PR Newswire Broadcast Minute for Monday January 24, 2005

PR Newswire Broadcast Minute for Monday January 24, 2005 Little Optimism But Much Idealism for Iraq After the Elections Public attitudes toward the upcoming elections in Iraq are decidedly mixed, according to a new Harris Poll. Only a third of the U-S public believes the situation in Iraq will improve after the elections, and less than a third believes that the elections will lead to a reasonably free and democratic system of government. Less than a quarter of the public thinks that Iraq will be a model which will help spread freedom and democracy in the Middle East. And less than one in five believes that the elections will enable most U-S troops to leave Iraq in the next year, or that there will be a reduction in the number of attacks on U-S troops there. Full story at: http://media.prnewswire.com/en/jsp/main.jsp?resourceid=2858484 Problems at the Top - Apathy, Contempt for Managers More than half of American workers question the basic morality of their organizations' top leaders and say that their managers do not treat them fairly, according to results of a just-released, representative, nationwide survey of over seven thousand American workers aged 18 and over. Reacting to ongoing corporate scandals, accelerating outsourcing and continued downsizing, only 36 percent of workers said they believed top managers acted with honesty and integrity. Even fewer believe management cares about advancing employee skills, while one-third of all workers feel they have reached a dead end at their jobs. Sponsored by 24 leading U-S companies, the "New Employer/Employee Equation Survey" was conducted by Harris Interactive for Age Wave. Full story at: http://media.prnewswire.com/en/jsp/main.jsp?resourceid=2858322 Jeans Too Tight? 50 Percent of Adults Can Blame Their Genes If you're a middle-aged guy who's packed on the pounds and now is battling to take them off, it's a 50-50 shot that your jeans are fitting tighter because of your genes, according to a Saint Louis University School of Public Health study. Sets of twins who served in the military during the Vietnam War were studied-- some identical (who share the same genes) and some fraternal (who share half their genes) -- and found that genes account for more than 50 percent of the change in Body Mass Index. How we deal with our environment -- what we eat, the amount we eat and how much we exercise -- accounts for the other 50 percent. It's tough enough for Joe Six Pack to take off weight. But for those whose genes predispose them to be heavy, weight loss is going to be difficult -- really difficult -- and take extra effort. Full story at: http://media.prnewswire.com/en/jsp/main.jsp?resourceid=2858023 Sarah Jessica Parker to Make Encore Appearance in Gap's Spring Marketing Campaign Gap has announced that Sarah Jessica Parker has signed on to represent the brand in its spring marketing campaign, marking the third consecutive season that Parker will represent Gap. Comprised of television, print, direct mail, online and in-store marketing elements, the campaign starring Ms. Parker breaks in mid-February with print ads in March issues of magazines including InStyle, Vanity Fair, Vogue, Elle and Lucky. As part of the new campaign Parker will also be featured in a series of T-V spots, the first of which will debut in early March 1. Full story at: http://media.prnewswire.com/en/jsp/main.jsp?resourceid=2858185 The PR Newswire Broadcast Minute is available by email at no charge to members of the media who sign up for PR Newswire for Journalists ( http://www.prnewswire.com/media ). For more information, contact Rob Fisher at 408-365-8793 or email rob.fisher@prnewswire.com . PRNewswire -- Jan. 24 Source: PR Newswire ------- Profile: International Entertainment