Purdue Pharma returns to the news. If you are not aware, they developed the opioid pain killer Oxycontin & through various misdeeds made it extremely popular. Fueling the #opioidepidemic
Now we get a look at how they used the media to protect themselves from criminal charges...
Now we get a look at how they used the media to protect themselves from criminal charges...
For a background on some of the crimes they used to get rich selling dangerous opioids, you can see this thread.
threadreaderapp.com/thread/1166843…
threadreaderapp.com/thread/1166843…
The Sackler family that runs Purdue Pharma was busted for tax evasion when HSBC was forced to flip on them by DOJ...
The family donated heavily to Democrats while the company donated to the Republican half of the Swamp.
The family donated heavily to Democrats while the company donated to the Republican half of the Swamp.
But their own records showed they were recklessly misinforming doctors that Oxycontin was safe, promoting it's use & abuse for profits!
Now ProPublica has an expose on how the Sacklers & Purdue Pharma avoided the consequences for their misdeeds. It isn't pretty, and it involves many of the same techniques used in politics & other crimes.
propublica.org/article/inside…
propublica.org/article/inside…
There PR strategy started in the @NYTimes with a psychiatrist denying all of these rumors of the dangers of OxyContin. Blaming overzealous law enforcement for the 'misperceptions'. 
The NYTs hid the relationship between Satel's employer the American Enterprise Institute @AEI & Purdue Pharma!
Such as Purdue Pharma paying AEI over $800k in contributions.
Such as Purdue Pharma paying AEI over $800k in contributions.
But it also gets into the 'science' @nytimes allowed the author to quote a doctor without identifying that the doctor worked for Purdue Pharma. And they quoted a 'study' paid for by Purdue Pharma & written by employees & consultants!.
This is not just a public relations issue, it is a public health crisis that has cost 200,000 Americans their lives in the past 20 years. Enabled by Swampy lobbying, PR firms, & the media who aid & abet their efforts.
Reporters & media companies, rather then investigating the facts, turn to 'experts' at think tanks to tell them what the science means. Without revealing that the think tanks are funded by the culprits the media should be investigating.
They also used lawfare through non-disclosure agreements in court cases to keep the incriminating evidence secret. Along with founding special interest groups pretending to represent patients, but representing the profits of the Sacklers.
Even the conviction of Purdue Pharma for lying to doctors about the dangers of OxyContin in 2007 was buried in the news. Buried for a decade until the Swamp started getting drained in 2017...
The PR campaigns were effective at blocking efforts to thwart the #opioidepidemic allowing the toll to climb higher & higher. While those involved pass the buck saying their role wasn't important to the total effort.
Purdue Pharma has long managed their 'risks' by participating in & funding think tanks to influence government, media & the public.
While the @nytimes doesn't recall what happened & those editors have moved on. Wonder if they are now 'consulting' or providing PR services to some of their old clients...
The NYTs went so far as to publish an opinion piece, blaming the outcry over #opioids on "Hillbilly Heroin Addicts" trying to portray themselves as victims of the opioid manufactures. #HillbillyHeroinAddicts
Purdue Pharma celebrated while their friends at the New York Times generated the "anti-story."
Blaming the victims for the addiction...
Blaming the victims for the addiction...
But the science continued to grow, in spite of their best PR efforts.
Purdue Pharma used Dezenhall Resources for public relations, paying them large sums of money to provide cover.
Something they are famous for including defending Enron's CEO & Exxon Mobile.
Something they are famous for including defending Enron's CEO & Exxon Mobile.
They bragged of their ability to get media to not run stories, drop documentaries & promote happy opioid patient successes in the news!
AEI like other think tanks writes opinions for donations & memberships. With access to heavy hitters inside the Swamp. Companies pay fees to get to 'learn' from those experts....
AEI even managed to form a group for opioid manufacturers to have a voice for them in Washington.
With enough PR, you can get @BostonGlobe & @Reuters to make Purdue Pharma seem like the innocent victim of #opioid propaganda
The PR firm even got their mouthpiece booked on NPR.
Sounds like they even spied on host Diane Rehm's mother to know of her health conditions to be able to twist her toward supporting pain killers.
Sounds like they even spied on host Diane Rehm's mother to know of her health conditions to be able to twist her toward supporting pain killers.
They went after the @orlandosentinel for covering opioid deaths, getting reports fired. More importantly allowing opioid prescriptions & deaths to grow.
@orlandosentinel Even the @columbiajourn review realized that the Orlando Sentinel was "right too soon".
Eventually the pressure grew against #opioids that Purdue Pharma needed bigger guns to block #congressionalinvestigations eventually involving @Politico pieces to try & influence the Swamp to not blame #opioid addition on prescription usage.
But these efforts may have been far deeper into the Swamp, former DEA & DOJ officials were hired to lobby for the manufacturers.
Obama's Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole from 2010-15 was blocking @DEAHQ efforts to slow the #opioidcrisis in 2012.
Obama's Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole from 2010-15 was blocking @DEAHQ efforts to slow the #opioidcrisis in 2012.
@DEAHQ @threadreaderapp unroll
