A GROUP of more than 100 diabetes experts has called for laws banning all forms of advertising of "unhealthy foods" that targets children.
The specialists, brought to together by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, looked at all the evidence available on how best to tackle rising rates of Type 2 diabetes, which they said was a major health threat.
They concluded that one measure would be to ban advertising directed at children for unhealthy products – such as fast food, crisps, chocolate and sugary drinks – to combat the obesity which increases the risk of Type 2 diabetes.
The group said current restrictions on television advertising during children's programmes should extend to all ads, including those in newspapers, magazines and on billboards, to stop an increase in the number of obese youngsters.
In January 2008, a total ban on adverts for unhealthy food and drink products around TV programmes for under-16s came into force.
The experts said preventing an increase in the number of youngsters who are obese would cut the risk of more people developing Type 2 diabetes.
The group also called for tighter regulations of the food, drink and catering industry following their meeting last week.
Dr Scott Ramsay, lead organiser of the event, said: "Rates of obesity and diabetes are increasing at alarming rates and pose one of the most serious health challenges of this time.
"In response to this, diabetes experts from across the UK have come together to call on the Scottish and UK governments to demonstrate greater leadership in tackling this crisis.
"In particular we believe that the lessons from effective legislation on smoking should be used to promote healthier diets, increased physical activity and to inform transport and planning policy.
"This should involve tighter regulation of the food and drink industry and the extension of restrictions on 'less healthy' food and drink advertising in children's television programmes to all forms of advertising aimed at children."
The recommendations will be sent to the Scottish Government and the Department of Health at Westminster.
Bridget Turner, head of policy at charity Diabetes UK, said: "As a result of increasing obesity levels among young people in the UK, we are now seeing cases of Type 2 diabetes – historically a condition to affect the over-40s – in children as young as seven.
"This situation was almost unheard of just 20 years ago and should act as the wake-up call for the new coalition government to urgently push through legislation to ban all junk food advertising aimed at children."
However, Ian Barber of the Advertising Association said there was little evidence that advertising was a main driving factor behind obesity. "Advertising might influence which brand you choose, but there is very little evidence that it drives consumption," he said.
A spokeswoman for the Scottish Government said: "Television advertising is reserved to Westminster, but the Scottish Government has introduced a range of measures to improve children's diets and encourage them to be more active."
http://news.scotsman.com/health/Call-for-junk-food-ads.6298171.jp
Lee Tuck Chong (10S25)
Showing posts with label Mass Media. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mass Media. Show all posts
Negative impacts of magazines on youth
Introduction
The Mass Media that we come in contact with comes in many forms, ranging from the television to the radio and newspaper. Magazines are also part of the list. Like newspapers, they come in print but they serve different purposes, contain different contents and are often preferred by youths over newspapers. This is especially so since magazines have become increasingly popular with youths. However, the contents and information provided by magazines may not be accurate of factual but a marketing tool to cater to their consumer base (youths). Therefore, it is inevitable that this information will have a negative impact on teenagers. We will discuss the negative impacts of magazines on youths in the light of the effect fashion magazines have on girls. Below are 2 articles showing how fashion magazines can be unfavourable.
New research indicates that ultra-thin magazine models do not have a long-term,negative impact on adolescent girls
Only vulnerable youth appear to be affected
Previous research indicated that exposure to ultra-thin models in fashion magazines leads to excessive dieting and body dissatisfaction among adolescent girls. However, a new study that will be presented at the American Psychological Association's 107th Annual Convention in Boston, August 20-24, 1999, found few lasting effects. Only those girls who already had body-image problems were at risk for negative effects.
Psychologists Eric Stice, Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin; Diane Spangler, Ph.D., Brigham Young University; and W. Stewart Agras, MD, Stanford University, randomly assigned 219 girls, ages 13 to 17, to a 15-month subscription to Seventeen magazine, which is the most widely read magazine among adolescent females, or to a no-magazine control group and followed the girls for 20 months. Despite the increased amount of time participants spent reading the fashion magazine, there were no effects on body dissatisfaction, thin-ideal internalization, dieting or negative affect over time. The only adverse effect occurred in adolescents with initially elevated body dissatisfaction: Exposure to the fashion magazine resulted in increased negative affect/depression for these adolescents.
"The discrepancy between our study and previous research is largely because we measured the effects in a natural environment," said Dr. Stice. "Previous research that suggested magazine-portrayed, thin-ideal images would lead to eating disorders and low self-esteem among teenage girls consisted of laboratory experiments. This study suggests that the negative effects have little long-term impact."
Because the findings indicate that the only at-risk individuals are those who already have body-image problems, why the continued correlation between magazine models and eating disorders among teenage girls? "Perhaps high-risk individuals seek out thin-ideal media messages to learn more effective weight control techniques," said Dr. Stice.
However, Dr. Stice cautions that previous studies should not be discounted. "Forty-one percent of adolescent females report that magazines are their most important source of information on dieting and health, and 61 percent of adolescent females read at least one fashion magazine regularly," said the authors. "I think the media reflects a larger cultural pressure for an ultra-slender body," said Dr. Stice. "Parents, peers and dating partners may play a somewhat more important role than the mass media because feedback from these sources about body size is more personal."
Presentation: "Effects of Long Term Exposure to Fashion Magazines on Adolescent Girls (Effects of Media-Portrayed Thin-Ideal Images)" by Eric Stice, Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin; Diane Spangler, Ph.D., of Brigham Young University; and W. Stewart Agras, MD, of Stanford University, Session 4220, 2:00 PM - 3:50 PM, August 23, 1999.
###
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/1999-08/APA-Nrit-230899.php
Fashion Magazine Effects On Teen Girls
From the ads, to the articles, a nation of young girls can be taught that they may never look good enough, and certainly not as beautiful as the large quantity of models that drape themselves across the magazine advertisements. As a result young girls are increasingly falling victim to eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia as they strive to achieve the unhealthily slim physique of magazine models. These disorders occur most often in teens with low self-esteem, and girls that are easily swayed at the magazines' promise of the happiness that will come from a smaller waistline.
Appearance counts for alot in society, perhaps mostly in the teenage crowd. Wearing clothes that are out of style, or a hairdo from last year will quickly lower one’s social standing. In contrast, a fashion statement in society allows for much more self expression; it is seen as desirable.
Some girls see themselves as average looking, some think they fit the standards of which they’d like to be, and some see themselves far from satisfactory, but you’d be hard pressed to find a girl who thinks her looks are perfect. This is where fashion magazines step in.
Thin, sexualised and digitally enhanced mages of women are linked with women’s experiences of poor body image, depression and anxiety and eating disorders. The images contribute to self-harming behaviours and not performing well academically.
In young teenage girls, looking at pictures of thin, idealised models is likely to cause lowered satisfaction with their body and a high state of depression. Reading fashion and beauty magazines is associated with wanting to lose weight and initiating diets.
A five-year study found that reading dieting advice in magazines was associated with skipping meals, smoking, vomiting and using laxatives in teenage girls.
Liu Meng, Xueyi, Si Hui, Shelia, Valerie
The Mass Media that we come in contact with comes in many forms, ranging from the television to the radio and newspaper. Magazines are also part of the list. Like newspapers, they come in print but they serve different purposes, contain different contents and are often preferred by youths over newspapers. This is especially so since magazines have become increasingly popular with youths. However, the contents and information provided by magazines may not be accurate of factual but a marketing tool to cater to their consumer base (youths). Therefore, it is inevitable that this information will have a negative impact on teenagers. We will discuss the negative impacts of magazines on youths in the light of the effect fashion magazines have on girls. Below are 2 articles showing how fashion magazines can be unfavourable.
New research indicates that ultra-thin magazine models do not have a long-term,negative impact on adolescent girls
Only vulnerable youth appear to be affected
Previous research indicated that exposure to ultra-thin models in fashion magazines leads to excessive dieting and body dissatisfaction among adolescent girls. However, a new study that will be presented at the American Psychological Association's 107th Annual Convention in Boston, August 20-24, 1999, found few lasting effects. Only those girls who already had body-image problems were at risk for negative effects.
Psychologists Eric Stice, Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin; Diane Spangler, Ph.D., Brigham Young University; and W. Stewart Agras, MD, Stanford University, randomly assigned 219 girls, ages 13 to 17, to a 15-month subscription to Seventeen magazine, which is the most widely read magazine among adolescent females, or to a no-magazine control group and followed the girls for 20 months. Despite the increased amount of time participants spent reading the fashion magazine, there were no effects on body dissatisfaction, thin-ideal internalization, dieting or negative affect over time. The only adverse effect occurred in adolescents with initially elevated body dissatisfaction: Exposure to the fashion magazine resulted in increased negative affect/depression for these adolescents.
"The discrepancy between our study and previous research is largely because we measured the effects in a natural environment," said Dr. Stice. "Previous research that suggested magazine-portrayed, thin-ideal images would lead to eating disorders and low self-esteem among teenage girls consisted of laboratory experiments. This study suggests that the negative effects have little long-term impact."
Because the findings indicate that the only at-risk individuals are those who already have body-image problems, why the continued correlation between magazine models and eating disorders among teenage girls? "Perhaps high-risk individuals seek out thin-ideal media messages to learn more effective weight control techniques," said Dr. Stice.
However, Dr. Stice cautions that previous studies should not be discounted. "Forty-one percent of adolescent females report that magazines are their most important source of information on dieting and health, and 61 percent of adolescent females read at least one fashion magazine regularly," said the authors. "I think the media reflects a larger cultural pressure for an ultra-slender body," said Dr. Stice. "Parents, peers and dating partners may play a somewhat more important role than the mass media because feedback from these sources about body size is more personal."
