1 00:00:11,160 --> 00:00:15,360 Speaker 1: Welcome back to Drilled. I'm Amy Westervelt. This week, a 2 00:00:15,600 --> 00:00:20,280 Speaker 1: really important study was released from a frequent voice on Drilled, 3 00:00:20,840 --> 00:00:25,960 Speaker 1: Robert Rule, visiting scholar at Brown University, an environmental sociologist. 4 00:00:27,160 --> 00:00:32,320 Speaker 1: Rule looked at the rule of PR firms in blocking 5 00:00:32,360 --> 00:00:35,120 Speaker 1: climate action, a subject we've covered a. 6 00:00:35,080 --> 00:00:38,279 Speaker 2: Lot in this podcast, and what he found. 7 00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:42,160 Speaker 1: When he looked at which firms the utilities, and coal 8 00:00:42,200 --> 00:00:47,600 Speaker 1: companies and oil and gas companies were using was somewhat surprising. 9 00:00:48,720 --> 00:00:52,400 Speaker 1: Only one firm showed up in the top three across 10 00:00:52,600 --> 00:00:58,920 Speaker 1: all categories, Edelman PR. Which is interesting because back in 11 00:00:59,080 --> 00:01:03,040 Speaker 1: twenty fifteen, Edelman made this big announcement on the heels 12 00:01:03,080 --> 00:01:06,920 Speaker 1: of several executives leaving the firm that it was no 13 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:10,080 Speaker 1: longer going to engage in greenwashing, that it was no 14 00:01:10,160 --> 00:01:13,600 Speaker 1: longer going to work for coal companies at all, and 15 00:01:13,640 --> 00:01:16,720 Speaker 1: that it was going to commit itself to being a 16 00:01:16,760 --> 00:01:20,959 Speaker 1: responsible actor on climate. Well, the data that Rule found 17 00:01:21,080 --> 00:01:24,760 Speaker 1: does not back that up. If you haven't listened to 18 00:01:25,040 --> 00:01:28,920 Speaker 1: season three of this podcast, I would recommend going back 19 00:01:28,959 --> 00:01:31,360 Speaker 1: and doing that. We did a deep dive on all 20 00:01:31,440 --> 00:01:36,280 Speaker 1: of the various PR folks involved in helping to block 21 00:01:36,400 --> 00:01:41,800 Speaker 1: climate action, including We also just recently did an episode 22 00:01:41,920 --> 00:01:46,120 Speaker 1: of our other podcast, rig on Edelman and their role 23 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:53,080 Speaker 1: in particularly astroturfing, this strategy where companies or industries will 24 00:01:53,120 --> 00:01:57,080 Speaker 1: create front groups that seem like grassroots groups, but are 25 00:01:57,120 --> 00:01:58,960 Speaker 1: in fact paid for by. 26 00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:00,760 Speaker 2: A company or industry group. 27 00:02:01,480 --> 00:02:04,560 Speaker 1: We're going to bring you that story today after the break, 28 00:02:04,800 --> 00:02:09,280 Speaker 1: and next week a conversation with Bob Boule and former 29 00:02:09,440 --> 00:02:11,600 Speaker 1: Edelman VP Christine Arena. 30 00:02:12,560 --> 00:02:14,760 Speaker 2: Hope you've enjoy today's. 31 00:02:14,280 --> 00:02:16,960 Speaker 1: Episode and come back next week. 32 00:02:16,880 --> 00:02:17,840 Speaker 3: For that conversation. 33 00:02:24,880 --> 00:02:28,680 Speaker 2: It's simple, supply and demand. More abundant energy means more 34 00:02:28,720 --> 00:02:29,680 Speaker 2: affordable energy. 35 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:32,960 Speaker 4: Producing more American oil and natural gas will help keep 36 00:02:33,040 --> 00:02:34,040 Speaker 4: energy bills in check. 37 00:02:34,880 --> 00:02:38,600 Speaker 3: Who doesn't want that. I'm rich and I'm an energy voter. 38 00:02:39,760 --> 00:02:42,320 Speaker 2: If you can afford a tesla, then this message won't 39 00:02:42,360 --> 00:02:43,560 Speaker 2: really matter to you. 40 00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:48,160 Speaker 3: His name is Don Smith. I've been with Walmart for 41 00:02:48,200 --> 00:02:49,480 Speaker 3: their years twenty. 42 00:02:49,160 --> 00:02:51,720 Speaker 2: Eight years, seventeen and a half years, six and a 43 00:02:51,760 --> 00:02:53,720 Speaker 2: half years, seventeen years. 44 00:02:53,400 --> 00:02:56,560 Speaker 3: Been here eleven years and just eleven Just love my job. 45 00:03:03,280 --> 00:03:08,079 Speaker 2: If these commercials are to be believed, hundreds of Americans 46 00:03:08,160 --> 00:03:13,640 Speaker 2: are out there rallying around the causes of protecting energy 47 00:03:13,639 --> 00:03:19,320 Speaker 2: companies automakers and big box retailers from regulation. Wow, those 48 00:03:19,440 --> 00:03:25,080 Speaker 2: plucky little guys protecting those vulnerable behemoths of US industry. 49 00:03:26,440 --> 00:03:30,880 Speaker 2: As like this tend to appear when legislation or unions 50 00:03:31,240 --> 00:03:36,920 Speaker 2: threaten the profits of big companies. They claim to be messages. 51 00:03:36,440 --> 00:03:38,800 Speaker 3: From grassroots groups. 