DOW Breast Implant Media Plan

[Guest guest]

Dow Breast Implant Media Plan

USSW NEWS

United Silicone Survivors of the World

October 1996

Offical Journal - International Circulation

Dow Corning & Burson-Marsteller

Public Relations firm manipulate Public Opinion (1991)

The following document was obtained in discovery in

the breast implant litigation. It contains a detailed

proposal by Burson-Marsteller Public Relations of

october 14, 1991 outlining Dow's public relations

efforts prior to anticipated FDA hearings on the

saftey of Breast Implants.

PRE-FDA HEARING MEDIA PLAN

Objectives

1- secure maximum exposure for key positive messages,

primarily; ....breast implanst are safe, ...women need

and value them,...each woman has a right to make her

own informed decision

2- stimulate general public to contact Congress and

the FDA

3- establish fair media climate for advisory panel

hearing

4- lay groundwork for additional stories at time of

hearing

Audiences

1- women and the general public

2- Washington opinion leaders

3- the media itself

Strategies

1- use existing doctor and patient spokespersons

wherever possible

2- work with patient support groups, tying into their

activities

3- keep trying to obtain celebrity spokespersons for

work with high-profile broadcast media

4- utilize Dow Corning events as pertinent

5- follow up with cadre of patients who handled fly-in

(or encourgae ASPRS to do so) to stimulate further

activity

ACTIVITIES

PHASE 1 - NOW UNTIL END OF OCTOBER

Stories of individual patients and doctors who have

sympathetic, perspectives

Trained patient spokespersons

1- see attached APPENDIX on patients spokespersons

from San Francisco, Atlanta and Los Angeles, already

trained.

2- activities now beginning with patient spokespersons

from Tampa, Miami and Washington, D.C., already

trained. Training being held this week with patients

from Houston, Dallas, Baltimore and Chicago.

3- B-M offering media support to each spokesperson in

her local market

4- most successful / assured spokespersons to be

offered to national media and as part of editorial

board briefings (see)

Trained physician spokespersons

1- eleven surgeons already trained during ASPRS

convention in Seattle

2- B-M / Dow Corning is sending them periodic mailings

to stimulate activity

3- no word as yet from ASPRS on their actual activity

(forms to be sent to ASPRS)

4- B-M Dow Corning willing to provide additional

training to doctors, either to expand local market

reach or to prepare some doctors for national media

work

---- Dow Corning needs input from Dr. Cole regarding

key oncologists and other specialists who should be

" on call " , can this be arranged ?

--- B-M recommends that ASPRS continue to pepper

doctors and patients from " fly-in " with mailings

designed to stimulate their letters, speeches, media

activity.

Work - to set up hearing by Congressional Women's

Caucus

5- B-M to contact office of Rep. Rose Oakar

(D-OH) ASAP to try to stimulate this.

6- depending on specific, 3-M will follow up to

develop media approach, including Washington based

press conference the week of the hearings

Contact top-medical columnists

1- B-M drafting letters asking columnist to inform

readers about danger that FDA may be pursued to ban

implants

2- letter to be sent by trained patient

spokesperson(s) depending on where newspaper is

located

3- selected spokesperson also to send letter to

national health writers, such as Jane Brody of NEW

YORK TIMES etc

4- letter also ask columnist for presentation of

balanced view of risks / benefits to reassure those

with implants, override media hysteria

5- send the columnist a copy of FDA's own background

on implants as source material

Contact top national issues columnists with

information on women's right issue

1- letter from selected patient spokesperson to key

columnists such as Anita Quindlen, Jack Kilpatrick.

Additional story ideas.

Basic governing idea of most stories: many patients

and doctors are very concerned and upset that the FDA

is being pressured to ban implants by Cong. Ted Weiss

and others.