Presentation: "Effects of Long Term Exposure to Fashion Magazines on Adolescent Girls (Effects of Media-Portrayed Thin-Ideal Images)" by Eric Stice, Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin; Diane Spangler, Ph.D., of Brigham Young University; and W. Stewart Agras, MD, of Stanford University, Session 4220, 2:00 PM - 3:50 PM, August 23, 1999.
###
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/1999-08/APA-Nrit-230899.php
Fashion Magazine Effects On Teen Girls
From the ads, to the articles, a nation of young girls can be taught that they may never look good enough, and certainly not as beautiful as the large quantity of models that drape themselves across the magazine advertisements. As a result young girls are increasingly falling victim to eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia as they strive to achieve the unhealthily slim physique of magazine models. These disorders occur most often in teens with low self-esteem, and girls that are easily swayed at the magazines' promise of the happiness that will come from a smaller waistline.
Appearance counts for alot in society, perhaps mostly in the teenage crowd. Wearing clothes that are out of style, or a hairdo from last year will quickly lower one’s social standing. In contrast, a fashion statement in society allows for much more self expression; it is seen as desirable.
Some girls see themselves as average looking, some think they fit the standards of which they’d like to be, and some see themselves far from satisfactory, but you’d be hard pressed to find a girl who thinks her looks are perfect. This is where fashion magazines step in.
Thin, sexualised and digitally enhanced mages of women are linked with women’s experiences of poor body image, depression and anxiety and eating disorders. The images contribute to self-harming behaviours and not performing well academically.
In young teenage girls, looking at pictures of thin, idealised models is likely to cause lowered satisfaction with their body and a high state of depression. Reading fashion and beauty magazines is associated with wanting to lose weight and initiating diets.
A five-year study found that reading dieting advice in magazines was associated with skipping meals, smoking, vomiting and using laxatives in teenage girls.
Liu Meng, Xueyi, Si Hui, Shelia, Valerie
A crime is an action or an instance of negligence that is deemed injurious to the public welfare or morals or to the interests of the state and that is legally prohibited.
One advantage is that many people would be more aware of the different crimes that are taking place today. One such example of a show about crime in Singapore is 'Crime Watch'. Crime Watch is shown in both English and Mandarin to cater to the different groups of people.
We will be concentrating on three different groups of people, mainly the youths, the elderly and the general public.
This is a video on a group of youths using violence to settle a dispute with a twelve-year-old girl and the consequences faced. This is to warn youths about the danger of violence and inform parents that they should be more concerned about their children.
One of the common ways to trick the elderly is by bringing their family members into the picture and telling them that their family members will be in danger if they do not do what they are asked to do.
This video teaches the elderly to not be so superstitious and be so gullible. The family members should also teach the elderly in their family to be more cautious especially when dealing with strangers.
The last video shows an example of a phone scam where the caller calls the victim and lies that the victim's child has been kidnapped and demands a ransom.
The video teaches us to not just believe what a stranger tells us and to double check before believing the stranger. It also teaches us what to do if we encounter these kind of situations.
Mass media creates more awareness on the different kind of crimes that happen in Singapore. It also educates them on how to deal with these kind of situations.
Done by: Felicia Law
10S11
One advantage is that many people would be more aware of the different crimes that are taking place today. One such example of a show about crime in Singapore is 'Crime Watch'. Crime Watch is shown in both English and Mandarin to cater to the different groups of people.
We will be concentrating on three different groups of people, mainly the youths, the elderly and the general public.
This is a video on a group of youths using violence to settle a dispute with a twelve-year-old girl and the consequences faced. This is to warn youths about the danger of violence and inform parents that they should be more concerned about their children.
One of the common ways to trick the elderly is by bringing their family members into the picture and telling them that their family members will be in danger if they do not do what they are asked to do.
This video teaches the elderly to not be so superstitious and be so gullible. The family members should also teach the elderly in their family to be more cautious especially when dealing with strangers.
The last video shows an example of a phone scam where the caller calls the victim and lies that the victim's child has been kidnapped and demands a ransom.
The video teaches us to not just believe what a stranger tells us and to double check before believing the stranger. It also teaches us what to do if we encounter these kind of situations.
Mass media creates more awareness on the different kind of crimes that happen in Singapore. It also educates them on how to deal with these kind of situations.
Done by: Felicia Law
10S11
Singapore Dreaming Trailer
Comments:
This is a trailer of a Singapore movie which stereotype of a typical life of a Singaporean. For example, the high expectation of the Singaporean parents of their children and Singapore being very small thus have little opportunities to thrive. Other that that, it shows that Singaporeans are very realistic and judge people by their 5C (watch the trailer). They also tend to neglect their relationships to pursue their financial goals.
10S08 Nur Ain, Angela, Mei Qing, Jun Khit and Ashwini
Comments:
This is a trailer of a Singapore movie which stereotype of a typical life of a Singaporean. For example, the high expectation of the Singaporean parents of their children and Singapore being very small thus have little opportunities to thrive. Other that that, it shows that Singaporeans are very realistic and judge people by their 5C (watch the trailer). They also tend to neglect their relationships to pursue their financial goals.
10S08 Nur Ain, Angela, Mei Qing, Jun Khit and Ashwini
Stereotypes in advertisements: Right or wrong?
Stereotypes in advertisements: Right or wrong?
2 Jun 2010
For decades advertising has pushed the envelope and has prodded at the precincts of what is acceptable and what is not, all in an attempt to get
noticed. And sometimes in the advertising melee there is no time for niceties. Ad jolts come in all forms, be it Calvin Klein’s sexually explicit billboards or shocking public service advertising calling for action against human trafficking or gruesome anti-tobacco warnings on cigarette packets or campaigns like the one for Sony Playstation titled ‘White Is Coming’ . Remember FCUK?
Now commercials currently running on television depicting a simpleton tribal chief in awe of a cold drink or the Kalahari Bushmen frantically searching for water in drought stricken lands might not be that brand of extreme. Nevertheless, they have attracted a fair amount of attention, for a medley of reasons. Some question whether the ads are offensive and dealing in negative stereotypes or are they attempts to break clutter by depicting a funny situation? Ad land seems to be split on their opinion with some condemning and equal numbers defending the ads.
Mahesh Chauhan, CEO, Redifussion YR says, “At times, one takes refuge in stereotypes, but then they become blind spots. In my opinion, quirkiness would have helped and would have had a far greater impact.” Others, however, have a different take and suggest the story of the commercial must be put in context. As Josy Paul, chairman, BBDO puts it, “Sprite has a strong differentiated platform — which is ‘seedhi baat’ ... Or cut the crap! It’s been built over a long time. It’s part of consumer lingo. So Sprite can afford to experiment and make the occasional mistake or hiccup!” he says. But, “I am not sure about LMN’s differentiation ? Only time will tell. Right now, the rationale looks like they just want to stand out of the clutter and have some fun.”
However, some believe the industry’s creative minds are stuck in a quagmire of stereotypes . Agnello Dias, cofounder , TapRoot, says, “Stereotypes are tools developed by the creative community to overcome hurdles or due to laziness.” Here’s an example , “If I have 45 seconds I can use three shots to build a man’s character as bad or jovial. If I have no time or production money I will simply have to plant a man with a scar on his face or show a happy sardar,” he says. However, people like Paul think Indian advertising has moved on a long time ago and the success of campaigns like SBI, Asian Paints, Idea, Vodafone and Tata Tea clearly reveals a nation that’s not stuck or dependent on stereotypes. Perhaps Ajay Gehlaut, group creative head, Oglivy Delhi, Sprite’s ad agency, put it best. He says, “There will always be a few who like the work and a few who don’t .
As long as people, the consumers, are engaged, entertained and not offended, there’s nothing wrong.” The makers of commercials, particularly the one that’s got people talking, say edgy work is often not appreciated and is labeled inaccurately . Creative LandAsia’s (makers of the LMN Bushmen series) Raj Kurup, says people who think using Bushmen in a TVC is a stereotype or shocking are ridiculously narrow-minded . “There’s nothing wrong in using a sardar, a blonde, an African Bushman, a mallu, if it is relevant. Let’s enjoy the joke, learn to laugh and celebrate edgy work.” Bobby Pawar, chief creative officer, DDB Mudra too is of the view that stereotypes are not all bad: “A lot of comedy is based on stereotypes. Most stand-up comedians use stereotypes as material. It all depends on whether it’s a lighthearted attempt or not.” Well, let’s hope the inhabitants of the Kalahari don’t find this watering hole.
(Sruthi Radhakrishnan & Delshad Irani,ET Bureau)
Mui Shan, Inez, Marvyn, Javier, Juz (10S08)
2 Jun 2010
For decades advertising has pushed the envelope and has prodded at the precincts of what is acceptable and what is not, all in an attempt to get
noticed. And sometimes in the advertising melee there is no time for niceties. Ad jolts come in all forms, be it Calvin Klein’s sexually explicit billboards or shocking public service advertising calling for action against human trafficking or gruesome anti-tobacco warnings on cigarette packets or campaigns like the one for Sony Playstation titled ‘White Is Coming’ . Remember FCUK?
Now commercials currently running on television depicting a simpleton tribal chief in awe of a cold drink or the Kalahari Bushmen frantically searching for water in drought stricken lands might not be that brand of extreme. Nevertheless, they have attracted a fair amount of attention, for a medley of reasons. Some question whether the ads are offensive and dealing in negative stereotypes or are they attempts to break clutter by depicting a funny situation? Ad land seems to be split on their opinion with some condemning and equal numbers defending the ads.