52 00:03:38,560 --> 00:03:44,400 Speaker 2: Like Energy Citizens or the California Driver's Alliance, or from 53 00:03:44,440 --> 00:03:48,640 Speaker 2: employees that just love Walmart so much they want to 54 00:03:48,680 --> 00:03:52,200 Speaker 2: sing it from the rooftops, But they're actually paid for 55 00:03:52,440 --> 00:03:55,680 Speaker 2: by industry trade groups or specific companies. 56 00:03:56,400 --> 00:03:59,680 Speaker 5: They give these fake front groups these names that sound 57 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:04,360 Speaker 5: they're like perfectly innocuous names, like the California Driver's Alliance 58 00:04:04,520 --> 00:04:08,400 Speaker 5: or the Washington Consumers for Sound Fuel Policy. 59 00:04:08,800 --> 00:04:11,400 Speaker 2: This is Christine Arena. She knows a lot about this 60 00:04:11,560 --> 00:04:14,960 Speaker 2: tactic because she used to be a VP at a 61 00:04:14,960 --> 00:04:17,320 Speaker 2: PR firm that's famous for using it. 62 00:04:17,560 --> 00:04:21,839 Speaker 5: There are hundreds of them, are usually secretly run by 63 00:04:22,440 --> 00:04:26,200 Speaker 5: lobbying organizations, like though two I just mentioned are actually 64 00:04:26,279 --> 00:04:29,599 Speaker 5: run by the Western States Petroleum Association, which is a 65 00:04:29,600 --> 00:04:34,120 Speaker 5: top lobbyist for the oil industry. The Western States Petroleum 66 00:04:34,160 --> 00:04:39,039 Speaker 5: Association is in turn funded by members including BP Shell, 67 00:04:39,120 --> 00:04:45,640 Speaker 5: ex OnMobile, Chevron, and Occidental, among others. So it's fake activism, 68 00:04:45,839 --> 00:04:52,400 Speaker 5: it's corporate money posing as activism, and it's designed to 69 00:04:52,560 --> 00:04:56,800 Speaker 5: undo all of the progress that real activism makes. 70 00:04:57,960 --> 00:05:01,440 Speaker 2: Welcome back to Rigged Up podcast about the war for 71 00:05:01,520 --> 00:05:06,520 Speaker 2: hearts and minds and activism right here on us soil. 72 00:05:07,120 --> 00:05:11,400 Speaker 2: I'm Amy Westervelt. And today's trick is astroturfing. 73 00:05:12,400 --> 00:05:12,560 Speaker 1: Ah. 74 00:05:12,640 --> 00:05:17,320 Speaker 2: Yes, astroturfing. When grassroots don't exist, a plastic version will 75 00:05:17,360 --> 00:05:21,880 Speaker 2: do very nicely. One of the PR firms most associated 76 00:05:21,920 --> 00:05:27,240 Speaker 2: with astroturfing is Arena's former employer, Edelman PR. It was 77 00:05:27,279 --> 00:05:32,040 Speaker 2: started back in nineteen fifty two in Chicago by Daniel Edelman, 78 00:05:32,320 --> 00:05:36,120 Speaker 2: a former journalist who had spent World War Two working 79 00:05:36,320 --> 00:05:40,200 Speaker 2: in psychological warfare for the US Army. Here he is 80 00:05:40,400 --> 00:05:43,360 Speaker 2: much later in life describing that gig. 81 00:05:43,440 --> 00:05:47,640 Speaker 6: Working at drug and doing the psychological warfare thing was 82 00:05:47,720 --> 00:05:52,680 Speaker 6: fascinating because we were upsetting the claims made by the Germans. 83 00:05:53,279 --> 00:05:54,120 Speaker 7: It's all lies. 84 00:05:54,200 --> 00:05:57,559 Speaker 3: I mean, we had to disclaim them, yep. 85 00:05:57,880 --> 00:06:00,240 Speaker 2: And then he came home and put those skills to 86 00:06:00,279 --> 00:06:05,240 Speaker 2: work on behalf of US industry against the American public. 87 00:06:06,400 --> 00:06:10,840 Speaker 2: Edelman's son, Richard took over as CEO in nineteen ninety six, 88 00:06:11,040 --> 00:06:13,360 Speaker 2: and one of his first moves was to make a 89 00:06:13,400 --> 00:06:16,320 Speaker 2: really big show of how the firm was no longer 90 00:06:16,400 --> 00:06:20,599 Speaker 2: going to work with tobacco companies, a noble move after 91 00:06:20,640 --> 00:06:24,560 Speaker 2: his dad had spent decades helping the industry push the 92 00:06:24,600 --> 00:06:27,719 Speaker 2: idea that secondhand smoke was no big deal. It must 93 00:06:27,760 --> 00:06:30,400 Speaker 2: be weird joining the family business when the family business 94 00:06:30,720 --> 00:06:35,600 Speaker 2: is propaganda. In a strategy he crafted for R. J. 95 00:06:35,800 --> 00:06:41,520 Speaker 2: Reynolds in nineteen seventy seven, Daniel Edelman Datleman, if you like, 96 00:06:42,360 --> 00:06:46,760 Speaker 2: recommends a civility campaign for smokers as a way to 97 00:06:46,800 --> 00:06:51,120 Speaker 2: push the idea that smokers care about non smokers, that 98 00:06:51,120 --> 00:06:54,880 Speaker 2: they're not just trying to be assholes imposing their cigarettes 99 00:06:54,920 --> 00:06:55,560 Speaker 2: on the public. 100 00:06:56,200 --> 00:07:01,279 Speaker 3: He writes a program directed at our own constituency, the 101 00:07:01,360 --> 00:07:06,200 Speaker 3: Smoker makes the greatest sense to us. Example, a code 102 00:07:06,200 --> 00:07:10,080 Speaker 3: of conduct for smokers publicized in all the traditional ways, 103 00:07:10,480 --> 00:07:15,600 Speaker 3: a smoker's etiquette handbook distributed in smoking sections of trains, airplanes, 104 00:07:15,640 --> 00:07:22,000 Speaker 3: et cetera. Restaurant tabletops on smoking etiquette, awards to courtesy smokers, 105 00:07:22,440 --> 00:07:26,160 Speaker 3: contests to develop the dos and dots of civility in smoking. 