Hill & Knowlton
Encyclopedia
Hill & Knowlton is a global public relations
company, headquartered in New York City
, United States
, with 79 offices in 44 countries. Hill & Knowlton was founded in Cleveland, Ohio
in 1927 by John W. Hill and is today led by Chairman & CEO, Paul Taaffe. It is owned by the WPP Group
.
Hill, a pro-business Republican
, made his mark representing steel companies in labor disputes during the 1930s. His firm later became known for serving a series of highly controversial customers.
. As a result “A Frank Statement” was released to nearly every major newspaper and magazine, which suggested that cigarettes had no verifiable links to cancer. The tobacco industry remained a Hill & Knowlton client until 1968.
H&K earned over $10.8 mm for their work, paid by "Citizens for a Free Kuwait
", an organization funded almost entirely by the Kuwaiti government.
One controversial maneuver was the arrangement of the testimony of the Kuwait ambassador's daughter as “Nurse Nayirah
” to the Congressional Human Rights Caucus on October 10, 1990. Nayirah falsely testified that she had witnessed Iraqi soldiers killing hundreds of premature babies at the al-Addan hospital in Kuwait City. This lie had an enormous emotional impact on the decision in US-American politics and public to support the war against Iraq. It was mentioned several times by president George H.W. Bush and other war-supporting people to manipulate the public opinion.
, to have edited a Wikipedia article in a way favorable to the government of the Maldives.
(BCCI) following its drug-money laundering indictment. According to the BCCI affair report to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the United States Senate, H&K's actions raised questions concerning a conflict between H&K as a public relations firm and the public interest.
to Siberia on a private jet for Russian oil giant Rosneft
.
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
company, headquartered in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, with 79 offices in 44 countries. Hill & Knowlton was founded in Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
in 1927 by John W. Hill and is today led by Chairman & CEO, Paul Taaffe. It is owned by the WPP Group
WPP Group
WPP plc is a global media communications services company with its main management office in London, United Kingdom and its executive office in Dublin, Ireland. It is the world's largest advertising group by revenues, and employs over 150,000 people in 2,400 offices in 107 countries...
.
History
Hill, a former reporter and financial columnist, started the firm in Cleveland in 1927; it became Hill & Knowlton when a public relations director for a defunct bank, Donald Knowlton, joined shortly thereafter. Hill moved the headquarters to New York in 1934 and managed the firm until 1962.Hill, a pro-business Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
, made his mark representing steel companies in labor disputes during the 1930s. His firm later became known for serving a series of highly controversial customers.
Tobacco industry
In 1953, members of the tobacco industry hired the firm to help counteract then recent scientific findings that suggested cigarette smoking led to lung cancerLung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
. As a result “A Frank Statement” was released to nearly every major newspaper and magazine, which suggested that cigarettes had no verifiable links to cancer. The tobacco industry remained a Hill & Knowlton client until 1968.
Government of Kuwait
In 1990, H&K led over 20 other American PR firms in the "largest foreign-funded campaign ever aimed at manipulating American public opinion", according to the liberal Center for Media and DemocracyCenter for Media and Democracy
The Center for Media and Democracy is a non-profit investigative reporting group. The CMD gives analysis and opinion on policies such as the economy, environment and national security...
H&K earned over $10.8 mm for their work, paid by "Citizens for a Free Kuwait
Citizens for a Free Kuwait
Citizens for a Free Kuwait was an astroturf operation established by the Kuwaiti government to persuade the US public to look favourably on US military action in the Persian Gulf...
", an organization funded almost entirely by the Kuwaiti government.
One controversial maneuver was the arrangement of the testimony of the Kuwait ambassador's daughter as “Nurse Nayirah
Nurse Nayirah
Nayirah refers to the controversial testimony given before the non-governmental Congressional Human Rights Caucus on October 10, 1990, by a female who provided only her first name, Nayirah...
” to the Congressional Human Rights Caucus on October 10, 1990. Nayirah falsely testified that she had witnessed Iraqi soldiers killing hundreds of premature babies at the al-Addan hospital in Kuwait City. This lie had an enormous emotional impact on the decision in US-American politics and public to support the war against Iraq. It was mentioned several times by president George H.W. Bush and other war-supporting people to manipulate the public opinion.
Governments around the world
The company has frequently been criticized for its work with governments that tried to improve their reputation when they were accused of human rights violations such as Indonesia, Turkey, and the Maldives. Hill & Knowlton were found through WikiScannerWikiScanner
WikiScanner was a tool which consisted of a publicly searchable database that linked millions of anonymous edits on the free online encyclopedia Wikipedia to the organizations where those edits apparently originated, by cross-referencing the edits with data on the owners of the associated block of...
, to have edited a Wikipedia article in a way favorable to the government of the Maldives.
Bank of Credit and Commerce International
H&K represented the Bank of Credit and Commerce InternationalBank of Credit and Commerce International
The Bank of Credit and Commerce International was a major international bank founded in 1972 by Agha Hasan Abedi, a Pakistani financier. The Bank was registered in Luxembourg with head offices in Karachi and London. Within a decade BCCI touched its peak...
(BCCI) following its drug-money laundering indictment. According to the BCCI affair report to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the United States Senate, H&K's actions raised questions concerning a conflict between H&K as a public relations firm and the public interest.
Russia's entry into the EU
The company also has pushed for Russia's inclusion in the EU as a result of their engagement with pipeline project Nord Stream, promoting Nord Stream as a vehicle for EU energy diversity. The company has flown members of the European ParliamentEuropean Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
to Siberia on a private jet for Russian oil giant Rosneft
Rosneft
Rosneft is an integrated oil company majority owned by the Government of Russia. Rosneft is headquartered in Moscow’s Balchug district near the Kremlin, across the Moskva river...
.