Mahesh Chauhan, CEO, Redifussion YR says, “At times, one takes refuge in stereotypes, but then they become blind spots. In my opinion, quirkiness would have helped and would have had a far greater impact.” Others, however, have a different take and suggest the story of the commercial must be put in context. As Josy Paul, chairman, BBDO puts it, “Sprite has a strong differentiated platform — which is ‘seedhi baat’ ... Or cut the crap! It’s been built over a long time. It’s part of consumer lingo. So Sprite can afford to experiment and make the occasional mistake or hiccup!” he says. But, “I am not sure about LMN’s differentiation ? Only time will tell. Right now, the rationale looks like they just want to stand out of the clutter and have some fun.”
However, some believe the industry’s creative minds are stuck in a quagmire of stereotypes . Agnello Dias, cofounder , TapRoot, says, “Stereotypes are tools developed by the creative community to overcome hurdles or due to laziness.” Here’s an example , “If I have 45 seconds I can use three shots to build a man’s character as bad or jovial. If I have no time or production money I will simply have to plant a man with a scar on his face or show a happy sardar,” he says. However, people like Paul think Indian advertising has moved on a long time ago and the success of campaigns like SBI, Asian Paints, Idea, Vodafone and Tata Tea clearly reveals a nation that’s not stuck or dependent on stereotypes. Perhaps Ajay Gehlaut, group creative head, Oglivy Delhi, Sprite’s ad agency, put it best. He says, “There will always be a few who like the work and a few who don’t .
As long as people, the consumers, are engaged, entertained and not offended, there’s nothing wrong.” The makers of commercials, particularly the one that’s got people talking, say edgy work is often not appreciated and is labeled inaccurately . Creative LandAsia’s (makers of the LMN Bushmen series) Raj Kurup, says people who think using Bushmen in a TVC is a stereotype or shocking are ridiculously narrow-minded . “There’s nothing wrong in using a sardar, a blonde, an African Bushman, a mallu, if it is relevant. Let’s enjoy the joke, learn to laugh and celebrate edgy work.” Bobby Pawar, chief creative officer, DDB Mudra too is of the view that stereotypes are not all bad: “A lot of comedy is based on stereotypes. Most stand-up comedians use stereotypes as material. It all depends on whether it’s a lighthearted attempt or not.” Well, let’s hope the inhabitants of the Kalahari don’t find this watering hole.
(Sruthi Radhakrishnan & Delshad Irani,ET Bureau)
Mui Shan, Inez, Marvyn, Javier, Juz (10S08)
Negative influences of Mass Media.
How much we are realizing about the effects of mass media today? I do not think that we are realizing much, I mean we know some points but we are just ignore that because it has already been part of our life. You can often see a world where media can control and alter human life.
I would like to propose several ways to approach about mass media today using by the case of the commercialization, animations, and media cultures. Animations, television, and computers are facts of life for today's people, especially children. "The effect of TV, as the most recent and spectacular electric ex! tension of our central nervous system, is hard to grasp for various reasons. Since it has affected the totality of our lives, personal and social and political¡ (McLuhan, 317). One reason children are so vulnerable to the messages of television is that they take what they see on television to be reality. Very young children equate all of television with reality.
The first approach about the media cultures today, I will show a case that the young child has been influenced by the mass media which they took advantage of him. Naturally, as children get older they adopt new definitions of television reality; however, I was so surprised that how much the mass media can change their viewpoint in such an early age. The MBC Korean broadcasting television decided to start a program that a famous pop group (called Groove Over Dose- G.O.D.) of five male singers will babysat a nine-month-old baby until the baby (name Jaemin Han) become two years old. The parents of the baby are both working, so the G.O.D. will babysat the baby three days a week. The TV episode (called "The Babydiary") was start on March 5, 2000 and the program shows on every week to show a whole week's diary. They live in a boarding house, so the baby can live with them three days per week. The each group member shares five different parts, which are the father, mother, cook, recreation and fashion coordinator. The group member's ages are from 18 to 27 years old. The oldest member is a father and his role is to take the responsibility for everything. The mother's role is put the baby to sleep and have to take care the baby even though he awakes ! from sleep in the middle of the night. The cook has to figure out how to make the baby food, how many times he has to feed the milk a day and how warm the milk should be, etc. The recreation person's role should entertain him especially when he starts to cry and grumble. At the last but not the least the fashion coordinator's role is not only make him look pretty but also practical. Everything is so new to them too, so it has been took a while to adjust each person's role for couple months.
There are several important things to point out from these whole baby diary issues. First, this group was not so popular until they start doing this babysitting; also they had a limited audience which is a young age group. However, after they start doing this program, their fan age group is getting broader to older age. "The G.O.D. = The group who raise a baby Jaemin- They be come popular to female age 20s and 30s.¡(Sports Chosun Nov 17, 2000) Why? I think the answer for that is really simple because the program stimulates the audience's sensibility, which is their maternity. Nowadays, people do not stimulate to some degree because they are already familiar for exposing too much from all kinds of media. However, if people stimulate from the most basic sensibility, they will stimulate and respond by that. "G.O.D.- The rainbow connection between the parent generation and children generation (Sports Seoul No! v 21, 2000).¡ The article is about the point of excellence for this episode, which brakes the extinction of wall between the parent generation and children generation. Nowadays, the wall between those two generations were built with poverty and rich, spirit and material, letter and cell phone, radio and TV, etc. Both live in same period and space, at the same time they carry on different styles and visual angles of their life. However, the dance group G.O.D. connects a bridge between these two generation. These two generation watch their episode and talk about it together, also they listen their music together too. Therefore, the Jaemin become their mediator who connects the analog and digital generation.
The effects of mass media has pros and cons, this is the only good point of this whole Babydiary issue. As a result of the MBC's good marketing plan, they became the most popular group in Korea right now. Second, these media have effected the baby so quickly. For instance, the baby already has judge skills for the beauty values. What I mean by that is, he keeps avoiding the bad looking guy of the members. That means he already exposed from media so his value of the beauty is same as the media represent. The mass media has an influence, which is unavoidable, so the beauty standard of his viewpoint is really same as the media represents such as the movies, televisions, advertising and commercials are m! ostly using a super model to represents product. The media divided a certain people to certain level such as nice and ugly looking of man and woman. The television does influence children's view of social reality. One effect it can have is to encourage stereotyped opinions about social topics such as beauty value. Television generally presents highly stereotyped commercials are outstanding culprits in the presentation of beauty stereotypes. This seems to be the effect of television being a visual medium, even without any effect to see physical beauty.
The media give the value system what's good and bad, what's pretty and ugly, the media itself influenced that much in non only that young age children but also grown up. Therefore, how we visually show to people is really important role as a media designer. Another example of the baby is that only an 18 months old baby operates an audio all by himself. Also, he picks and choose the song he wants to listen. I could not believe that because I have never thought it is possible to that young age also, when I was young, I have not had that kind of experiences before. The scariest thing is that the baby always listens their (G.O.D) songs, so he did not have chances to listen a children's song. Even though they tried to play the children's song, but the baby was just stand there without any moves what so ever. However, he starts to! dance when he hears their music, which is Hip-hop and R&B (Rhythm and Blues). In other words, other ordinary kids who listen children's song regularly, they will not have a same feeling like the Jamin does. That means, he already has had effects by their music. Another example is that Jaemin knows exactly how he has to show in the camera. He exposed by camera 24 hours per three days a week, so he is already been familiar with it. Therefore, after he doing something that he thinks its funny or bad things to do, he stares the camera. How much the person is being exposed by media hinge on the person's life.
"G.O.D. The Babydiary Jaemin Han had received appreciation award from MBC" (Dong-A, Nov 25, 2000). The reason for that award is that this program was the first ranking TV episode since they start it. He was the youngest winner for that award; however, the parents were refused to get that awards also there were so many commercial proposals too. They just did not want to make the baby special because of the TV program (the media). Also, they did not want to fall into the materialism from all the money temptation when he starts to doing the commercials. I think the decision, which the parents made, was the right way for Jamin's future. As a Korean proverb says, the habit from three years old goes to 6o years old which means the habit and memories from young age will effects their rest of life. Therefore, a process of the person's growth will be under the control of their education. Children tend to learn what they see on television more thoroughly than what they read or hear on radio. This power means that the responsibility of television producers is much greater, the need for quality more pressing than with the older media.
The second approach about the commercialization today, I will explain using the case of animations (especially Japanese animations). The animation is a worldwide these days and has a huge impact on animation industry, not only they make animations but also they make animation movies, video games, cards, and toys, etc. For instance, the Pokemon animation made movies, video games, toys, and cards. That means everyone see the same movie, play the same game, talk about same thing worldwide. I heard that one child got killed by his friend during they had fight for the Pokemon cards. Why I felt terrible when I heard that news because of the piece of card; one child got killed from his friend. Whose fault is it? What if the media did not expose that much of the Pokemon issues to innocent young children? I read one article from newspaper a year ago, the article was about Japanese exports their animation movies to other country especially United States with really cheap price. The Japanese's strateg! ic for the cosmopolitanism is doing cultural export by cheap animation movies. Think about it, on Saturday morning, almost every child sits front of television with milk and chocolate cookies watching the Japanese cartoons, so they get used to Japanese animation and culture. Nowadays 50-60% is the Japanese cartoon in major television network, which is really scary part. They watch these Japanese cartoons through their childhood, which leads not to have any negative feelings for other country's cultures. The Japanese people's intention was to aim that. Of course there are other things that the American children do not want to watch the American cartoons anymore. One reason is that they are tired of watching the super hero series or Tom and Jerry's which is rewarding the good and punishing the evil over and over again. It has been changed from that approach of cartoon to the viewer is in charge of the character which is the way of the Pokemon trained other creatures. The opposition between the styles of American cartoons and Japanese cartoon defined the interactions between viewer and characters. I think that the animator should figure it out how to meet the needs of the times instead of import other country's animation (cultures) without filtration. They have to think about it more carefully for the future generations.