2- the first implant patient, Timmy Lidsey of

Houston, is still active and a strong advocate of

implants' benefits and a woman's right to choose

--- B-M to pitch niche Houston papers, wire service,

national women's media

--- feature: the nation's first woman plastic surgeon,

78-year old Alma Morani of Philadelphia, served Grace

's family, now retired, she strongly supports the

endangered breast implant and a woman's right to

choose

--- B-M to pitch to Philadelphia media, national media

3- feature: two Chicago plastic surgeons were

motivated to help women recover from breast cancer via

reconstruction after both their mothers died of breast

cancer

--- B-M to pitch to Chicago newspapers, especially for

possible syndication by TRIBUNE

--- feature: the doctor who " wrote the book " on breast

reconstruction, Bob Goldwyn of Harvard, is angry over

misguided political attempts to ban breast implants

--- B-M to contact national print media, Boston area

newspapers

4- news item: survey work by medical publisher

Berger shows that the vast majority of breast cancer

patients who have been reconstructed find implants

very valuable.

--- K. Berger is considering how this might be used

for news value

--- if she agrees, B-M will pitch story to wire

services

5- news item: national survey of women being

commissioned to determine support for woman's right to

make an informed decision

--- B-M setting up survey, will craft result into wire

service story

6-feature: Y-Me, which started out as a low key

support group for breast cancer patients, has become

active on Capitol Hill, seeking funding for cancer

research and maintenance of a woman's right to choose

breast implants.

---B-M will work with Pam DeLuca, president of Y-Me,

to approach Chicago media (e.g Ann Childers of

ABC-TV affiliate) and possibily national media

7- B-M to work with My Image after Breast Cancer,

local Washington, D.C. breast cancer support group

affiliated with Y-Me, to generate all possible media

coverage

--- pitch Washington women's healthcare media on

october 19th talk - Dr. B. Love at Bethesda

Naval Hospital (talk sponsered by My Image)

--- investigate My Image's other planned activities,

such as their possible protest letter regarding Connie

Chung's Emmy nomination

--- pitch Rosemary Locke, My Image founder, to " 48

hours " to show " 48 hours in the life of an activist

breast cancer patient " .

8- approach ABC-TV's " Nightline " to self balanced

examination of issue, tied to upcoming FDA advisory

panel

--- B-M working to attract Dr. B. Love as

spokesperson (well-regarded author, and strong

interviewer - out until october 15)

--- alternatives: Reps. Rose Oakar or Jolene

Unsoeld, and/or a very strong patient spokesperson

such as Rosemary Locke (My Image) or Darcy Sixt.

--- high-stakes gambit, but could secure balanced,

fair treatment if spokesperson is strong.

9-take above spokesperson to electronic morning shows

" i.e. GOOD MORNING AMERICA, TODAY, CBS THIS MORNING

--- Tie to hearings

--- alternative spokespersonL Mrs. Priscilla Mack,

Sen. Mack's wife, who was on " GMA " prior to her recent

surgery

10-work with Berger, medical publisher, who is

contacting Barbara Walters (20/20) and Art Ulene

(TODAY)

--- B-M in touch with Mrs. Berger, should train het if

she secures placement.

--- again, her recent survey work should be peg

--- possible tie-in with Dr. Bostwick, her

co-author, and Dr. Bostwick's patient Hilda .

Editorial board briefings:

1- pitt together team of oncologists or other doctors,

two patients, Dow Corning spokesperson

2- focus on need (doctor), rights (patients), safety

(Dow Corning).

3- B-M to begin pitching, now, to major national

media: NEW YORK TIMES, WALL STREET JOURNAL, WASHINGTON

POST, WASHINGTON TIMES, LOS ANGELES TIMES, CHICAGO

TRIBUNE, USA TODAY

4- other mior market newspapers, top 10-15 markets

5- seek meeting with key editorialists, Washington

reporters, and appropriate women's / health editors

and writers, for firts week in november (or earlier if

necessary)

6- B-M to provide media training for all participants

Washington Press Conference

1- hold the week of Congressional Women's Caucus

hearings, or (if hearings don't materialize) just as

lead-up to FDA advisory panel hearing

--- Rep. Rose Oakar (D-OH) to try to set up (B-M

to contact)

--- Press conference should include Rep. Oakar, Mrs.

