McLibel with Cheese

Hilbert College

Annotated Bibliography:

McLibel with Cheese

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(Note: This paper was written at the University of South Carolina)

(November 1999) "Anti McDonald's Campaign News". Online. Available http://www.mcspotlight.org/media/press/msc_nov99.html.

This site gives a briefing of current issues concerning the Anti-McDonald's Campaign, including the 15th annual Anti-McDonald's Day that was held on October 16th (which was UN World Food Day). It was a protest against the promotion of junk food, the unethical targeting of children, exploitation of workers, animal cruelty, damage to the environment, and global domination of corporations. It also detailed action taken in France on October 15th by the Confederation Paysanne Against Economic Globalization.

Bell, Justice Rodger. (1997) "Judgment: Justice Bell's Verdict". Online. Available http://www.mcspotlight.org/case/trial/verdict.html.

This is Justice Bell's 80-page paper detailing the trial between plaintiffs McDonald's Corporation and McDonald's Restaurants limited and defendants David Morris and Helen Steel. It gives the background of McDonald's and the events leading up to the trial, in addition to the verdict itself, and McSpotlight's selection of important quotes from Bell.

"Campaigns". Online. Available http://www.petaonline.org/cmp/index.html.

This site was used to find out PETAs current campaigns, including vegetarianism, fishing, College Action Campaign, and more.

"Curriculum Vitae: Mr. Justice Rodger Bell". Online. Available http://www.mcspotlight.org/../people/biogs/bell.htm.

Justice Bell's abbreviated biography - clues the reader in to the fact that Bell had never been involved in a libel case as a barrister or a judge before McLibel.

Friedrich, Bruce. (September 12, 1999) "Join in the Campaign Against McDonalds". Email.

This email offers information about PETA protests at McDonald's after the "two years of patient negotiating" following the 1997 British High Court McLibel verdict. In this case, McDonalds was found responsible for cruelty to animals. It encourages the reader to contact PETA and get involved in the protests - offers protesting materials and links to PETA's Vegetarian Website, www.meatstinks.com

Friedrich, Bruce. (October 18, 1999) "PETA Responds to McDonald's PR Pronouncements". Online. http://www.meatstinks.com/mcd/prmemo.html.

Friedrich questions McDonald's statements about "delisting" a slaughterhouse for not complying with standards. He tells McDonald's that PETA will not meet with representatives of McDonald's because of their two-year refusal of fifteen minutes.

Gross, Dr. Steven Jay. (August 12,1999) "Memo Cutting off Negotiations". Online. Available http://www.meatstinks.com/mcd/memocutoff.html.

Steven Gross accuses McDonald's of lying about commitment to animal welfare on its website when the corporation still had not hired another stunner and of lying about their actions in assigning animal welfare to the public relations department.

Gross, Dr. Steven Jay. (June 25, 1999) "Third Memo Detailing McDonald's Meeting". Online. http://www.meatstinks.com/mcd/thirdmemo.html.

In this memo, Gross questions McDonald's "leadership in the area of animal welfare" due to its lack of compliance to suggestions in PETA's other memos. He accuses the corporation of unwillingness to address farm welfare issues, to approve unannounced audits, to ask plants to meet USDA standards in stunning animals, to suggest slaughterhouses' moving into compliance with Temple Grandin's suggestions (hiring another stunner) and to impose sanctions for violations of slaughterhouse recommendations.

(February 1996) "Highly Confidential 60 Minutes Strategy McDonald's Australia". Online. Available http://www.mcspotlight/org/company/statements/60min.html.

This was a memo concerning 60 Minutes contact of Peter Ritchie, head of McDonald's Australia. It presented these arguments not to allow the interview: it was not an Australian issue, there would be local media follow-up if Ritchie spoke, it could worsen the controversy by adding McDonald's own opinion, they needed to keep the issue at arm's length to avoid guilt by association, and because a positive relationship with 60 Minutes was not a priority because of the nature of the show. Ritchie did not agree to the interview, but he said it was because it was a UK issue, that he changed his mind and the interview would no longer be appropriate because he did not want to be the only one to speak, and that he did not want to fuel a debate. The memo also set up a plan for press statements and other such issues..