Thirty-six years ago Marshall McLuhan advanced the revoluti! onary thesis that "the medium is the message". His idea was that each medium of communication produces social and psychological effects on its audience, particular social relations and particular form of consciousness or way of thinking, that are quite independent of the content being transmitted. These effects constitute the message of the medium. McLuhan's famous phrase is widely quoted even if not widely understood. However, his phrase is the most important theory in media history. "The only way we are ever going to take control of the technology and make them serve the desire of a broad mass of people for a better life is if we can really start to get at the questions. What's it for? What kind of life we want to have? (Lunenfeld, 206-7)." "My opinion is that the damaging effects the electronic media can have on children are not intrinsic to the media but grow out the ways the media are used much of the content of commercial TV shows may have a negative effect on children's social attitudes. Commercials themselves use sophisticated techniques to manipulate viewers into wanting certain products, and young children have no defense against such techniques (Greenfield, 2-3).¡ Television watching can become a passive, deadening activity if adults do not guide their children's viewing and each children to watch critically and to learn from what they watch.
http://people.artcenter.edu/~chuh/SP03web/WRITING/effects%20of%20mass%20media.html
Negative impact of mass media in China 6
Chinese Nationalism in an Unequal Cyber War
Abstract: This article examines the theory and characteristics of surging Chinese cyber-nationalism which is fuelled by antagonism toward Western media’s coverage of the Tibet riots.
It is also fuelled by the media’s coverage of widespread, anti-China protests staged by pro-Tibet activists and China-bashers during the Olympic torch relay in 2008. It is pointed out that cyber-nationalism had an enormous influence upon the Chinese government and its foreign policy decisions.
A huge gulf developed between Chinese netizens and the Western media in their
understanding of human rights and Tibet issues. Chinese netizens, who seemed to have lost their confidence in the mainstream Western media which is represented by the CNN and BBC, began to align with the Chinese government in an asymmetric media battle. They used cyber space to express their views, voice their concerns, disseminate information, and mobilize and rally the support of millions of Chinese nationals. This was to fight against the Western media’s bias, prejudice, and misrepresentation, to protect and safeguard their national sovereignty, pride
and territorial integrity, and to shore up China’s position over the Tibet issue.
[China Media Research. 2009;5(4):63-79]
Abstract: This article examines the theory and characteristics of surging Chinese cyber-nationalism which is fuelled by antagonism toward Western media’s coverage of the Tibet riots.
It is also fuelled by the media’s coverage of widespread, anti-China protests staged by pro-Tibet activists and China-bashers during the Olympic torch relay in 2008. It is pointed out that cyber-nationalism had an enormous influence upon the Chinese government and its foreign policy decisions.
A huge gulf developed between Chinese netizens and the Western media in their
understanding of human rights and Tibet issues. Chinese netizens, who seemed to have lost their confidence in the mainstream Western media which is represented by the CNN and BBC, began to align with the Chinese government in an asymmetric media battle. They used cyber space to express their views, voice their concerns, disseminate information, and mobilize and rally the support of millions of Chinese nationals. This was to fight against the Western media’s bias, prejudice, and misrepresentation, to protect and safeguard their national sovereignty, pride
and territorial integrity, and to shore up China’s position over the Tibet issue.
[China Media Research. 2009;5(4):63-79]
Negative impact of mass media in China 5
Impact of Media Control in China on U.S. Economy and Security
Washington, D.C.–The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC) held a hearing on "Access to Information and Media Control in the People's Republic of China" at Washington, D.C. on June 18.
In his opening statement, co-chair of the hearing Larry Wortzel said, "Congress has given our Commission the statutory responsibility to examine the potential effects that restrictions on information in China could have on relations between China and the United States, with a particular eye towards the ways in which such restrictions could impact economic and security policy."
Jeffrey Fiedler, co-chair of the hearing, outlined the main topics of the hearing. He said, "In the lead-up to this year's Olympics, the Chinese government has made repeated promises of greater press and internet freedom, but there are many discouraging signs that these promises are not being fulfilled."
Chinese communist regime says that economic rights "trump" political rights, according to Dr. Randolph Kluver, Director of the Institute for Pacific Asia, Texas A&M University.
When the Chinese communist regime takes a step forward, they make a step backwards, said Lucie Morillon, Washington Representative for Reporters Without Borders.
When asked about the breakdown in degree of information across China, Dr. Kluver explained that information discrimination has been in place for decades. High officials and cities like Beijing and Shanghai enjoy much greater information freedom than in poorer and rural areas of the country where most Chinese live, according to Dr. Kluver.
Col. Susan Puska (USA-R), Defense Group Inc., said that in the 2002-2003 SARS epidemic, information control by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) contributed to the spread of the disease internationally.
On a related topic of the hearing, Jeffrey Fideler said that due to media censorship of broader sources of information in China, "Chinese citizens may develop a distorted view of the world that feeds hostility towards the United States and other countries."
He said, "American companies have played a prominent role in facilitating the government's construction of this internet control regime."
Dr. Ron Deibert, Director of the Citizen Lab at the Munk Centre for International Studies at University of Toronto, said that China employs extensive, technologically sophisticated, and broadest reach Internet filtering in the world. China employs a combination of technical, legal, and social measures, he said.
When asked whether or not U.S. companies are contributing to Internet censorship in China, Xiao Qiang, Director of China Internet Project at University of California-Berkeley, replied that although China now has the capacity to do its own research and development of Internet technologies, they are still learning from the U.S. and that China probably would not be as successful in Internet censorship without the U.S. companies.
Dr. Deibert agrees with Qiang. He adds that U.S. companies have been backsliding on voluntary compliance of corporate responsibilities, and it is essential to have independent monitors.
Qiang says that self censorship in China tends to be far greater than it needs to be because companies take precautions to not get into trouble with police. But the regime does not care about the users – they only care about "political safety".
Qiang emphasized the enormous scope of information control in China. He explained that every level of China's government from the top, from provinces and cities, all the way to the township level has a propaganda department that monitors the Internet for its own interests, and that this enormous human monitoring system is a far greater filter of information.
On another related topic of the hearing, Jeffrey Fideler said, "… angry, defensive Chinese nationalism on display in the wake of international criticism of the government's policies in Tibet serve to reveal the negative effects produced by the Chinese government's pervasive nationalist propaganda directed at its own people."
"War is theoretically a real possibility, and that is why it is important for us to understand the dynamics of Chinese nationalism," said Dr. Peter Gries, Harold J. & Ruth Newman Chair in US-China Issues at the University of Oklahoma.
One reason for caring about human rights in China is that it has implications for U.S. security, said Dr. Perry Link, Professor of East Asian Studies at Princeton University.
Larry Wortzel said that the original first reported cable from the U.S. embassy on the Tiananmen Square Massacre has been declassified by the State Department. If you have any doubts about the brutality of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA), then you should see those documents about people being shot and run over by tanks on Tiananmen Square, he said.
According to the USCC fact sheet, the purpose of the USCC is "To monitor, investigate, and submit to congress an annual report on the national security implications of the bilateral trade and economic relationship between the United States and the People's Republic of China, and to provide recommendations, where appropriate, to Congress for legislative and administrative action."
ARTICLE SUMMARY: CENSORSHIP/RESTRICTIONOF INFORMATION IN CHINA AFFECTS TIES BETWEEN CHINA AND OTHER COUNTRIES, PARTICULARLY WESTERN COUNTRIES SUCH AS USA AND EU, WHO ARE STRONG BELIEVERS OF DENOCRACY AND LIBERALISATION (FREEDOM OF INFORMATION). CHINA HAS NOT FULFILLED ITS PROMISE OF MORE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION.
Washington, D.C.–The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC) held a hearing on "Access to Information and Media Control in the People's Republic of China" at Washington, D.C. on June 18.
In his opening statement, co-chair of the hearing Larry Wortzel said, "Congress has given our Commission the statutory responsibility to examine the potential effects that restrictions on information in China could have on relations between China and the United States, with a particular eye towards the ways in which such restrictions could impact economic and security policy."
Jeffrey Fiedler, co-chair of the hearing, outlined the main topics of the hearing. He said, "In the lead-up to this year's Olympics, the Chinese government has made repeated promises of greater press and internet freedom, but there are many discouraging signs that these promises are not being fulfilled."
Chinese communist regime says that economic rights "trump" political rights, according to Dr. Randolph Kluver, Director of the Institute for Pacific Asia, Texas A&M University.
When the Chinese communist regime takes a step forward, they make a step backwards, said Lucie Morillon, Washington Representative for Reporters Without Borders.
When asked about the breakdown in degree of information across China, Dr. Kluver explained that information discrimination has been in place for decades. High officials and cities like Beijing and Shanghai enjoy much greater information freedom than in poorer and rural areas of the country where most Chinese live, according to Dr. Kluver.
Col. Susan Puska (USA-R), Defense Group Inc., said that in the 2002-2003 SARS epidemic, information control by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) contributed to the spread of the disease internationally.