106 00:07:26,800 --> 00:07:31,239 Speaker 3: The possibilities are limitless. We need to develop various ways 107 00:07:31,400 --> 00:07:36,480 Speaker 3: such a campaign and be pursued intelligently and effectively. It 108 00:07:36,520 --> 00:07:39,320 Speaker 3: also seems to us that within the framework of a 109 00:07:39,400 --> 00:07:43,000 Speaker 3: campaign of this sort, we have the best opportunity and 110 00:07:43,040 --> 00:07:48,040 Speaker 3: the most congenial way of communicating our case that there 111 00:07:48,160 --> 00:07:53,040 Speaker 3: is no real evidence that inhaling someone else's cigarette smoke 112 00:07:53,640 --> 00:07:55,600 Speaker 3: causes any health problems. 113 00:07:57,000 --> 00:08:01,120 Speaker 2: In nineteen ninety eight, after Big to B had lost 114 00:08:01,640 --> 00:08:04,680 Speaker 2: multiple lawsuits and been hauled in front of Congress and 115 00:08:04,760 --> 00:08:08,720 Speaker 2: investigated by the Department of Justice, Richard Edelman said, no, sir, 116 00:08:08,840 --> 00:08:12,720 Speaker 2: we will no longer work for these guys. Richard Edelman 117 00:08:12,840 --> 00:08:15,240 Speaker 2: may have sworn off tobacco, but he made up for 118 00:08:15,280 --> 00:08:18,960 Speaker 2: it with a voracious appetite for oil, or at least 119 00:08:19,280 --> 00:08:22,440 Speaker 2: the money of oil companies who were more than eager 120 00:08:22,480 --> 00:08:26,000 Speaker 2: to pay him for bringing that Edelman family magic to 121 00:08:26,120 --> 00:08:31,440 Speaker 2: their industry. Christina A Rena joined Edelman in twenty twelve, 122 00:08:31,720 --> 00:08:35,600 Speaker 2: leading the business and social practice. She thought she'd be 123 00:08:36,160 --> 00:08:39,160 Speaker 2: helping the firm do good work for organizations that were 124 00:08:39,240 --> 00:08:43,560 Speaker 2: doing genuinely good things for the environment, but she quickly 125 00:08:43,600 --> 00:08:48,240 Speaker 2: realized that she'd just been hired to do greenwashing. In 126 00:08:48,320 --> 00:08:52,800 Speaker 2: the summer of twenty fourteen, Edelman created an astroturfing master 127 00:08:53,000 --> 00:08:58,480 Speaker 2: plan designed to sway public opinion on trans Canada's Keystone 128 00:08:58,559 --> 00:09:03,120 Speaker 2: Excel pipeline. It did, just not in the way they'd hoped. 129 00:09:03,320 --> 00:09:06,800 Speaker 2: In November that year, the astroturfing plan was leaked to 130 00:09:06,840 --> 00:09:12,360 Speaker 2: the press, embarrassing and Edelman enjoyed another moment in the spotlight. 131 00:09:12,920 --> 00:09:16,520 Speaker 2: By the end of twenty fourteen, Arena knew she had 132 00:09:16,520 --> 00:09:20,440 Speaker 2: to leave. In twenty fifteen, the Guardian caught wind of 133 00:09:20,600 --> 00:09:26,120 Speaker 2: Arena's departure, along with three other Edelman executives, who all 134 00:09:26,240 --> 00:09:29,680 Speaker 2: left the firm over its work with Big Oil. The 135 00:09:29,720 --> 00:09:32,680 Speaker 2: Guardian published an article on that, and it got quite 136 00:09:32,720 --> 00:09:36,560 Speaker 2: a bit of attention. So once again Edelman took a 137 00:09:36,640 --> 00:09:41,120 Speaker 2: brave stand, promising to do better in the future. The 138 00:09:41,160 --> 00:09:45,200 Speaker 2: firm vowed to stop promoting climate denial and to stop 139 00:09:45,320 --> 00:09:49,720 Speaker 2: working with the coal industry period. It also committed to 140 00:09:49,840 --> 00:09:55,560 Speaker 2: no more greenwashing or astroturfing, which is weird because in 141 00:09:55,640 --> 00:09:59,360 Speaker 2: twenty eighteen they submitted an entry for a pr Award 142 00:09:59,720 --> 00:10:04,760 Speaker 2: for a campaign they created for Shell that well, it 143 00:10:04,840 --> 00:10:08,880 Speaker 2: sure looks a lot like greenwashing. In their award submission, 144 00:10:09,040 --> 00:10:11,719 Speaker 2: Edelman said their campaign was meant to quote. 145 00:10:11,440 --> 00:10:15,600 Speaker 3: Raise awareness of Shell's ambition in the UK to create 146 00:10:15,720 --> 00:10:19,640 Speaker 3: more and cleaner energy solutions in a way that appeals 147 00:10:19,679 --> 00:10:24,240 Speaker 3: to millennials, and in doing so, to build Shell's reputation 148 00:10:24,400 --> 00:10:28,000 Speaker 3: in the UK as an innovative energy company. 