How PR is leveraged to bullshit the public

Organizations leverage public relations techniques to manage crises, often utilizing specialized language to control narratives, freeze out critical press scrutiny, and apply "swine cosmetics"—a PR term for putting a positive spin on an ugly situation. By dictating what information is released and when, organizations can obscure deeper secrets and avoid accountability. [1, 2, 3] 

The Crisis Management Lexicon 
Public relations institutes and strategic communication agencies have built a sophisticated lexicon designed to freeze out aggressive reporters and sanitize unfavorable truths.

• Swine Cosmetics: The practice of "putting lipstick on a pig." This involves reframing a disastrous situation or deeply flawed policy using carefully selected, sterilized buzzwords to make it appear palatable to the public. 
• Controlling the Narrative: Establishing a single, rigid version of events that dictates which facts are prioritized, steering the public's focus away from systemic failures. 
• Strategic Ambiguity: Using vague or complex language intentionally so that an organization avoids making a definitive statement that can later be used against them in a legal or public context. 

Boilerplate Press Release Elements [4]
When a crisis hits, organizations frequently deploy pre-drafted "holding statements". While they project an image of transparency, these statements are often constructed to buy time and release as few hard facts as possible. Common boilerplate elements include:

• Acknowledge the seriousness of the situation: Standard public relations frameworks dictate that an organization must lead with care and validate public concern, stabilizing the narrative before facts are thoroughly verified. 
• Reaffirm core organizational values: PR strategies heavily lean on reinforcing commitments to broader concepts like health, safety, and transparency. This psychologically reassures the audience by associating the brand with positive, uncontroversial ideals, rather than the immediate incident at hand. 
• The rationale for releasing limited information: Organizations protect ongoing investigations, legal liabilities, or core secrets by citing the need to "prevent the spread of misinformation" or stating that "it would be inappropriate to speculate while the investigation is ongoing." This effectively justifies a media freeze and allows the organization to control the timeline of future disclosures. [11, 12]  

[1] https://www.5wpr.com/new/what-is-crisis-pr-a-comprehensive-guide-to-managing-communication-during-critical-times/
[2] https://www.linkedin.com/top-content/marketing/crisis-communication-in-marketing/public-relations-strategies-in-crisis-management/
[3] https://ivypanda.com/essays/public-relations-and-their-functions/
[4] https://channelvmedia.com/blog/what-is-a-boilerplate-in-a-press-release/
[5] https://www.trizcom.com/blog/crisis-holding-statements
[6] https://elliotcommunications.com/key-steps-for-effective-pr-crisis-management/
[7] https://goelastic.com/crisis-communication-for-nonprofits/
[8] https://www.trizcom.com/blog/crisis-communication-examples
[9] https://www.trizcom.com/blog/crisis-communication-examples
[10] https://www.topofmind-pr.com/why-transparency-with-your-pr-agency-prevents-reputational-risk/
[11] https://www.prsa.org/article/trust-and-transparency-in-times-of-crisis
[12] https://www.5wpr.com/new/the-role-of-transparency-in-crisis-pr/

The History of Ford's Assembly Plant in Des Moines, Iowa

 

The Central Campus building of Des Moines Public Schools, located at 1800 Grand Avenue, is a historic six-story brick-and-masonry structure that was originally built by the Ford Motor Company in 1917–1918 as a Model T assembly plant. It was designed to serve as a massive factory, with dimensions equivalent to six football fields, and later retooled to produce aircraft engines during WWII. [1, 2, 3]

Key Historical Milestones

• 1917-1918: Constructed by Ford Motor Company.
• 1920-1932: Served as an assembly plant for Model T, Model A, and later models.
• 1932-1943: Operated as a Ford sales service branch and warehouse.
• WWII Era: Retooled for Solar aircraft engine manufacturing.
• 1953-1986: Transformed into Des Moines Technical High School (known as "Tech High").
• 1986-Present: Became Central Campus, a regional magnet career-technical academy serving high school students throughout central Iowa. [1, 3, 4, 5]

Educational Evolution - In 1982, the district began the transition from Technical High School to Central Campus to offer specialized high-quality courses that were not available at local high schools. Today, it functions as a "Regional Academy" for Des Moines Public Schools, housing state-of-the-art curricula ranging from automotive technology—which still uses part of the original assembly plant layout—to marine biology, animal science, and culinary arts. The facility was undergoing major, multi-phase renovations as of 2013. [1, 6, 7]

[1] https://www.dmschools.org/2013/05/central-campus-shows-off-great-facilities-world-class-programs/

[2] https://www.businessrecord.com/the-elbert-files-model-ts-made-here/

[3] https://www.facebook.com/groups/321984247570392/posts/549033518198796/

[4] https://centralcampus.dmschools.org/about/central-campus-history/

[5] https://www.dmschools.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/centennialhistorydale.pdf

[6] https://centralcampus.dmschools.org/about/central-campus-history/

[7] https://www.dmschools.org/2015/02/central-campus-returns-to-roots-in-restoring-1935-ford/

[8] https://ca.dmschools.org/about-us/wallace-homestead-building/

What's wrong with TIF?

 

Tax Increment Financing (TIF) presents several primary drawbacks, including the diversion of funds from essential public services (such as schools and parks), reduced budget transparency, inequitable distribution of wealth, and the risk of placing an unfair tax burden on property owners outside the designated TIF districts. [1, 2]

Drawbacks of Tax Increment Financing (TIF)

• Diversion from Public Services: TIF freezes the baseline property taxes available to overlapping taxing bodies. Consequently, entities like local school districts, libraries, and public safety departments lose out on growing tax revenues that would typically fund their operations.
• Budget Strain: Because TIF districts isolate increments for specific development projects, general city budgets can shrink. This reduction in unrestricted funds sometimes forces municipalities to raise tax rates on properties outside the TIF district to maintain community-wide services.
• Lack of Transparency: TIF funds can operate outside the normal civic budgeting process. This can result in limited public oversight, making it easier for funds to be misallocated to politically favored projects rather than areas with the greatest public need.
• Gentrification & Displacement: Subsidies used in TIF districts often accelerate rising property values and rents, forcing long-term residents and local, small-scale businesses out of the area.
• Overstated Returns on Investment: TIFs are intended for developments that would not occur "but for" the subsidy. However, municipalities frequently use them on projects that would have occurred naturally, resulting in a waste of public funds.
• Financial Risk: If a development fails to generate the anticipated property or sales tax revenue, municipalities are often left to cover the municipal bonds or debt issued to fund the initial infrastructure. [2, 9]

[1] https://www.lincolninst.edu/pt-br/publications/articles/why-tax-increment-financing-often-fails-how-communities-can-do-better/

[2] https://www.facebook.com/groups/1508709089408538/posts/3855008558111901/

[3] https://www.civicfed.org/tif-primer

[4] https://www.erisinfo.com/blogs/tax-increment-financing/

[5] https://shelterforce.org/2026/03/17/tax-increment-financing-harms-cities-lets-rein-it-in/

[6] https://equitablegrowth.org/tax-increment-financing-and-u-s-infrastructure/

[7] https://search.proquest.com/openview/628937dd64a1b254f512f665b228823a/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=38209

[8] https://www.sierraclub.org/missouri/blog/2013/06/tax-increment-financing-race-bottom-hurts-our-environment

[9] https://www.lwm-info.org/DocumentCenter/View/2109/Managing-the-Risks-of-Tax-Increment-Financing-Matt-Dregne