On a related topic of the hearing, Jeffrey Fideler said that due to media censorship of broader sources of information in China, "Chinese citizens may develop a distorted view of the world that feeds hostility towards the United States and other countries."
He said, "American companies have played a prominent role in facilitating the government's construction of this internet control regime."
Dr. Ron Deibert, Director of the Citizen Lab at the Munk Centre for International Studies at University of Toronto, said that China employs extensive, technologically sophisticated, and broadest reach Internet filtering in the world. China employs a combination of technical, legal, and social measures, he said.
When asked whether or not U.S. companies are contributing to Internet censorship in China, Xiao Qiang, Director of China Internet Project at University of California-Berkeley, replied that although China now has the capacity to do its own research and development of Internet technologies, they are still learning from the U.S. and that China probably would not be as successful in Internet censorship without the U.S. companies.
Dr. Deibert agrees with Qiang. He adds that U.S. companies have been backsliding on voluntary compliance of corporate responsibilities, and it is essential to have independent monitors.
Qiang says that self censorship in China tends to be far greater than it needs to be because companies take precautions to not get into trouble with police. But the regime does not care about the users – they only care about "political safety".
Qiang emphasized the enormous scope of information control in China. He explained that every level of China's government from the top, from provinces and cities, all the way to the township level has a propaganda department that monitors the Internet for its own interests, and that this enormous human monitoring system is a far greater filter of information.
On another related topic of the hearing, Jeffrey Fideler said, "… angry, defensive Chinese nationalism on display in the wake of international criticism of the government's policies in Tibet serve to reveal the negative effects produced by the Chinese government's pervasive nationalist propaganda directed at its own people."
"War is theoretically a real possibility, and that is why it is important for us to understand the dynamics of Chinese nationalism," said Dr. Peter Gries, Harold J. & Ruth Newman Chair in US-China Issues at the University of Oklahoma.
One reason for caring about human rights in China is that it has implications for U.S. security, said Dr. Perry Link, Professor of East Asian Studies at Princeton University.
Larry Wortzel said that the original first reported cable from the U.S. embassy on the Tiananmen Square Massacre has been declassified by the State Department. If you have any doubts about the brutality of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA), then you should see those documents about people being shot and run over by tanks on Tiananmen Square, he said.
According to the USCC fact sheet, the purpose of the USCC is "To monitor, investigate, and submit to congress an annual report on the national security implications of the bilateral trade and economic relationship between the United States and the People's Republic of China, and to provide recommendations, where appropriate, to Congress for legislative and administrative action."
ARTICLE SUMMARY: CENSORSHIP/RESTRICTIONOF INFORMATION IN CHINA AFFECTS TIES BETWEEN CHINA AND OTHER COUNTRIES, PARTICULARLY WESTERN COUNTRIES SUCH AS USA AND EU, WHO ARE STRONG BELIEVERS OF DENOCRACY AND LIBERALISATION (FREEDOM OF INFORMATION). CHINA HAS NOT FULFILLED ITS PROMISE OF MORE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION.
Negative impact of mass media in China 4
Website 4: http://www.news.com.au/technology/story/0,28348,24963218-5014239,00.html
China says internet censorship needed to keep children from harmful sites
CHINA has sought to portray its internet crackdown as a campaign to protect youth from filth and nothing to do with stifling political dissent, with one official promising a long-lasting fight against "vulgarity".
China has detained 41 people as part of the crackdown, but the Government's move was in reality no different from laws in the US and Europe which aim to keep children safe from harmful sites, an official said.
"The purpose of this campaign is very clear," said Liu Zhengrong, deputy director of the State Council Information Office's Internet Bureau."
"It's aimed at creating a healthy internet environment for all young people and making the internet in China safer and more reliable."
The crackdown has been described by analysts as another step in the Communist Party's battle to stifle dissent in a year of sensitive anniversaries, including the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre.
"The internet remains where the battle for information lies and the fact that the Government is devoting so much effort at reining it in, in itself indicates how much of a threat they perceive it to be," said Nicholas Bequelin of Human Rights Watch.
China polices the internet intensely, quickly removing any content that is deemed to be subversive or overly critical of the Communist Party.
The Government has closed over 1200 websites, including a popular blog site, but with an estimated 3000 new sites appearing daily, the battle to maintain control of the online world is never-ending.
Vulgar websites
"We fully realise that the crackdown on vulgar websites will be long-lasting, complicated and difficult," said Mr Liu.
"We will not abandon efforts to clean up the internet environment under any circumstances."
One of the websites closed in the campaign, which began this month, was bullog.cn, a popular site for Chinese bloggers. Some of the bloggers it hosted had been signatories of Charter 08, a manifesto released in December that called for greater civil freedoms and elections in China.
But Li Jiaming, director of the China Internet Illegal Information Reporting Center, said the Government did not have a political motive.
"I can tell you very candidly, our work does not have anything to do with political content. People are extremely supportive of this campaign," he said.
The crackdown had "achieved clear results", with more than 3.3 million pornographic or vulgar items already identified and deleted, Mr Liu said.
"Internet pornography and vulgar content seriously threaten the mental and physical health of youth and threaten to damage the healthy development of the Internet in China," he said, adding that more than 35 per cent of web surfers in China were under 19.China had looked at similar internet laws in other countries, including in the US and Britain, and found common ground, he said.
"We discovered a common goal of all these governments is to ensure that internet users feel safe when they go online."
China says internet censorship needed to keep children from harmful sites
CHINA has sought to portray its internet crackdown as a campaign to protect youth from filth and nothing to do with stifling political dissent, with one official promising a long-lasting fight against "vulgarity".
China has detained 41 people as part of the crackdown, but the Government's move was in reality no different from laws in the US and Europe which aim to keep children safe from harmful sites, an official said.
"The purpose of this campaign is very clear," said Liu Zhengrong, deputy director of the State Council Information Office's Internet Bureau."
"It's aimed at creating a healthy internet environment for all young people and making the internet in China safer and more reliable."
The crackdown has been described by analysts as another step in the Communist Party's battle to stifle dissent in a year of sensitive anniversaries, including the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre.
"The internet remains where the battle for information lies and the fact that the Government is devoting so much effort at reining it in, in itself indicates how much of a threat they perceive it to be," said Nicholas Bequelin of Human Rights Watch.
China polices the internet intensely, quickly removing any content that is deemed to be subversive or overly critical of the Communist Party.
The Government has closed over 1200 websites, including a popular blog site, but with an estimated 3000 new sites appearing daily, the battle to maintain control of the online world is never-ending.
Vulgar websites
"We fully realise that the crackdown on vulgar websites will be long-lasting, complicated and difficult," said Mr Liu.
"We will not abandon efforts to clean up the internet environment under any circumstances."
One of the websites closed in the campaign, which began this month, was bullog.cn, a popular site for Chinese bloggers. Some of the bloggers it hosted had been signatories of Charter 08, a manifesto released in December that called for greater civil freedoms and elections in China.
But Li Jiaming, director of the China Internet Illegal Information Reporting Center, said the Government did not have a political motive.
"I can tell you very candidly, our work does not have anything to do with political content. People are extremely supportive of this campaign," he said.
The crackdown had "achieved clear results", with more than 3.3 million pornographic or vulgar items already identified and deleted, Mr Liu said.
"Internet pornography and vulgar content seriously threaten the mental and physical health of youth and threaten to damage the healthy development of the Internet in China," he said, adding that more than 35 per cent of web surfers in China were under 19.China had looked at similar internet laws in other countries, including in the US and Britain, and found common ground, he said.
"We discovered a common goal of all these governments is to ensure that internet users feel safe when they go online."
ADS ARE SPREADING WRONG MESSAGE ABOUT PILLS: EXPERTS
Is it the fast lifestyle that forces working women to avoid unwanted pregnancies instantly by using emergency contraceptives or the catchy advertisements showing the “Easy” way to adolescent girls?
Healthcare providers attribute the rapid spread of the pills to both. The advertisements do not explain the ill–effects of these pills, instead they wrongly promote them as regular contraceptives. They must include the opinion of doctors and statutory warnings regarding side–effects, say health professionals. Gynaecologists firmly recommend the use of regular contraceptive measures. “The government should ban the advertisements and the pills should not be available over the counter for off label use,” urged gynaecologist Dr. Sunita Tanulawadkar.
Commenting on the objectionable presentation of the ads, IVF consultant at Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital, Dr. Anand Shinde said, “In one of the ads, an unmarried girl calls up her mother at midnight and the mother casually advises her to take emergency pills.. She doesn’t care about educating or guiding her daughter about sexual health and hygiene.”
Is a social situation like this becoming so common that the central government has to make these pills available over the counter (OTC)? Dr Shinde noted, “The ads are spreading the wrong message of bypassing the gynaecologists. Especially in metro cities like Mumbai and Pune, which are the hot spots of HIV/AIDS, it will be a double risk to promote such ads.”
Arati (name changed), a 29–year old woman, tried the pill once, only to regret later. “I was under the impression that it was the easiest way, but I suffered badly from abdominal pains and vomiting after a few hours,” she said, offering her advice that the pills should not be used without first consulting a gynaecologist.
Reacting on the emerging trend of widespread use of these pills among teenage girls, a college going girl Smita said, “Due to freedom, the youngsters may feel nothing wrong in having sex followed by these pills, available readily.”
Objecting to the advertisements showing young couple ‘Tension free’ after sex, Vibhavari Deshmukh (name changed) said that the ads are too obscene to watch at home along with family and children.
The assistant commissioner of Food and Drug Administration, Pune, S T Patil agrees with the opinion of the experts and suggests filing a Public Interest Litigation against the ads.