149 00:10:28,760 --> 00:10:32,560 Speaker 2: They claimed a twenty eight percent increase in people's belief 150 00:10:32,760 --> 00:10:36,720 Speaker 2: that Shell quote works to provide a sustainable energy future 151 00:10:36,920 --> 00:10:41,480 Speaker 2: as a key result of their campaign. Is that green washing, 152 00:10:42,040 --> 00:10:45,160 Speaker 2: you say, persuading the public that a fossil fuel giant 153 00:10:45,200 --> 00:10:50,360 Speaker 2: is a plucky investor in renewables, I say, potato. So yeah. 154 00:10:51,360 --> 00:10:54,079 Speaker 2: One of the precursors to all of that was that 155 00:10:54,160 --> 00:10:58,520 Speaker 2: ad you heard up top from Energy Citizens. Energy Citizens 156 00:10:58,600 --> 00:11:01,600 Speaker 2: is a front group created by Edelman for the American 157 00:11:01,640 --> 00:11:05,000 Speaker 2: Petroleum Institute way back in two thousand and nine. But 158 00:11:05,120 --> 00:11:07,880 Speaker 2: creating groups like that is something Edelman has done over 159 00:11:07,920 --> 00:11:10,920 Speaker 2: and over again for lots of clients in lots of 160 00:11:10,920 --> 00:11:12,600 Speaker 2: different industries. 161 00:11:12,520 --> 00:11:16,120 Speaker 8: Like that creation of bake grassroom support, which came to 162 00:11:16,120 --> 00:11:19,360 Speaker 8: be known as like astroturfing, and Edelman was genius at 163 00:11:19,400 --> 00:11:22,440 Speaker 8: doing that. And that's like rallying, you know, with the 164 00:11:22,440 --> 00:11:25,840 Speaker 8: tobacco companies. That was like state you know, doctors and 165 00:11:26,240 --> 00:11:31,040 Speaker 8: academics and climate changes, like the scientists who take contrary 166 00:11:31,040 --> 00:11:34,520 Speaker 8: and perspectives and anybody who will like prepare it the propaganda. 167 00:11:35,760 --> 00:11:36,640 Speaker 5: I'll use that. 168 00:11:36,760 --> 00:11:43,240 Speaker 8: AstroTurf plan to then influence media, to influence politicians, influence 169 00:11:43,320 --> 00:11:44,280 Speaker 8: regulatory to do. 170 00:11:44,240 --> 00:11:47,440 Speaker 2: The Eedlman created all kinds of astroturfing groups to fight 171 00:11:47,960 --> 00:11:52,880 Speaker 2: environmental regulations. But they didn't just work against environmental regulations. 172 00:11:52,920 --> 00:11:55,839 Speaker 2: They worked against all kinds of other regulations too. We're 173 00:11:55,840 --> 00:12:03,720 Speaker 2: going to hear more about that after the break. Examples 174 00:12:03,760 --> 00:12:08,400 Speaker 2: of Edelman's astroturfing work for oil companies and other big 175 00:12:08,480 --> 00:12:12,200 Speaker 2: polluters abound, But the most over the top example of 176 00:12:12,320 --> 00:12:16,200 Speaker 2: astroturfing they ever did was for Walmart. When I heard 177 00:12:16,200 --> 00:12:18,800 Speaker 2: about it, I had to call up Mary Anna eas Hegler, 178 00:12:19,200 --> 00:12:24,160 Speaker 2: writer and my frequent partner in crime. Okay, I'm going 179 00:12:24,200 --> 00:12:26,840 Speaker 2: to just I'm going to read you a little story 180 00:12:27,080 --> 00:12:30,920 Speaker 2: and we can pause along the way for your reactions 181 00:12:31,000 --> 00:12:31,240 Speaker 2: to this. 182 00:12:31,559 --> 00:12:34,320 Speaker 3: Oh that's so sweet. Story time. 183 00:12:34,760 --> 00:12:36,200 Speaker 2: It's story time with Mary. 184 00:12:37,720 --> 00:12:38,400 Speaker 3: Here we go. 185 00:12:39,120 --> 00:12:42,680 Speaker 1: In April two thousand and six, Jim and I hiked 186 00:12:42,720 --> 00:12:47,600 Speaker 1: the Grand Canyon, Bryce and Slot Canyons in Escalante. During 187 00:12:47,640 --> 00:12:50,880 Speaker 1: our trip, we ended up in Page, Arizona at five am, 188 00:12:51,080 --> 00:12:52,600 Speaker 1: we were up and ready to go. 189 00:12:53,120 --> 00:12:57,520 Speaker 2: Although not much else is in page except of course, 190 00:12:57,720 --> 00:13:01,480 Speaker 2: the Walmart supercenter. We pulled into the parking lot amid 191 00:13:01,520 --> 00:13:04,280 Speaker 2: at least a dozen RVs. Not sure what was up, 192 00:13:04,360 --> 00:13:08,000 Speaker 2: we asked why, and we learned that Walmart allows r 193 00:13:08,080 --> 00:13:12,320 Speaker 2: vs to stay and store parking lots overnight for free. 194 00:13:12,840 --> 00:13:15,960 Speaker 2: As we hiked up Bright Angel Trail from Phantom Ranch 195 00:13:16,000 --> 00:13:19,280 Speaker 2: in the Grand Canyon, a new adventure was born. I 196 00:13:19,320 --> 00:13:22,120 Speaker 2: started thinking about all the other amazing things there are 197 00:13:22,240 --> 00:13:25,160 Speaker 2: to see in this vast country of ours, and then 198 00:13:25,200 --> 00:13:28,560 Speaker 2: I started thinking about how Walmart, one in every town, 199 00:13:28,679 --> 00:13:32,760 Speaker 2: practically lets you park overnight for free. The idea just 200 00:13:32,800 --> 00:13:35,559 Speaker 2: sort of came together. We would take vacation from our 201 00:13:35,600 --> 00:13:38,120 Speaker 2: full time jobs and drive across the country in a 202 00:13:38,200 --> 00:13:41,480 Speaker 2: rented RV from city to city, spending the night in 203 00:13:41,520 --> 00:13:44,600 Speaker 2: a different Walmart parking lot every night. And of course 204 00:13:44,600 --> 00:13:48,280 Speaker 2: I'd write an article about it, maybe and maybe able 205 00:13:48,320 --> 00:13:52,320 Speaker 2: to sell a story to an RV magazine with photos 206 00:13:52,400 --> 00:13:56,040 Speaker 2: of rving in America and only staying at Walmart's. Given 207 00:13:56,080 --> 00:13:59,240 Speaker 2: