John E. Calfee

Advertising is often blamed for manipulating people and persuading them to buy products they neither want nor need. In the following viewpoint, John E. Calfee argues that, contrary to the claims of critics, advertising is beneficial to consumers in a number of ways. For example, according to Calfee, advertisements provide the public with information about health issues and about new treatments for medical problems. In addition, he states, competition among advertisers often leads them to reveal harmful information about their products or to lower their prices. Calfee is a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank in Washington, D.C., and the author of Fear of Persuasion: A New Perspective on Advertising and Regulation.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. According to the author, how did the Kellogg Corporation work with the...