Healthcare providers attribute the rapid spread of the pills to both. The advertisements do not explain the ill–effects of these pills, instead they wrongly promote them as regular contraceptives. They must include the opinion of doctors and statutory warnings regarding side–effects, say health professionals. Gynaecologists firmly recommend the use of regular contraceptive measures. “The government should ban the advertisements and the pills should not be available over the counter for off label use,” urged gynaecologist Dr. Sunita Tanulawadkar.
Commenting on the objectionable presentation of the ads, IVF consultant at Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital, Dr. Anand Shinde said, “In one of the ads, an unmarried girl calls up her mother at midnight and the mother casually advises her to take emergency pills.. She doesn’t care about educating or guiding her daughter about sexual health and hygiene.”
Is a social situation like this becoming so common that the central government has to make these pills available over the counter (OTC)? Dr Shinde noted, “The ads are spreading the wrong message of bypassing the gynaecologists. Especially in metro cities like Mumbai and Pune, which are the hot spots of HIV/AIDS, it will be a double risk to promote such ads.”
Arati (name changed), a 29–year old woman, tried the pill once, only to regret later. “I was under the impression that it was the easiest way, but I suffered badly from abdominal pains and vomiting after a few hours,” she said, offering her advice that the pills should not be used without first consulting a gynaecologist.
Reacting on the emerging trend of widespread use of these pills among teenage girls, a college going girl Smita said, “Due to freedom, the youngsters may feel nothing wrong in having sex followed by these pills, available readily.”
Objecting to the advertisements showing young couple ‘Tension free’ after sex, Vibhavari Deshmukh (name changed) said that the ads are too obscene to watch at home along with family and children.
The assistant commissioner of Food and Drug Administration, Pune, S T Patil agrees with the opinion of the experts and suggests filing a Public Interest Litigation against the ads.
INDIA’S WICKET-keeper batsman and captain of ODI and Twenty20 team, Mahinder Singh Dhoni is presently being dangerously showcased on some television channels, uprooting and taking away a letterbox after consuming a particular biscuit that supposedly boosts his energy to do this ‘unlawful’ act.
Definitely unlawful if one goes by Indian Telegraph Act. Damaging any means/part or agency of communication, including a letterbox, is a crime and punishable under various sections of this Act. But Dhoni with some children around him, who also consume the ‘miraculous’ diet, does it. He does it publicly and has no remorse while dismantling the red letterbox in this vague and ill-conceived advertisement.
It is a different question that in an era of e-mails and SMSs, even if letter writing is not common among the elite, it doesn’t mean that letterboxes have no place and public figures like Dhoni can be shown damaging the public property with impunity? Indulging in such an irresponsible act with a false sense of bravado creates an unwanted stereotype.
Such misleading advertisements have a negative impact, especially in the rural areas of Jammu and Kashmir, where children have reportedly started attacking the letterboxes in Dhoni style, only to damage their own legs and hands. Situation elsewhere in the country may not be different.
Was there nobody to whet the script when Dhoni acted in this advertisement? Why has the protagonist in the advertisement shown to be bestowed with a license to eliminate this enduring symbol in ‘terminator’ series style?
Isn’t there any monitoring body in India to point out flaws in such advertisements or has the national conscience accepted this? It may be glamorous on the surface but it is creating havoc with the public property and the psyche of children who find their power inadequate to perform the feats a la Dhoni, their hero.
Now let us take another advertisement, though popular, but full of implications.
Two children are standing on the two sides of a border. One child invites the other for a game of soccer by pushing the football into other side. The child is lured, crosses the border, but is caught up by the pincer of the barbered wire. The child on the other side of the border rescues the one caught by the hook and speaks in some language, alien to this writer and possibly to others in this part of the world. The ambience is striking, that is, somewhere in Kashmir or possibly somewhere in the northern sector. A very touching advertisement indeed, poignantly portraying the human condition, especially in third-world countries (read India and Pakistan) but fraught with dangers for India.
The child cries something like this: "VALE YOURKUN… VALE YOURKUN…"(Meaning come here, come here, in Kashmiri). The message is conveyed that boundaries are irrelevant when people speak through a particular network. So far so good! But since India cannot expect reciprocity, doesn’t the advertisement involve breach of national security by inviting unsuspecting children to fall into booby-traps and land mines?
Isn’t this advertisement too misleading and needlessly adventurous, when teenagers are shown on the border and one even crossing it, while risking his life?
In a border state like Jammu and Kashmir, such advertisements will definitely have a negative impact. If one goes by the instances in the past, it gets revealed that when children, particularly teenagers inadvertently crossed borders, they had to undergo the trauma of having been caught and tortured by the security agencies in both countries.
Such advertisements will encourage those who love adventure and at the same time want to talk to their relatives on the other side of the border. Do they just need to kick a football, as is shown in the high-profile advertisement?
But will such kicks on the border help the individuals in linking the hearts through this network? The fact being that there is no provision for cellphone service in border areas. Those who claim to have such facility on the borders are then definitely inviting trouble… Nothing misleading about it!
Public memory may be short but the fact that SHAKTIMAAN was instrumental in eliminating precious lives of scores of children who, in a bid to copy him, jumped over rooftops, allowing the electric current to pass through them and indulged in other impractical acts. The present advertisements as discussed here, it is hoped, may not be the basis for such idiosyncrasies.
Definitely unlawful if one goes by Indian Telegraph Act. Damaging any means/part or agency of communication, including a letterbox, is a crime and punishable under various sections of this Act. But Dhoni with some children around him, who also consume the ‘miraculous’ diet, does it. He does it publicly and has no remorse while dismantling the red letterbox in this vague and ill-conceived advertisement.
It is a different question that in an era of e-mails and SMSs, even if letter writing is not common among the elite, it doesn’t mean that letterboxes have no place and public figures like Dhoni can be shown damaging the public property with impunity? Indulging in such an irresponsible act with a false sense of bravado creates an unwanted stereotype.
Such misleading advertisements have a negative impact, especially in the rural areas of Jammu and Kashmir, where children have reportedly started attacking the letterboxes in Dhoni style, only to damage their own legs and hands. Situation elsewhere in the country may not be different.
Was there nobody to whet the script when Dhoni acted in this advertisement? Why has the protagonist in the advertisement shown to be bestowed with a license to eliminate this enduring symbol in ‘terminator’ series style?
Isn’t there any monitoring body in India to point out flaws in such advertisements or has the national conscience accepted this? It may be glamorous on the surface but it is creating havoc with the public property and the psyche of children who find their power inadequate to perform the feats a la Dhoni, their hero.
Now let us take another advertisement, though popular, but full of implications.
Two children are standing on the two sides of a border. One child invites the other for a game of soccer by pushing the football into other side. The child is lured, crosses the border, but is caught up by the pincer of the barbered wire. The child on the other side of the border rescues the one caught by the hook and speaks in some language, alien to this writer and possibly to others in this part of the world. The ambience is striking, that is, somewhere in Kashmir or possibly somewhere in the northern sector. A very touching advertisement indeed, poignantly portraying the human condition, especially in third-world countries (read India and Pakistan) but fraught with dangers for India.
The child cries something like this: "VALE YOURKUN… VALE YOURKUN…"(Meaning come here, come here, in Kashmiri). The message is conveyed that boundaries are irrelevant when people speak through a particular network. So far so good! But since India cannot expect reciprocity, doesn’t the advertisement involve breach of national security by inviting unsuspecting children to fall into booby-traps and land mines?
Isn’t this advertisement too misleading and needlessly adventurous, when teenagers are shown on the border and one even crossing it, while risking his life?
In a border state like Jammu and Kashmir, such advertisements will definitely have a negative impact. If one goes by the instances in the past, it gets revealed that when children, particularly teenagers inadvertently crossed borders, they had to undergo the trauma of having been caught and tortured by the security agencies in both countries.
Such advertisements will encourage those who love adventure and at the same time want to talk to their relatives on the other side of the border. Do they just need to kick a football, as is shown in the high-profile advertisement?
But will such kicks on the border help the individuals in linking the hearts through this network? The fact being that there is no provision for cellphone service in border areas. Those who claim to have such facility on the borders are then definitely inviting trouble… Nothing misleading about it!
Public memory may be short but the fact that SHAKTIMAAN was instrumental in eliminating precious lives of scores of children who, in a bid to copy him, jumped over rooftops, allowing the electric current to pass through them and indulged in other impractical acts. The present advertisements as discussed here, it is hoped, may not be the basis for such idiosyncrasies.
Surrogate advertising — Needed, a spirited attack
In India, the trend of surrogate advertisement gathered momentum with the Cable TV Network Regulation Act, which prohibits tobacco and liquor advertisements on TV channels. The liquor industry has intentionally blurred the line between products, advertising `old wine' in a `new bottle,' only this time with a soft-drink label.
"HUM, tum or mera Bagpiper". This Bagpiper club soda advertisement, featuring cine celebrities, is similar to the earlier one for Bagpiper whisky.
The advertisement comes with the same music and punch line as the one for the popular liquor brand telecast before the ban on liquor advertisements.
This phenomenon, known as "surrogate advertising" (duplicating the brand image of one product extensively to promote another product of the same brand), has become commonplace.
Surrogate advertisements took off not long ago in the UK, where British housewives protested strongly against liquor advertisements "luring" away their husbands. The liquor industry found a way around the ban: Surrogate advertisements for cocktail mixers, fruit juices and soda water using the brand names of the popular liquors.
