information:

• PandemicFlu.gov (the official U.S. government web site about the pandemic flu and avian influenza), with downloadable Pandemic Flu Planning Checklist for Individuals and Families and a Family Emergency Health Information Sheet
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• World Health Organization ( Regional Office for South-East Asia)

Diamond Pet Foods' PR Challenges Continue

MSNBC reports that the number of dogs who have died due to Diamond Pet Foods' aflatoxin-contaminated products has risen to 76.

Unfortunately, getting in touch with the company hasn't become any easier since I first wrote about the December 20 recall.

Despite its seemingly sincere efforts to help its customers (chief operating officer Mark Brinkman is quoted as saying "It’s going to take some time to take care of all these customers, and we’re going to do it”), concerned pet owners are still having difficulties getting any direct answers.

There's Shanika Stewart, for example, whose 9-year old Chow Cocoa suffers from permanent liver damage after eating contaminated food:

Stewart says she has not spoken with anyone at the company despite several calls. The family has filled out an online form [link here] explaining their situation.

“You don’t get anybody to talk to and tell your story,” she said. “It’s like they’re not concerned. To me, it’s like they’re saying, ’Oh well, we’ll get to it when we get to it.”’