the litigious age we live in, we decided to get 208 00:13:59,280 --> 00:14:02,680 Speaker 2: permission from Walmart to do so. So I called my 209 00:14:02,760 --> 00:14:07,439 Speaker 2: brother who works at Edelman and whose clients include Working 210 00:14:07,520 --> 00:14:11,080 Speaker 2: Families for Walmart, in order to find out if we'd 211 00:14:11,080 --> 00:14:15,000 Speaker 2: be allowed to talk to people and take pictures in 212 00:14:15,160 --> 00:14:18,719 Speaker 2: Walmart parking lots. As a freelance writer, I've learned over 213 00:14:18,760 --> 00:14:21,480 Speaker 2: the years that it's always better to ask about stuff 214 00:14:21,480 --> 00:14:24,800 Speaker 2: like that in advance. They didn't just give us permission, 215 00:14:25,360 --> 00:14:29,520 Speaker 2: they said they would even sponsor the trip. A blog 216 00:14:29,800 --> 00:14:33,040 Speaker 2: seemed like the perfect medium to tell those stories, and 217 00:14:33,120 --> 00:14:36,720 Speaker 2: even more exciting no editors, what writer could say no 218 00:14:36,840 --> 00:14:39,000 Speaker 2: to that? Oh, dear Paul. In all, it was a 219 00:14:39,080 --> 00:14:42,320 Speaker 2: perfect fit. Working Families for Walmart wants to get the 220 00:14:42,360 --> 00:14:44,960 Speaker 2: word out about all the good things Walmart does for people. 221 00:14:45,360 --> 00:14:47,720 Speaker 2: I wanted to make this trip and write about it. 222 00:14:47,720 --> 00:14:49,160 Speaker 2: It just seemed to. 223 00:14:49,240 --> 00:14:53,920 Speaker 3: Work that the end of that story. 224 00:14:55,120 --> 00:14:58,840 Speaker 2: Have you ever heard about the blog Walmarting across America 225 00:14:59,320 --> 00:14:59,760 Speaker 2: dot com? 226 00:15:00,240 --> 00:15:01,480 Speaker 3: I have not at all. 227 00:15:03,320 --> 00:15:08,600 Speaker 2: Okay, okay, So this is the final post in that blog. 228 00:15:10,000 --> 00:15:16,560 Speaker 2: It was a project of Edelman PR Company for Walmart, 229 00:15:17,240 --> 00:15:22,480 Speaker 2: and it was started amidst a push among Walmart employees 230 00:15:22,520 --> 00:15:28,240 Speaker 2: to unionize. So Edelman helped them create this group called 231 00:15:28,360 --> 00:15:33,120 Speaker 2: Working Families for Walmart, which is one of the many, many, 232 00:15:33,160 --> 00:15:39,280 Speaker 2: many examples of astroturfing that Edelman has done for various companies. 233 00:15:39,600 --> 00:15:45,680 Speaker 2: And it was kind of presented as like, you know, 234 00:15:45,760 --> 00:15:49,760 Speaker 2: an employee group of people who really didn't want to unionize, 235 00:15:49,800 --> 00:15:52,640 Speaker 2: and that they were just good old fashioned working glass 236 00:15:52,680 --> 00:15:57,720 Speaker 2: Americans who just loved Walmart. And this blog came about, 237 00:15:57,720 --> 00:16:00,440 Speaker 2: like as this whole you know, fight about you reunizing 238 00:16:00,560 --> 00:16:03,720 Speaker 2: was happening, and they would go to all these Walmarts, 239 00:16:03,720 --> 00:16:06,080 Speaker 2: this woman and her husband, they would talk to employees, 240 00:16:06,120 --> 00:16:07,880 Speaker 2: and the employees would just go on and on about 241 00:16:07,880 --> 00:16:10,320 Speaker 2: how much they loved working. 242 00:16:10,280 --> 00:16:12,520 Speaker 3: For I'm sure they dare. 243 00:16:17,640 --> 00:16:24,800 Speaker 1: Meanwhile, hair and makeup is like just off parking lot, right, yes. 244 00:16:25,520 --> 00:16:31,400 Speaker 2: Yes. At the time that Walmarting Across America debuted, Walmart 245 00:16:31,440 --> 00:16:36,240 Speaker 2: was paying Edelman some ten million dollars a year to 246 00:16:36,400 --> 00:16:40,720 Speaker 2: improve its reputation. That reputation, of course, was that it 247 00:16:40,760 --> 00:16:44,080 Speaker 2: was cheap with its wages and its benefits. Nothing like 248 00:16:44,160 --> 00:16:47,000 Speaker 2: paying a pr for millions to make you look generous 249 00:16:47,120 --> 00:16:51,400 Speaker 2: instead of just paying your employees. In the aftermath of 250 00:16:51,480 --> 00:16:55,840 Speaker 2: the Walmarting Across America debuckle, Richard Edelman himself went to 251 00:16:55,880 --> 00:16:56,680 Speaker 2: the press with. 252 00:16:56,760 --> 00:17:00,640 Speaker 3: A statement, we regret not being one hundred percent transparent 253 00:17:00,720 --> 00:17:04,959 Speaker 3: about the identity of the bloggers. That was entirely our fault, 254 00:17:05,200 --> 00:17:06,080 Speaker 3: not our clients. 255 00:17:06,720 --> 00:17:10,360 Speaker 2: Okay, sure, But nowhere in there did he say anything 256 00:17:10,400 --> 00:17:14,200 Speaker 2: about Working Families for Walmart, which was just as big 257 00:17:14,200 --> 00:17:17,560 Speaker 2: of a fake. The organization was set up by Walmart, 258 00:17:17,640 --> 00:17:21,159 Speaker 2: and most of its members were Walmart executives, not the 259 00:17:21,240 --> 00:17:25,520 Speaker 2: store clerks. You might imagine when you hear Working Families 260 00:17:25,560 --> 00:17:29,640 Speaker 2: for Walmart. Well, I mean, technically, those executives do work 261 00:17:29,680 --> 00:17:32,320 Speaker 2: for Walmart, and I guess those families must really like 262 00:17:32,359 --> 00:17:35,760 Speaker 2: the sweet paychecks they bring home. Walmart execs can earn 263 00:17:35,800 --> 00:17:39,320 Speaker 2: a thousand times that of an average employee. If I 264 00:17:39,400 --> 00:17:43,040 Speaker 2: were in that family, I'd be very in favor of Walmart. 