In India, the trend of surrogate advertisement gathered momentum with the Cable TV Network Regulation Act, which prohibits tobacco and liquor advertisements on TV channels. The liquor industry has intentionally blurred the line between products, advertising `old wine' in a `new bottle,' only this time with a soft-drink label.
A market survey in 2001 revealed that advertising has a direct influence on the consumption habits of 431 million people in India and an indirect impact on 275 million `aspirants' from the lower income group. Considering this and realising that nearly 50 per cent of the television owners have access to cable channels, there is no doubt that the hidden call for alcohol consumption behind the surrogate advertisements is not escaping the eyes of viewers in the world's fourth highest liquor-consuming country. The very purpose of banning liquor advertisements is defeated by surrogate advertising.
Sociological studies have shown that, in India, a significant share of income of a large section of the population is spent on liquor, potentially leading to financial distress and health hazards. According to the International Wine and Spirit Board, a liquor industry publication, there will be a jump in the number of people reaching the legal drinking age of 25 within the next few years. The implication is that the problem is going to grow.
The motivations of firms look even more suspect when they advertise products that cannot be bought. In 2002, for example, Jagatjit Industries, the maker of Aristrocrat Whisky, advertised a product called `Aristrocrat Apple Juice.' The company reportedly confirmed availability of the fruit juice in Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan, yet, no reputed shop in Delhi had ever seen it, let alone sell it.
Understanding the gravity of the situation, the Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) has started to take on the surrogate liquor advertisements. In a recent board meeting, the IBF decided that Jagatjit Industries and other liquor manufacturing units must get production of the advertisement approved both at the `storyboard stage' and after the production of the commercial.
It also ruled that that if liquor companies promote any juice, mineral water or soda, these should be shown in a proper manner and not as trimmings to liquor advertisement.
These are welcome steps, but the key point lies in enforcement. If, in a free society, producers have a legitimate right to let consumers know about their products through advertisements, consumers have the right to information in adverts that are clear and honest.
Surrogate advertisements are not only misleading, but also false and dishonest in many cases. With surrogate advertising so widespread, this is the moment to tackle the problem head-on.
There should be stringent regulatory measures to curb the practice, such as:
i) making transparent laws banning surrogate advertisements for different products under a single brand names, by amending the Trade Marks Act, for instance;
ii) providing teeth to the Advertising Standards Council of India to enable it take action against false and misleading advertisements, and keep a close vigil over clever evasion of the law;
iii) asking the electronic and print media to adhere to the advertisement codes and not encourage surrogate advertisements;
iv) calling on the ASCI address complaints received from consumers against surrogate advertisements and take appropriate actions immediately;
v) creating a consumer awareness programme to help people understand the negative impact of surrogate advertisements;
vi) adopting strict laws to penalise those companies featuring surrogate advertisements without any real existence of the product; and
vii) requiring advertising agencies to have full knowledge of the products under the same brand for which they are promoting advertisements, and taking legal actions against those agencies which design surrogate advertisements.
If one believes that honesty is the best policy and truth ultimately gains, the best policy would be to stand up strongly to the dishonest practices of surrogate advertising.
(The author is Secretary-General of the Jaipur-based CUTS Centre for International Trade, Economics and Environment, an NGO working on trade and economic issues at national and international levels, and can be reached at cuts@cuts.org.)
"HUM, tum or mera Bagpiper". This Bagpiper club soda advertisement, featuring cine celebrities, is similar to the earlier one for Bagpiper whisky.
The advertisement comes with the same music and punch line as the one for the popular liquor brand telecast before the ban on liquor advertisements.
This phenomenon, known as "surrogate advertising" (duplicating the brand image of one product extensively to promote another product of the same brand), has become commonplace.
Surrogate advertisements took off not long ago in the UK, where British housewives protested strongly against liquor advertisements "luring" away their husbands. The liquor industry found a way around the ban: Surrogate advertisements for cocktail mixers, fruit juices and soda water using the brand names of the popular liquors.
In India, the trend of surrogate advertisement gathered momentum with the Cable TV Network Regulation Act, which prohibits tobacco and liquor advertisements on TV channels. The liquor industry has intentionally blurred the line between products, advertising `old wine' in a `new bottle,' only this time with a soft-drink label.
A market survey in 2001 revealed that advertising has a direct influence on the consumption habits of 431 million people in India and an indirect impact on 275 million `aspirants' from the lower income group. Considering this and realising that nearly 50 per cent of the television owners have access to cable channels, there is no doubt that the hidden call for alcohol consumption behind the surrogate advertisements is not escaping the eyes of viewers in the world's fourth highest liquor-consuming country. The very purpose of banning liquor advertisements is defeated by surrogate advertising.
Sociological studies have shown that, in India, a significant share of income of a large section of the population is spent on liquor, potentially leading to financial distress and health hazards. According to the International Wine and Spirit Board, a liquor industry publication, there will be a jump in the number of people reaching the legal drinking age of 25 within the next few years. The implication is that the problem is going to grow.
The motivations of firms look even more suspect when they advertise products that cannot be bought. In 2002, for example, Jagatjit Industries, the maker of Aristrocrat Whisky, advertised a product called `Aristrocrat Apple Juice.' The company reportedly confirmed availability of the fruit juice in Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan, yet, no reputed shop in Delhi had ever seen it, let alone sell it.
Understanding the gravity of the situation, the Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) has started to take on the surrogate liquor advertisements. In a recent board meeting, the IBF decided that Jagatjit Industries and other liquor manufacturing units must get production of the advertisement approved both at the `storyboard stage' and after the production of the commercial.
It also ruled that that if liquor companies promote any juice, mineral water or soda, these should be shown in a proper manner and not as trimmings to liquor advertisement.
These are welcome steps, but the key point lies in enforcement. If, in a free society, producers have a legitimate right to let consumers know about their products through advertisements, consumers have the right to information in adverts that are clear and honest.
Surrogate advertisements are not only misleading, but also false and dishonest in many cases. With surrogate advertising so widespread, this is the moment to tackle the problem head-on.
There should be stringent regulatory measures to curb the practice, such as:
i) making transparent laws banning surrogate advertisements for different products under a single brand names, by amending the Trade Marks Act, for instance;
ii) providing teeth to the Advertising Standards Council of India to enable it take action against false and misleading advertisements, and keep a close vigil over clever evasion of the law;
iii) asking the electronic and print media to adhere to the advertisement codes and not encourage surrogate advertisements;
iv) calling on the ASCI address complaints received from consumers against surrogate advertisements and take appropriate actions immediately;
v) creating a consumer awareness programme to help people understand the negative impact of surrogate advertisements;
vi) adopting strict laws to penalise those companies featuring surrogate advertisements without any real existence of the product; and
vii) requiring advertising agencies to have full knowledge of the products under the same brand for which they are promoting advertisements, and taking legal actions against those agencies which design surrogate advertisements.
If one believes that honesty is the best policy and truth ultimately gains, the best policy would be to stand up strongly to the dishonest practices of surrogate advertising.
(The author is Secretary-General of the Jaipur-based CUTS Centre for International Trade, Economics and Environment, an NGO working on trade and economic issues at national and international levels, and can be reached at cuts@cuts.org.)
One of Bollywood's biggest film stars is being criticised by Asian campaigners for promoting a skin-lightening cream
The 40-second advertisement from India starts like so many others promoting razors or hair dye - but it's an ad with a very big difference.
There's a man who has no luck with the girls. He has markedly darker skin than his friends and the girl he is after. In a real song-and-dance Bollywood extravaganza, one of the biggest heart throbs of Indian cinema, Shahrukh Khan, hands over a cream to the hapless chap, along with some mild admonishment.
Within a few weeks, the young man has turned much lighter-skinned and confident. As he strides down the road like a modern-day answer to John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever, the girls start flocking to him and chanting: "Hi handsome, hi handsome." Khan comes back into view with the product, Fair and Handsome.
The skin-lightening cream for men, along with its more feminine counterparts, has found its way into Asian supermarkets and stores in the UK.
While Khan's advert has not been shown yet in the UK, it too has made its way to British consumers via YouTube. And the product's success or failure in the British market place may say something about the nature of beauty and the politics of race.
Kiran Kaur - a Sikh human rights activist in west London, one of the epicentres of Asian cultural life in the UK - says the arrival of Fair and Handsome, with a Bollywood name in tow, is a step back in time.
'Age-old prejudices'
"The ad simply reinforces the idea that you've got to be fair to be anything in life," says Kiran. "It says that if you're fair and good looking, you'll be a wonderful daughter-in-law or husband, your skin colour determines how successful you'll be in life. The ad reinforces age-old prejudices."
The skin-lightening industry is worth at least £100m in India and the Fair-and-Handsome-for-Men range is the latest product from one of the market's big players.
Manufacturers say they are responding to a demand, but in recent years protests in India have seen at least one advert taken off air. Other lightening products targeted at black women have been on sale for years, some of them containing chemicals banned for years from British goods.
Actress Rani Moorthy knows first hand about the prejudice suffered by Asians with darker skin. She is currently touring the UK with her play that focuses on skin colour, Shades of Brown.
"When I was a child my grandmother took me to one side and said make sure you're good at something, no man will ever marry you for your looks," she says.
"I knew this was because I was dark skinned. It was treated as a disease and every Friday I had to have oil baths in an attempt to lighten my skin".
'A huge star'
She feels a major Bollywood star backing a skin-lightening cream will intensify the prejudice that already exists within the South Asian community, in which the darker skinned can find themselves looked down upon - just as it still happens in parts of India today.