Priscilla Mack (Sen. Mack's wife, B-M to contact), and

/ or Jolene Unsoeld (D-WA) (B-M to contact)

- B-M checking on possible women's groups who might be

interested in participating Press.conference to be,

held on Capitol Hill. Key message: maintain women's

right to choose.

--- invite all Washington-based media who follow

women's issues.

2- Premature to set plans in light of rapidly changing

situation. However, activities may include:

--- develop feature stories on each breast cancer

patient used as a panel presenter in favor of implants

(speakers still to be selected)

--- disseminate any prepared remarks to all media who

had received editorial board visits the week before,

as well as other interested media

--- B-M to provide spokesperson training to all

participants.

--- develop range of scenarios for possible outcome;

prepare to pitch " day after " stories based on each

scenario

APPENDIX A -

DOW CORNING WRIGHT TARGETED

MEDIA LIST - MEDIUM CONTACT

Wire Service

-Associated Press - Debbie Mesce // -Copley News

Service // - // -Gannett News Service - Ellen Hale

// -Gillett // -Knight Ridder - Bosley //

-Medill // -Reuters - Irwin Arieff // -Scripps -

// -United press International -

Kohlberg //

National Publications

-Business Week - Garland // -Chicago Tribune,

Nick Horrick, Marjorie // -Forbes - Janet Novak

// -Fortune - Les // -Newsday - Earl Lane //

-Newsweek - Hager // -New York Times - Philip

Hilts // -Time - Doyle // -USA Today - Kim

Painter, Relmich // -Wall Street Journal -

Marilyn Chase, Jerry Bishop // -Washington Post -

Sally Squires, Abigail Tratfford // -Washington Times

- Cimons, Steinbrook // -U.S. News and

World Report - Joanne Silberner //

Regional Newspapers

-Atlanta Journal Constitution - Mike King //

-Baltimore Sun - Jonathon Bore // -Boston Globe - Judy

Foreman // -Boston Herald - Brink // -Chicago

Sun Times - Wolinsky // -Cleveland Plain Dealer

- Gilfeather // -Dallas Times Herald -

Schultz // -Dallas Morning News - Rita Rubin //

-Denver Post - Diane Eicher // -Detroit news - Dwight

Angell // -Detroit Free press - Pat Anslett // -Fort

Worth Star Telegram - Caroline Poirot //

-Ft.Lauderdale News / Sun Sentinel - McVicar //

-Hartford Courant - Spencer // -Houston

Chronicle - Ruth Sorelle // -Long Beach Press Telegram

- Mike Schwartz // -Miami Herald - Monroe //

-Minneapolis Star Tribune - Cope // -New Haven

Register - Dave // -New York Daily News -

Hairston // -New York Newsday - Gayle // -Orange

County Register - Mike Hewitt // -Orlando Sentinel -

Delthia Ricks // -Phoenix Gazette - Hoye //

-Philadelphia Daily news - Flanner //

-Philidelphia Inquirer - Drake // -Pittsburgh

Post Gazette - Henry Pierce // -Rocky Mountain News -

Kris Newcomer // -Sacremento Bee - Ellen

Haynes // -San Diego Tribune - Duerksen // -San

Diego Union - Rex Dalton // -San francisco Examiner -

Tom Dowling, Kreiger // -San Fransisco Chronicle

- Petit // -Seattle Post intelligence - Tom

son // -Seattle Times - Warren King // -St.

Pioneer Press - Tom Majeski // -St.sburg Times -

Carol Gentry // -St.Louis Post Dispatch - Signor

// -The Arizona Republic - Dave Cannella // The

Evening Sun - Sue // -The Houston Post - D.J.

//

Broadcast

-ABC World News Tonight - Dr. ,

Sergel // -Better Health - Brown // -CBS Evening

News - Eddie Magnus, Bob Epstein // -CBS Good Morning

// -CNBC // -CNN - Holts, Rhonda Rowland //

-Consumer Health // -Fox Morning News // -Good Morning

America // -Healthcare - // -Health and You

- Tom Livingston // -Health facts - Ann Napoli //

-Health Progress - Hume // -Health science -

// -Health resources - Diane Price //

-Health World - Jeff Kravitz // -Hippocratis //

-Longevity - Kerrin Griffith // -MacNeil Lehre

Newshour - Suzanne Allard // -Nation's Business Today

// -NBC Nightly News - Bob Basell // -New Body

Magazine - Nayda Rondon // -Preventionm - Vaughn

// -Shape - Kathy Tomlinson // -The Good Health

Magazine // - The Today Show // -Your Health -

Gregg //

Consumer Newsletters

-Harvard Medical School Health Letter - Dr.

