Did Wal-Mart Wake Up? - The Arthur Page Society

from The Los Angeles Times calling it “polemical in nature” and “not a classic balanced
documentary” 36 to The Boston Globe calling it “advocacy journalism at its most
unsparing, and it demands to be seen, discussed, argued with, and acted upon.” 37
4. Wal-Mart’s Response
In April 2005 Wal-Mart opened its doors for the first time and held a two-day
press conference at its headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas. Representation from about
50 news organizations attended, including Steve Greenhouse of the New York Times and
Ron White of the Los Angeles Times. At this media conference, CEO H. Lee Scott
defended his company’s policies and condemned his opposition. According to journalist
and broadcaster Don Elkins, who attended the conference:
One also has to ask about the "poor little me" attitude coming from Wal-Mart
during these sessions. If that was intended to improve the company's image, it
didn't work. Regardless of what Scott says about wages, and regardless of what
Wal-Mart USA President Mike Duke told reporters about his company's
dedication to making Wal-Mart a better place to work for its employees, critics
have made viable complaints about wages. 38
Wal-Mart took another step several months later by hiring a team of 35
consultants from the Washington DC office of New York-based Edelman Public
Relations, along with highly prominent political advisers and lobbyists to comprise the
“war room” (known as Action Alley) that was set up at the Home Office in Bentonville.
Those among this team included two well-known presidential advisers, Michael K.
Deaver, who was Ronald Reagan’s communications director, and Leslie Dach, Bill
Clinton’s media adviser. The Edelman team divided into three groups: “promote,”
“response,” and “pressure.” The promotion team’s main objective was to ensure the
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