Day 3 Gossip

Where Education PR Funds Went
The largest share, $5.45 million, of the US Education Department’s spend of more than $9.4 million on hiring PR firms over the last few years, went to the Hager Sharp firm for coordination of the National Assessment of Educational Progress, according to documents just released to The Associated Press.

The documents, released in response to a Freedom of Information request, come as the agency is under scrutiny for how it promotes its agenda.

The total spending includes a $1.3 million contract with the Ketchum public relations firm – $240,000 of which went to conservative commentator Armstrong Williams for ads and other promotions of President Bush's education law. The hiring of a media figure has proven embarrassing for the administration and prompted investigations into charges of propaganda.

New Accounts
Johannesburg-based PR company 24-7 Solutions have been re-appointed by Biz Events (Pty) Ltd for the third consecutive year, as the official media and Public Relations agency to manage publicity of the 2005 National Show, to be held at the Coca Cola Dome, Northgate from August 26-28.

High tech specialists, Dittoe Public Relations (http://www.dittoepr.com/), has been retained build awareness in the US of Cordiant Technologies, a global offshore software outsourcing company from India, which has recently opened a subsidiary, Cordiant Technologies Americas, Inc, in Princeton, NJ.

Harold Burson On Current Trends
Harold Burson, the confidante of corporate CEOs globally for more than 50 years and a titan of the industry acclaimed by PR Week as "the most influential PR figure" of the 20th century, is to address the Fairfield County Public Relations Association on Wednesday, in Norwalk, CT on May 18.

Burson is to assess the trends influencing the current PR marketplace and look back at the spirit and evolution of Burson-Marsteller where he is still active today as founder chairman.

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