265 00:17:44,200 --> 00:17:48,080 Speaker 2: The sole goal of Working Families for Walmart seemed to 266 00:17:48,080 --> 00:17:52,520 Speaker 2: be to stop Walmart workers from unionizing, which tracked with 267 00:17:52,560 --> 00:17:56,360 Speaker 2: Walmart's history. When a handful of Walmart butchers at one 268 00:17:56,400 --> 00:17:59,800 Speaker 2: store in Texas came together to bargain with the store 269 00:17:59,840 --> 00:18:03,800 Speaker 2: collectively in two thousand, the company shut down not only 270 00:18:03,840 --> 00:18:06,600 Speaker 2: the meat counter at that store, but all of its 271 00:18:06,640 --> 00:18:12,240 Speaker 2: stores in Texas and five neighboring states, just in case 272 00:18:12,280 --> 00:18:14,760 Speaker 2: any of those rogue butchers had it in mind to 273 00:18:14,800 --> 00:18:19,440 Speaker 2: move to a nearby state. I guess as a business practice, 274 00:18:19,680 --> 00:18:23,080 Speaker 2: taking off and nuking the site from orbit is always 275 00:18:23,119 --> 00:18:27,800 Speaker 2: an option if you're Walmart. Of course, Edelman doesn't have 276 00:18:27,840 --> 00:18:32,399 Speaker 2: a monopoly on astroturfing. The other absolute legend at it 277 00:18:32,640 --> 00:18:39,479 Speaker 2: is Doctor Evil aka Dick Evil. Richard Berman, king of 278 00:18:39,520 --> 00:18:43,080 Speaker 2: the Front Group. He's the Attie is a win guy. 279 00:18:43,160 --> 00:18:45,720 Speaker 2: From episode three, You don't need to get people to 280 00:18:45,840 --> 00:18:48,000 Speaker 2: like you. All you have to do is create enough 281 00:18:48,080 --> 00:18:52,280 Speaker 2: uncertainty that they won't act against you. Remember back in 282 00:18:52,320 --> 00:18:55,000 Speaker 2: episode one when we heard from the Doctor with the 283 00:18:55,119 --> 00:18:58,240 Speaker 2: Center for Accountability in Science and he was talking about 284 00:18:58,240 --> 00:18:59,600 Speaker 2: antibiotics and meat. 285 00:19:00,119 --> 00:19:03,400 Speaker 4: Choosing a burrito or a foot long sub labeled antibiotic 286 00:19:03,480 --> 00:19:06,919 Speaker 4: free might make you feel like you're making a healthier choice, 287 00:19:07,040 --> 00:19:10,479 Speaker 4: but in reality, you're simply paying more for a label. 288 00:19:11,400 --> 00:19:14,280 Speaker 4: To learn more, visit accountablescience dot com. 289 00:19:14,600 --> 00:19:18,480 Speaker 2: That's a Berman group. He also runs the perfectly innocuous 290 00:19:18,520 --> 00:19:23,880 Speaker 2: sounding Environmental Policy Alliance, which is the official publisher of a. 291 00:19:23,840 --> 00:19:28,520 Speaker 9: Site called Big Green Radicals that highlights the bad behavior 292 00:19:29,040 --> 00:19:35,320 Speaker 9: of environmental groups some real eco extremists like the Sierra Club. 293 00:19:36,280 --> 00:19:38,520 Speaker 2: The money for that site came from the right wing 294 00:19:38,800 --> 00:19:44,119 Speaker 2: Bradley Foundation and initially went to another Berman group, the 295 00:19:44,240 --> 00:19:48,159 Speaker 2: Center for Consumer Freedom. That group must have gotten too 296 00:19:48,240 --> 00:19:51,680 Speaker 2: much bad press, because in recent years Berman scrapped it 297 00:19:51,880 --> 00:19:56,520 Speaker 2: and renamed it the Center for Organizational Research and Education. 298 00:19:58,920 --> 00:20:02,960 Speaker 2: Big Green Radicals was an environment focused spinoff of a 299 00:20:03,000 --> 00:20:07,600 Speaker 2: previous project that Berman had done for Bradley called activistcash 300 00:20:07,760 --> 00:20:11,720 Speaker 2: dot Com. And then, of course, Berman also runs the 301 00:20:11,720 --> 00:20:18,679 Speaker 2: Center for Union Facts Surprise Surprise, and anti union site. 302 00:20:21,400 --> 00:20:24,479 Speaker 2: If you're getting lost in this maze of slightly boring 303 00:20:24,600 --> 00:20:30,240 Speaker 2: sounding innocuous names, guess what. That's the point He's hoping 304 00:20:30,240 --> 00:20:32,320 Speaker 2: you lose track of all the money he's throwing at 305 00:20:32,359 --> 00:20:36,720 Speaker 2: these fake pressure groups. One of Berman's many claims to 306 00:20:36,960 --> 00:20:41,040 Speaker 2: infamy is his work going after those radicals at Mothers 307 00:20:41,080 --> 00:20:45,080 Speaker 2: Against Drunk Driving on behalf of the restaurant and bar industry, 308 00:20:46,000 --> 00:20:49,560 Speaker 2: and those hippies at the Humane Society on behalf of 309 00:20:49,600 --> 00:20:52,680 Speaker 2: the industrial Meet guys, here's an ad for the website 310 00:20:52,840 --> 00:20:57,760 Speaker 2: humane Watch, a watchdog site that Berman runs to highlight 311 00:20:57,800 --> 00:21:00,800 Speaker 2: the nefarious ways of the Humane Society. 