New Britain herald., 1930-07-19
MILLIONS SPENT
 ON FAKE PUBLICITY
Bunk Artists Sell" Writeups to
 Gullible Executives

New York, July 19 (UP)-In the mistaken belief that they can Buy their way into the news columns of reputable newspapers, business executives are spending more than S1,00O.OOO year, recent an- nouncement Of the National Better Business Bureau reveals.
 For a fee ranging from s10O to s1,0o0, depending on what the traf- fic will bear, some 20 odd firms styling themselves Press Bureaus" or Press Syndicates' Or Press As- sociations" offer to prepare and publish a short but favorable biog- raphy of the subject. for distribu- tion, ranging upward to approxi- mately 1000 newspa pers throughout the country. The solicitors repre- sent that the newspapers will vel come the biographies, but based upon it's survey of newspapers the National Better Business Bureau re- ports that the vast majority of the newspapers replying to the Bureaus inquiry, promptly consign these un- solicited and undesired biographies to the waste basket Some news papers report that they retain some of the complimentary biographies, in the belief that they are accurate as to dates and names and therefore useful for reference purposes.
 Text of Statement
 The statement from the National T21,cipac- tinues:
 Although some of these 'writeup' concerns do not misrepresent their identity. others find it easier to get subscriptions by permitting their clients to believe that they represent one of the accredited press associa- tions, such as the United Press, As sociated Press and International News Service. These recognized agencies that furnish a wire service to the press exclusively do not pan handle executives for 'write-ups'
 According to complaints to the Bureau a number of business men have contributed for a biography service believing that they were dealing with the L: P, A P, or the L N. S, and have been much chag- rined to find out that these wire services never solicit nor accept money from individuals or corpora tions for biographical matter When the needs of their services require biographical data they have ample facilities for obtaining it and for warding it to their subscribers.
 Some Use Threats
 "Tnstances have been reported to the bureau indicating that some of the so-called associations have threatened to publish uncomplimen- tary biographies if the subject re- fused 10 subscribe for a favorable one. A prominent government Of fcial now representing the United States abroad has written to the Bureau stating that several years ago, following the occasion of his wife's being presented at the Court Of St. James, he was deluged with offers to publish his photograph and biography all Of which he declined. When he refused, however. certain of the solicitors stated that they would go ahead with the biography and that it wouldn't be compliment tary.
 "Giory Sheet Racket
 Another from of the puff of glory sheet scheme is the publica- ton of magazines containing com plimentary write-ups exclusively. Here the scheme is worked by re- writing some news item that appear ed in the press about some prom inent firm or executive and then tel ephoning to the subject of the write up to check on it's accuracy. These publishers adopt a name similar to such legitimate publications as Ma tion's Business or System Magazine When the telephone call is made the subject believes he is dealing with