JTI is promoted through a scholarship program, announced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, while the Anti-Smoking Law prohibits it

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21 septembrie, 2016, 17:25

Vizualizări: 1734

Author: Elena Cioina

Tobacco industry continues promoting its image in the Republic of Moldova, using indirect approaches in the collaboration with state institutions, which is prohibited by Tobacco Control Act. This year Japan American Tobacco will also fund the training of Moldovan journalists in the field of European Integration. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in partnership with Euromonitor Foundation for Excellence (Romania) and NationalCommunicationCenter (Moldova) announce the launch of the European scholarship program for 2016-2017, with financial support provided by cigarette producers. It should be noted that Tobacco Control Act of Moldova prohibits the central public authorities to accept any collaboration with tobacco industry.

According to the release, scholarship program supports “promotion and facilitation of professional training of journalists in Romania and the Republic of Moldova, who want to obtain professional expertise in the European field. This includes four steps of professional training, among which a stage of few weeks within prestigious European media organizations”. The expenses shall be covered by cigarette producers. The information was taken from the site of Euromonitor Foundation for Excellence of Romania – www.euromonitor.ro, that announces: “The launch of 2016-2017 edition: JTI European scholarship for Moldovan journalists”.

It should be noted that Article 17 (10) of Tobacco Control Act, which came into effect on September last year, prohibits central public authorities to accept “partnerships with tobacco industry, including initiatives or activities of tobacco industry, that imply social liability or can be described or perceived as socially liable; to participate, support or accept partnerships, optional or non-executive agreements, memorandums of understanding or voluntary agreements, financial or other contributions from tobacco industry, including for public training and other similar campaigns”.

Besides, JTI-Moldova funds the Program of European Scholarships for Moldovan journalists, since 2011. For example, last year five Moldovan reporters obtained scholarships from cigarette producers.

The courses were attended as well by Pirkka Tapiola, the Head of EU delegation in Chisinau. This fact was described in the press release and captured on the photos placed by MFAEI on 19 October 2015.

It should be noted, that on October 2012 the Maltese John Dalli was forced to dismiss from the post of European Commissioner, as the result of a scandal of alleged abuse of power related to tobacco industry.

The ceremony of scholarships award was held on 18 December 2015, while in Moldova the Law was already in force, and one of Moldovan journalists benefited from a professional training of three weeks within a prestigious European media organization, also funded by JTI.

Moreover, promoting and supporting journalists in various projects is an approach applied by the tobacco industry worldwide. Moldova is not an exception, given the fact, that the country is one of the poorest in Europe, and vulnerable before the giants that produce cigarettes. There are hundreds of examples, where tobacco industry has funded whole networks of journalists who shared its position and agreed to make propaganda in its favor. Many of them were employed as chiefs of media institutions, just to sustain the tobacco industry.

The tobacco industry moves the media sources to pass public attention off initiatives designed to protect people from passive smoking. One of the key elements of the strategy of manipulating mass-media, used by the tobacco industry, is attracting and using journalists for publishing studies, performed by consultants of producing companies, affirm the supporters of anti-smoking laws in studies on the approaches of promotion used by the tobacco industry worldwide.

For example, Philip Morris employed a network of journalists and funded the institution, which performed the training for them. It is referred to the USA National Journalism Centre. The company did it in order to employ the journalists who shared the position in key functions of some major editing rooms. Representatives of cigarette producers wrote that in such a way was provided the support to several journalists across the country for a period of 15 years. Also, according to researches, the tobacco industry covers various travel expenses of journalists who make propaganda in its favor.

We asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration to explain the acceptance of collaboration with the tobacco industry within a program of scholarship for journalists, whether this is contrary to Anti-Smoking Law. The media-service promised to give us an answer in the shortest time. Until publishing the news, I received no response.

We asked JTI representatives if they notified the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Chisinau of violation by the institution of Anti-Smoking Law through acceptance of collaboration with them, especially that the name of the producer appears on release published on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Chisinau. The answer was a short one: “Our Company doesn't have partnered with MFAEI. The history of European Scholarships for Journalists in Romania and Moldova is public information”.

Moreover, social liability campaigns organized by the tobacco industry worldwide are considered very effective in promoting tobacco products. Usually, they help cigarette producers to strengthen their political influence and reduce the effectiveness of Anti-Smoking Laws. They also improve the image of brands, especially among young people, forming their positive attitude towards smoking. However, slanderous attacks undermines efforts of anti-smoking activists seeking to prove the true purpose of the tobacco industry, that takes advantage especially of vulnerable social groups and passes public attention of the negative effects of smoking on health.

It should be noted that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration is the superior authority of the country in collaboration with the Secretariat of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control to which Moldova is party. The document prohibits any collaboration, including that of the social liability of the tobacco industry.