312 00:21:01,880 --> 00:21:04,080 Speaker 5: Would you give money to a charity that was involved 313 00:21:04,080 --> 00:21:06,440 Speaker 5: in a multimillion dollar racketeering lawsuit. 314 00:21:06,520 --> 00:21:09,400 Speaker 1: Would you donate to a charity that was being investigated 315 00:21:09,400 --> 00:21:10,479 Speaker 1: by an attorney general? 316 00:21:10,640 --> 00:21:12,359 Speaker 7: Would you write a check to an animal charity that 317 00:21:12,400 --> 00:21:15,160 Speaker 7: moved fifty million dollars to offshore counts instead of using 318 00:21:15,160 --> 00:21:16,080 Speaker 7: it to help animals? 319 00:21:16,320 --> 00:21:20,280 Speaker 9: Would you support a humane society that actually ran zero 320 00:21:20,560 --> 00:21:21,280 Speaker 9: pet shelters? 321 00:21:21,359 --> 00:21:21,720 Speaker 8: Would you? 322 00:21:22,040 --> 00:21:22,399 Speaker 2: Would you? 323 00:21:22,680 --> 00:21:23,840 Speaker 3: Would you? Would you? 324 00:21:24,119 --> 00:21:27,480 Speaker 2: But he's got more serious sounding groups too, the Employment 325 00:21:27,600 --> 00:21:32,399 Speaker 2: Policies Institute Foundation, for example. Okay, actually the use of 326 00:21:32,440 --> 00:21:35,560 Speaker 2: both institute and foundation there in an attempt to sound 327 00:21:35,600 --> 00:21:40,240 Speaker 2: serious and objective is goofy and hilarious. Classic Berman. The 328 00:21:40,280 --> 00:21:45,560 Speaker 2: Department for Academic Studies, It's amazing. He really can't help himself. 329 00:21:45,800 --> 00:21:48,760 Speaker 2: But that organization looks, on the face of it like 330 00:21:48,800 --> 00:21:52,120 Speaker 2: a pretty standard DC policy you think tank, and it 331 00:21:52,160 --> 00:21:55,920 Speaker 2: is in fact part of a cluster of nonprofits funded 332 00:21:55,960 --> 00:21:59,520 Speaker 2: by the Bradley Foundation. They're an ultra conservative group that 333 00:21:59,600 --> 00:22:03,639 Speaker 2: spends more money than the Kochs, a huge funding source 334 00:22:03,720 --> 00:22:09,080 Speaker 2: for anti environmental campaigns. The Bradley Foundation pushes very specific 335 00:22:09,480 --> 00:22:13,679 Speaker 2: pro business policies, and in this case, a group of 336 00:22:13,720 --> 00:22:17,199 Speaker 2: Berman led efforts, the Center for Union Facts and the 337 00:22:17,200 --> 00:22:21,080 Speaker 2: Center for Consumer Freedom, and the Employment policies Institute Foundation 338 00:22:21,520 --> 00:22:25,480 Speaker 2: all focused on one thing, getting rid of labor unions. 339 00:22:26,200 --> 00:22:30,760 Speaker 2: Here's Berman defending his right not to disclose who's funding 340 00:22:30,840 --> 00:22:34,560 Speaker 2: which groups on Rachel Maddow back in two thousand and nine. 341 00:22:35,200 --> 00:22:37,399 Speaker 7: I start a lot of these myself because I believe 342 00:22:37,400 --> 00:22:39,480 Speaker 7: in them, and then I go to people and I say, listen, 343 00:22:39,520 --> 00:22:41,840 Speaker 7: this is what I'm doing. If you, if your beliefs 344 00:22:41,880 --> 00:22:44,040 Speaker 7: are consistent with mine, will you help me get this 345 00:22:44,080 --> 00:22:46,520 Speaker 7: thing out of it? So who does anything to put 346 00:22:46,560 --> 00:22:47,199 Speaker 7: a website up? 347 00:22:47,280 --> 00:22:47,399 Speaker 2: Right? 348 00:22:47,400 --> 00:22:48,760 Speaker 3: But who on the acorn? 349 00:22:49,119 --> 00:22:51,399 Speaker 6: So nobody ever else ever supported that was out of 350 00:22:51,400 --> 00:22:52,280 Speaker 6: the goodness your heart. 351 00:22:52,359 --> 00:22:52,639 Speaker 3: Yeah. 352 00:22:52,680 --> 00:22:55,520 Speaker 6: The problem with that is that I can't prove it 353 00:22:55,520 --> 00:22:57,280 Speaker 6: one way or another because you don't have to disclose it, 354 00:22:57,320 --> 00:22:58,679 Speaker 6: and so I have to take your word on that, 355 00:22:58,680 --> 00:23:01,119 Speaker 6: and I will. There's no reason not to. But in general, 356 00:23:01,160 --> 00:23:04,480 Speaker 6: your strategy is not to say, I, Rick Berman, am 357 00:23:04,520 --> 00:23:08,360 Speaker 6: being paid to tell you that the efforts to stop 358 00:23:08,680 --> 00:23:11,320 Speaker 6: you from eating fish, or stop eating trans fats, or 359 00:23:12,720 --> 00:23:16,840 Speaker 6: or stop smoking cigarettes, whatever they are, I'm being paid 360 00:23:16,880 --> 00:23:19,240 Speaker 6: to tell you that these things are a bad idea. 361 00:23:19,400 --> 00:23:20,879 Speaker 3: I don't want things that I don't believe. 362 00:23:21,240 --> 00:23:23,080 Speaker 6: Okay, but you are being paid to save them as 363 00:23:23,119 --> 00:23:25,080 Speaker 6: well by people who have a vested interest. If you 364 00:23:25,119 --> 00:23:27,919 Speaker 6: admitted that, but somebody would call you doctor evil anymore. 