(February 12, 1994) "Interview with Helen Steel and David Morris, Defendants in the McDonald's Libel Lawsuit". Online. http://www.mcspotlight.org/../people/interviews/dave_morris1.html.

This interview details the background of the case. McDonald's accused London Greenpeace of libel in the "What's Wrong with McDonald's" leaflet, and since the libel law in England is so complex, many complications arose, such as receiving witness statements on time with limited funds and the complexity being too much for a jury to make a wise decision. Possibility of censorship by multinational corporations also arose.

(October 1, 1998) "'Jesus' Visits Slaughterhouse to Deliver Vegetarian Message: Ad calls on Christians to Give Meat the Boot". Online. Available http://www.petaonline.org/news/jesusva1098.htm.

This was used for background on PETA. Jesus recently became PETA's new spokesperson because the Bible promotes vegetarianism. He has been traveling around preaching the new "doctrine". He recently visited a Virginia slaughterhouse to urge Saint Francis on October 4 by not slaughtering animals on the feast day.

"McSpotlight Photo Album". Online. Available http://www.mcspotlight.org/album/index.html.

Random facts about the case in the form of picture captions. Michael Mansfield calls McLibel the "Trial of the Century". There were 180 witnesses from 20 countries. McDonald's slaughters 10% of the world's cattle to use for hamburgers. A judge ruled that customers are responsible for litter, not McDonald's. ...

(September 16, 1999) "McDonald's Still Facing McLibel Backlash", Marketing Online. Available http://www.mcspotlight.org/media/press/marketing_sep99.html.

Marketing magazine's assessment of the response to the McLibel trial. The author quips that it was most likely a god portion of the conversation at the gathering in Chicago celebrating 25 years of UK business. The author believes that McDonald's will always be a bad guy because of the aspect of multinational capitalism.

(September, 1999) "PETA Declares October Slam McDonald's Month". Online. Available http://www.meatstinks.com/mcd/month.html.

PETA launches a massive campaign with billboards with bloody cow heads with the words "McCruelty to Go" above them, as well as news ads. Explains the conditions that animals must endure while waiting to be slaughtered.

(October 10,1999) "Ronald McDonald Ad Ban Bid - You Can Help". Online. Available http://www.mcspotlight.org/campaigns/current/itcadban_99.html.

David Morris wrote to the Independent Television calling for a ban on advertising to children. He will go to court again if the ITC rules against him. The site calls for the public to flood the ITC with complaints against advertisements appealing to children's "pester power". It includes a form letter to Steven Locke, Director of Advertising and Sponsorship.

"The McLibel Trial Story". Online. Available http://www.mcspotlight.org/case/trial/story.html.

The not-so-formal story behind McLibel - this site includes links to biographies of nearly everyone involved and gives the story behind the story, so to speak; PETA's original plans, the beginnings of the protest, and more.

"The McLibel Trial: Evidence". Online. Available http://www.mcspotlight.org/case/trial/evidence.html.

At 314 days in court, McLibel was the longest court case in British High Court history. In British High Court, the burden of truth lies on the defendant lies on the defendant, not the plaintiff, so rather than McDonald's having to prove that the contested statements were false, defendants Helen Steel and David Morris had to prove that they were true (guilty until proven innocent).

Vidal, John. (1997) McLibel: Burger Culture on Trial. Macmillan.

Two time Environmental Journalist of the Year award winner John Vidal writes about five London activists that were issued writs for libel, denied a jury trial, and forced to defend themselves because they were ineligible for legal aid. Public scrutiny of the case, which the activists lost, led to the multinational corporation, McDonald's, being on trial itself.

(1986)"What's Wrong With McDonald's". Online. Available http://www.mcspotlight.org/case/factsheet.html.

The leaflet that started it all. Originally printed by London Greenpeace as a specialist publication, over two million of the current shortened version have been distributed in the past five years.

Student enrolled in Journalism 110 are actively encouraged to use

the code from this page.

Version 7.09 (19 July).