Bennet // -University of California, Berkeley,

Wellness Letter - editor // - The s Hopkins

Newsletter, Health after 50 // American Hospital

Association - outreach editor // -Better Health -

editor // -Health by Choice - editor // -The Health

reporter -editor // Healthline - editor // Wellness

Associates Newsletter - // -General

Medical - Bill Ingrarn // -Physician's weekly - Mark

Bloom // - Moodern Medicine - son //

-Medical world News - Don Gibbons // -Plastic Surgery

News // - Plastic and Reconstructive Sugery //

Amercian Journal of reconstructive Surgery //

Women's Magazines

-Family Circle - phson // -Good Housekeeping

- Troiano // -Ladies Home Journal - Nelly

edmonson Gupta // -McGall's - June Chou // -Redbook -

Tom Hope // -Woman's Day - Diane Debrovner // -Lear's

- Delia Marshall //

APPENDIX B -

DOW CORNING WRIGHT SPOKESWOMEN

GRASSROOTS PROGRAM - progress Update October 11, 1991

San Francisco - Darcy Sixt

1- New York Times - has an interview either 10/13 or

10/14 with Jane gross, a reporter from Berkeley who

currently is covering the negative side of the story

in L.A. Story is scheduled to appear in the national

edition, but don't yet have date secured, Will advise.

Called Darcy due to referral of San Francisco Y-Me

chapter.

2- Ann Landers, adapted a sample letter we wrote and

sent in care of the San Mercury News. See

attached.

3-KTVU - will do taping 10/18 with reporter

Gallagher for morning show out of Oakland either at

7:50 a.m. or 8:50 a.m.

4-San Francisco Chronicle - wrote letter to the

editor, see attached

5-People Magazine, wrote letter in response to recent

Ann Jillian piece. See attached.

6-KPIX - wrote letter to local Tv station, awaiting

response

7-San Mercury News - will contact Donna Alvarado,

Medical editor

8-Dr. Kessler - see attached letter

9- Y-Me , making presentation to San Francisco group

10/22

Atlanta - Hilda

1- CNN, have interview scheduled with Dutchman,

medical reporter, for 10/28. Will be a 2:30 piece

focusing on women with breast cancer and their

daughters; if implants are banned, what are their

daughters left with ? Will also interview Bostwick,

scheduled to air 11/1 or 11/2.

3 Channel 46, conducted interview on 10/10 with

Green for a Nws at 10 piece. Also interviewed her

surgeon, Dr. Bostwick / Emory University and a

woman with problem-free implants for 20 years. Should

air 10/16 or 10/17.

- Spokeswomen Grassroots Program - Progress Updated

october 1991

4 Gwinitt Daily News , conducted interview with

reporter at Atlanta's second largest daily for this

Sunday's (10/13) features section

5- letter to the editor, sent to Atlanta Daily world

and other suburban papers.

-Queries, talked to atlanta Journal / Constitution,

several suburban papers and several Tv stations.Will

continue pursuing.

-Letter wrting , encouraging group of daughters of

women with implants to write to Kessler and

congressional members

- 'Race for the Cure' 10/26 , May have group of 10

from her Bosom Buddies Top Hat Review walk in the

one-mile portion carrying a banner announcing the

right to informed decision. Checking with race

organizers for approval.

Los Angeles - Sheila Berkman

- KOH, conducting interview with Reno Radio station

satellited to mountain-area radio stations

- has been out of town for one week, pursuing media

now.

Miami - Ann Marks

- 20/20, reporter contacted her regarding another

issue at Baptist Hospital; pitched implant story and

will be conducting interview next week. Will advise as

details arise.