365 00:23:27,960 --> 00:23:29,840 Speaker 6: They just call you a pr guy. The reason that 366 00:23:29,880 --> 00:23:31,800 Speaker 6: you're on the show is because you don't disclose who's 367 00:23:31,840 --> 00:23:33,160 Speaker 6: paying you to say the things that you're saying. 368 00:23:33,160 --> 00:23:35,000 Speaker 7: Well, then you can't have anybody on your show from 369 00:23:35,040 --> 00:23:37,000 Speaker 7: the left or the right who is connected to these 370 00:23:37,040 --> 00:23:39,960 Speaker 7: nonprofit organizations because they won't tell you who's funding them. 371 00:23:40,080 --> 00:23:41,320 Speaker 6: And you think that's wrong. 372 00:23:41,800 --> 00:23:44,320 Speaker 7: I think that they're entitled to do that. They're entitled, 373 00:23:44,880 --> 00:23:47,119 Speaker 7: they're entitled to keep their donors quiet. I think that 374 00:23:47,119 --> 00:23:47,800 Speaker 7: that's up to them. 375 00:23:48,320 --> 00:23:51,760 Speaker 2: Of course, not all astroturfing attempts are as obvious and 376 00:23:51,840 --> 00:23:56,080 Speaker 2: goofy as walmarting across America. I mean, come on, guys, 377 00:23:56,440 --> 00:23:59,720 Speaker 2: through at least one employee and who doesn't just love 378 00:23:59,720 --> 00:24:02,480 Speaker 2: the show out of their Walmart job if you want 379 00:24:02,520 --> 00:24:05,560 Speaker 2: to sell this thing. But if you know what to 380 00:24:05,600 --> 00:24:08,960 Speaker 2: look for, even the more subtle efforts are pretty easy 381 00:24:09,160 --> 00:24:14,200 Speaker 2: to spot. They really play up though we're just normal 382 00:24:14,240 --> 00:24:17,680 Speaker 2: average citizens. Thing in their names and in their messaging 383 00:24:18,760 --> 00:24:23,439 Speaker 2: they talk about saving you average American money, but their 384 00:24:23,520 --> 00:24:27,080 Speaker 2: number one goal actually seems to be saving a company 385 00:24:27,200 --> 00:24:32,359 Speaker 2: or an industry money. They use stock photos of people 386 00:24:32,400 --> 00:24:35,679 Speaker 2: who are supposed to be members of their group in 387 00:24:35,720 --> 00:24:39,399 Speaker 2: their ads. Hilariously, these guys are constantly doing this and 388 00:24:39,480 --> 00:24:43,119 Speaker 2: thinking they're not going to get caught. They always get caught. 389 00:24:45,200 --> 00:24:46,200 Speaker 2: There's no real way to. 390 00:24:46,280 --> 00:24:47,000 Speaker 3: Join the group. 391 00:24:47,320 --> 00:24:50,160 Speaker 2: You can learn more or sign a petition, sometimes even 392 00:24:50,240 --> 00:24:53,240 Speaker 2: show up at a rally, but unlike genuine community groups, 393 00:24:53,640 --> 00:24:57,320 Speaker 2: they're never having meetings unless you're hanging out near the 394 00:24:57,400 --> 00:25:02,679 Speaker 2: Walmart executive washroom in Arkansas. These types of ads really 395 00:25:02,760 --> 00:25:05,920 Speaker 2: ramp up around elections, so keep an eye out for them. 396 00:25:06,040 --> 00:25:13,400 Speaker 2: In twenty twenty two. That's it for this time. Next time, 397 00:25:13,480 --> 00:25:16,359 Speaker 2: on our final episode of this series, we're going to 398 00:25:16,440 --> 00:25:22,040 Speaker 2: find out why Americans really embraced consumerism after World War Two. 399 00:25:22,680 --> 00:25:26,080 Speaker 2: Come back for that. Thank you for joining us on 400 00:25:26,080 --> 00:25:28,920 Speaker 2: this hair raising journey through the murky history of PR. 401 00:25:29,600 --> 00:25:32,600 Speaker 2: Remember to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts to find 402 00:25:32,600 --> 00:25:37,200 Speaker 2: out once and for all who's really pulling the strings. 403 00:25:38,480 --> 00:25:43,680 Speaker 2: Rigged is an original critical frequency production. Lots of documents, photos, 404 00:25:43,720 --> 00:25:46,240 Speaker 2: and other fun facts about the wild world of PR 405 00:25:46,800 --> 00:25:50,480 Speaker 2: are on our website at rigged dot Media. Our producer 406 00:25:50,600 --> 00:25:54,640 Speaker 2: is Martin zaltz Ostwick. He also scored this season. Artwork 407 00:25:54,720 --> 00:25:57,959 Speaker 2: is by Matthew Fleming. Our fact checker is Ashley Braun. 408 00:25:58,280 --> 00:26:01,320 Speaker 2: Our First Amendment attorney is Genie Wheaton of the First 409 00:26:01,320 --> 00:26:05,360 Speaker 2: Amendment Project. Big thanks to Mary Annaise Hegler, who you'll 410 00:26:05,400 --> 00:26:08,040 Speaker 2: hear throughout this series. If you want to hear more 411 00:26:08,040 --> 00:26:10,480 Speaker 2: of me and Mary joking around, check out hot Take, 412 00:26:10,560 --> 00:26:13,960 Speaker 2: the show We Do about climate change. Archival tape in 413 00:26:14,000 --> 00:26:17,080 Speaker 2: this episode is courtesy of the Library of Congress, the 414 00:26:17,119 --> 00:26:22,240 Speaker 2: PR Museum, and Vanderbilt University's TV news Archive. The show 415 00:26:22,320 --> 00:26:25,840 Speaker 2: is reported by me Amy Westerbelt. Thanks for joining us 416 00:26:25,960 --> 00:26:27,240 Speaker 2: and we'll see you next time.