Generating news media interest in tobacco control; challenges in an advanced policy environment

BACKGROUND In September 2017, the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World (FSFW), a not-for-profit organization with a core purpose “to accelerate global efforts to reduce deaths and harm from smoking” was launched. However, the legitimacy of the FSFW’s vision has been questioned by experts in tobacco control because of the organization’s only funding partner, Philip Morris International (PMI). OBJECTIVE This study aimed to examine the response to the FSFW in Web-based and print news media to understand how the FSFW and its funding partner, PMI, were framed. METHODS News articles published within a 6-month period after the FSFW was announced were downloaded via Google News and Factiva and coded for topic, framing argument, slant, mention of tobacco control policies, and direct quotes or position statements. RESULTS A total of 124 news articles were analyzed. The news coverage of the FSFW was framed by 6 key arguments. Over half of the news articles presented a framing argument in opposition to the FSFW (64/124, 51.6%). A further 20.2% (25/124) of articles framed the FSFW positively and 28.2% of articles (35/124) presented a neutral debate with no primary slant. The FSFW was presented as not credible because of the funding link to PMI in 29.0% (36/124) of articles and as a tactic to mislead and undermine effective tobacco control measures in 11.3% of articles (14/124). However, 12.9% of articles (16/124) argued that the FSFW or PMI is part of the solution to reducing the impact of tobacco use. Evidence-based tobacco control policies were mentioned positively in 66.9% (83/124) of news articles and 9.6% (12/124) of articles presented tobacco control policies negatively. CONCLUSIONS The Web-based and print news media reporting of the formation of the FSFW and its mission and vision has primarily been framed by doubt, skepticism, and disapproval.

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US news media coverage of tobacco control issues

Tobacco Control ◽

10.1136/tc.2005.014456 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 15 (5) ◽

pp. 367-372 ◽

Cited By ~ 31

Author(s):

M. Long

Keyword(s):

Tobacco Control ◽

News Media ◽

Media Coverage

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The global tobacco control ‘endgame’: Change the policy environment to implement the FCTC

Journal of Public Health Policy ◽

10.1057/jphp.2014.18 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 35 (4) ◽

pp. 506-517 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Paul Cairney ◽

Hadii Mamudu

Keyword(s):

Tobacco Control ◽

Policy Environment

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Influencing politicians to implement comprehensive tobacco control: the power of news media

Tobacco ◽

10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199566655.003.0041 ◽

2010 ◽

pp. 691-696

Author(s):

Simon Chapman

Keyword(s):

Tobacco Control ◽

News Media

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The Transformation of UK Tobacco Control

Great Policy Successes ◽

10.1093/oso/9780198843719.003.0005 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 84-103

Author(s):

Paul Cairney

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Tobacco Control ◽

Policy Change ◽

Behavioural Change ◽

Policy Instrument ◽

Smoking Ban ◽

Policy Environment ◽

Policy Makers ◽

The Uk ◽

Evidence Based Model

The UK has one of the most comprehensive set of tobacco controls in the world. For public health advocates, its experience is an ‘evidence-based’ model for tobacco control across the globe, and for alcohol and obesity policies in the UK. In Scotland, policy-makers often described the ‘smoking ban’ as legislation so innovative that it helped justify devolution. These broad and specific experiences allow us to identify and explain different types of success. The UK’s success relates to smoking ‘denormalization’ and reduction, and the explanation comes partly from the ways in which policy-makers framed tobacco as a public health epidemic and produced a policy environment conducive to policy change. The ‘smoking ban’ success relates to the implementation and behavioural change that is lacking in most other countries. The explanation comes from the ‘window of opportunity’ for specific policy change, and the design of the policy instrument backed by the prioritization of its delivery by key public bodies. The overall lesson, particularly for advocates of evidence-informed policymaking, is that evidence only ‘wins the day’ when it helps reframe debate, produce a conducive policy environment, and actors exploit ‘windows of opportunity’ for specific reforms. In most countries, this did not happen.

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“It is merely a paper tiger.” Battle for increased tobacco advertising regulation in Indonesia: content analysis of news articles

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2017-016975 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 7 (9) ◽

pp. e016975 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Putu Ayu Swandewi Astuti ◽

Becky Freeman

Keyword(s):

Content Analysis ◽

Tobacco Control ◽

News Media ◽

Tobacco Industry ◽

Control Policy ◽

Kappa Statistic ◽

Policy Instrument ◽

News Article ◽

Tobacco Advertising ◽

Adoption And Implementation

ObjectiveAt the end of 2012, the Indonesian government enacted tobacco control regulation (PP 109/2012) that included stricter tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship (TAPS) controls. The PP did not ban all forms of TAPS and generated a great deal of media interest from both supporters and detractors. This study aims to analyse stakeholder arguments regarding the adoption and implementation of the regulation as presented through news media converge.DesignContent analysis of 213 news articles reporting on TAPS and the PP that were available from the Factiva database and the Google News search engine.SettingIndonesia, 24 December 2012–29 February 2016.MethodsArguments presented in the news article about the adoption and implementation of the PP were coded into 10 supportive and 9 opposed categories. The news actors presenting the arguments were also recorded. Kappa statistic were calculated for intercoder reliability.ResultsOf the 213 relevant news articles, 202 included stakeholder arguments, with a total of 436 arguments coded across the articles. More than two-thirds, 69% (301) of arguments were in support of the regulation, and of those, 32.6% (98) agreed that the implementation should be enhanced. Of 135 opposed arguments, the three most common were the potential decrease in government revenue at 26.7% (36), disadvantage to the tobacco industry at 18.5% (25) and concern for tobacco farmers and workers welfare at 11.1% (15). The majority of the in support arguments were made by national government, tobacco control advocates and journalists, while the tobacco industry made most opposing arguments.ConclusionsAnalysing the arguments and news actors provides a mapping of support and opposition to an essential tobacco control policy instrument. Advocates, especially in a fragmented and expansive geographic area like Indonesia, can use these findings to enhance local tobacco control efforts.

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