{"id":25442,"date":"2019-08-16T00:00:34","date_gmt":"2019-08-16T04:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/?p=25442"},"modified":"2019-08-16T10:00:32","modified_gmt":"2019-08-16T14:00:32","slug":"internal-monsanto-documents-reveal-the-companys-deceptive-disinformation-campaign-against-critics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/2019\/08\/internal-monsanto-documents-reveal-the-companys-deceptive-disinformation-campaign-against-critics\/","title":{"rendered":"Internal Monsanto Documents Reveal the Company’s Deceptive Disinformation Campaign against Critics"},"content":{"rendered":"

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(Beyond Pesticides<\/em>, August 16, 2019) Chemical industry giant Monsanto used military-style surveillance and response tactics to target critics, newly released documents reveal. Disclosed as a result of ongoing court battles<\/a> regarding the health impacts of the weed killer Roundup, internal communications from 2014-2017 highlight Monsanto\u2019s \u201cintelligence fusion center\u201d that monitored potential threats to the industry and spread retaliatory responses through third-party sources.<\/p>\n

As reported by The Guardian<\/a>, there were numerous, alarming findings in the documents released via the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). For instance, a spreadsheet titled, \u201cProject Spruce: Carey Gillam Book\u201d detailed a range of strategic responses in the lead-up to the release of Carey Gillam\u2019s Whitewash: The Story of a Weed Killer, Cancer, and the Corruption of Science<\/em><\/a>. This included paying Google to promote an existing blog post when users searched, \u201cMonsanto Glyphosate Carey Gillam.\u201d Additionally, the group wrote up \u201ctalking points\u201d for third parties to critique the book and post negative reviews. Ms. Gillam noted in an op-ed<\/a>, \u201cShortly after the book\u2019s publication, dozens of \u201creviewers\u201d suddenly posted one-star reviews sharing suspiciously similar themes and language. The efforts were not very successful as Amazon removed many reviews it deemed fake or improper.\u201d<\/p>\n

Internal emails exposed that Monsanto representatives would call editors of Ms. Gillam\u2019s then-employer, Reuters, to complain and mount pressure on the institution regarding her reporting on their products and the lawsuits against them. Monsanto media relations executive Sam Murphy wrote in an email, \u201cWe continue to push back on her editors very strongly every chance we get, and we all hope for the day she gets reassigned.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ms.Gillam was not the only personality in the Monsanto spotlight \u2013 \u201cFusion Center\u201d employees carefully observed and reported on singer Neil Young who produced a rebellious, environmentally-focused album called \u201cThe Monsanto Years.\u201d The group monitored his social media accounts\u00a0and considered legal action in retaliation.<\/p>\n

U.S. Right to Know (USRTK), a non-profit investigative research group focused on the food industry, was threatening enough to Monsanto that it merited weekly reports. Monsanto was particularly concerned about the release of information regarding financial relationships with scientists that could be used as evidence that the industry was \u201ccovering up unflattering research.\u201d<\/p>\n

USRTK detailed<\/a> the use of third-party sources Monsanto used to counteract the agency, noting:<\/p>\n