"Deep within this 5,000-year-old culture is the thought that high ideals, nobility and high caste are associated with fair skin," she says. "Dark skin is regarded as low status and low caste."
But what chance do voices like Rani's stand against the screen presence of Shahrukh Khan? Perhaps the best measure of Khan's influence on British Asians is to look at the success of his films.
Dil Se, released in 1998, was the first Bollywood movie to make it into the British box office Top 10.
The film's key clips, including an exhilarating dance upon a moving train, have totted up more than one million hits on YouTube. Khan, a big enough brand to be known just as SRK, is the equivalent of Tom Cruise - and then some.
His Fair-and-Handsome advert won't be missed by British Asians as they follow every Bollywood move, says Sunny Hundal, the editor of Asians in Media, a website that charts the rise of British Asian culture.
'Immoral'
"Shahrukh Khan is a huge star in India and his endorsement will no doubt raise the profile of this product," he says. "Impressionable young men will get the idea that if they want to be attractive like him, they should also use it."
"The cult of media personality, especially cricket or Bollywood stars, is a much bigger phenomena in India and so brands are much more partial to celebrity endorsements.
"But what SRK is essentially doing is confirming and promoting the condescending attitude that many Indians have towards dark-coloured skin. His endorsement is completely immoral."
Neither the manufacturers nor a spokesman for Khan would comment on his involvement in the campaign.
But Manish Shah, a distributor for Fair and Handsome says skin lightening creams are very important because "everybody wants to look really good".
"They're not bad for the skin," he says. "If people have an inferiority complex because of their skin colour, then this product will really help. It does what it says. It makes you fair and handsome. There's a lot of interest in this product and quite simply it makes people look really good."
There's a man who has no luck with the girls. He has markedly darker skin than his friends and the girl he is after. In a real song-and-dance Bollywood extravaganza, one of the biggest heart throbs of Indian cinema, Shahrukh Khan, hands over a cream to the hapless chap, along with some mild admonishment.
Within a few weeks, the young man has turned much lighter-skinned and confident. As he strides down the road like a modern-day answer to John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever, the girls start flocking to him and chanting: "Hi handsome, hi handsome." Khan comes back into view with the product, Fair and Handsome.
The skin-lightening cream for men, along with its more feminine counterparts, has found its way into Asian supermarkets and stores in the UK.
While Khan's advert has not been shown yet in the UK, it too has made its way to British consumers via YouTube. And the product's success or failure in the British market place may say something about the nature of beauty and the politics of race.
Kiran Kaur - a Sikh human rights activist in west London, one of the epicentres of Asian cultural life in the UK - says the arrival of Fair and Handsome, with a Bollywood name in tow, is a step back in time.
'Age-old prejudices'
"The ad simply reinforces the idea that you've got to be fair to be anything in life," says Kiran. "It says that if you're fair and good looking, you'll be a wonderful daughter-in-law or husband, your skin colour determines how successful you'll be in life. The ad reinforces age-old prejudices."
The skin-lightening industry is worth at least £100m in India and the Fair-and-Handsome-for-Men range is the latest product from one of the market's big players.
Manufacturers say they are responding to a demand, but in recent years protests in India have seen at least one advert taken off air. Other lightening products targeted at black women have been on sale for years, some of them containing chemicals banned for years from British goods.
Actress Rani Moorthy knows first hand about the prejudice suffered by Asians with darker skin. She is currently touring the UK with her play that focuses on skin colour, Shades of Brown.
"When I was a child my grandmother took me to one side and said make sure you're good at something, no man will ever marry you for your looks," she says.
"I knew this was because I was dark skinned. It was treated as a disease and every Friday I had to have oil baths in an attempt to lighten my skin".
'A huge star'
She feels a major Bollywood star backing a skin-lightening cream will intensify the prejudice that already exists within the South Asian community, in which the darker skinned can find themselves looked down upon - just as it still happens in parts of India today.
"Deep within this 5,000-year-old culture is the thought that high ideals, nobility and high caste are associated with fair skin," she says. "Dark skin is regarded as low status and low caste."
But what chance do voices like Rani's stand against the screen presence of Shahrukh Khan? Perhaps the best measure of Khan's influence on British Asians is to look at the success of his films.
Dil Se, released in 1998, was the first Bollywood movie to make it into the British box office Top 10.
The film's key clips, including an exhilarating dance upon a moving train, have totted up more than one million hits on YouTube. Khan, a big enough brand to be known just as SRK, is the equivalent of Tom Cruise - and then some.
His Fair-and-Handsome advert won't be missed by British Asians as they follow every Bollywood move, says Sunny Hundal, the editor of Asians in Media, a website that charts the rise of British Asian culture.
'Immoral'
"Shahrukh Khan is a huge star in India and his endorsement will no doubt raise the profile of this product," he says. "Impressionable young men will get the idea that if they want to be attractive like him, they should also use it."
"The cult of media personality, especially cricket or Bollywood stars, is a much bigger phenomena in India and so brands are much more partial to celebrity endorsements.
"But what SRK is essentially doing is confirming and promoting the condescending attitude that many Indians have towards dark-coloured skin. His endorsement is completely immoral."
Neither the manufacturers nor a spokesman for Khan would comment on his involvement in the campaign.
But Manish Shah, a distributor for Fair and Handsome says skin lightening creams are very important because "everybody wants to look really good".
"They're not bad for the skin," he says. "If people have an inferiority complex because of their skin colour, then this product will really help. It does what it says. It makes you fair and handsome. There's a lot of interest in this product and quite simply it makes people look really good."
Medical Council of India Draws Public Attention on Misleading Acts
Recently it has been observed that certain entities have issued misleading advertisements for luring innocent Indian Students for admissions in MBBS from foreign universities. It is also mentioned in such advertisements that ‘recognition of degree by MCI would be in accordance with MCI Act 13 (4B) through screening test’. It has also been mentioned that the degrees will be offered by the foreign universities with study partly in India and partly in foreign universities.
Attention of the public is drawn that MCI has not permitted any foreign university to establish a campus in India for imparting medical education. No foreign university has been permitted by the MCI to start medical course leading to degree equivalent to MBBS in India or to establish such a campus in India. These medical degrees are not approved by the MCI.
Attention of the public is drawn that MCI has not permitted any foreign university to establish a campus in India for imparting medical education. No foreign university has been permitted by the MCI to start medical course leading to degree equivalent to MBBS in India or to establish such a campus in India. These medical degrees are not approved by the MCI.
Supreme Courts Raps PSG Developers, Seventh Heaven, Vian, etc. Of Misleading Advertisements
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court today issued notices to the Centre, all states and Union Territories in the country on a PIL seeking directions to the government that all builders, developers and property dealers should be directed to deposit all property papers with the publication through which advertisements are being issued in electronic as well as print media so that the buyers may cross check the claims.
A bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justices P K Balasubramanyan and R V Raveendran issued notices on PIL filed by ‘’Sanrakshak’’ (the protector). Counsel for the petitioner K S Rana and Anil Karnwal contended before the court that these builders and land mafias had been defrauding general public of their hard earned money through misleading and fraudulent advertisements in mass media.
The petitioner has cited some advertisements issued by builders such as Seven Heaven for flats, while they did not own any land.
Vian Infrastucture Ltd issued advertisements in almost all national and regional daily publications about their so called housing project at Jaipur, Hardwar, Agra, Zirakpur, Indore, Neemrana, Udaipur, Mumbai and others and had allegedly collected crores of rupees while most of these projects were not approved.
Some other builders mentioned in the writ petition are P S G Developers and Engineers Ltd who have also duped the public of huge amount through such advertisements, J V G Group of Industries are also facing similar allegations.
The petitioner has also prayed to the court to issue directions to the Central government to set up a statutory regulatory body which shall examine each and every aspect of the claim made in the advertisements and it should only be allowed to publish with prior approval of the regulatory body.
The petitioner has also prayed to implement the recommendation by the Law Commission of India to insert a Sub Section 420 (b) IPC to make bogus advertisements as well as their publications a punishable offence.
A bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justices P K Balasubramanyan and R V Raveendran issued notices on PIL filed by ‘’Sanrakshak’’ (the protector). Counsel for the petitioner K S Rana and Anil Karnwal contended before the court that these builders and land mafias had been defrauding general public of their hard earned money through misleading and fraudulent advertisements in mass media.
The petitioner has cited some advertisements issued by builders such as Seven Heaven for flats, while they did not own any land.
Vian Infrastucture Ltd issued advertisements in almost all national and regional daily publications about their so called housing project at Jaipur, Hardwar, Agra, Zirakpur, Indore, Neemrana, Udaipur, Mumbai and others and had allegedly collected crores of rupees while most of these projects were not approved.
Some other builders mentioned in the writ petition are P S G Developers and Engineers Ltd who have also duped the public of huge amount through such advertisements, J V G Group of Industries are also facing similar allegations.
The petitioner has also prayed to the court to issue directions to the Central government to set up a statutory regulatory body which shall examine each and every aspect of the claim made in the advertisements and it should only be allowed to publish with prior approval of the regulatory body.
The petitioner has also prayed to implement the recommendation by the Law Commission of India to insert a Sub Section 420 (b) IPC to make bogus advertisements as well as their publications a punishable offence.
Misleading Advertisements on Drugs
The BMJ publishes local editions in 16 countries, including India. These make reliable information available in countries where doctors either do not speak English or cannot afford the weekly journal. The local editions contain articles from the weekly edition of the BMJ, some local material, and advertisements.
The Indian edition of the BMJ has been published monthly since 1986. All the articles in it are from the BMJ's international edition except for one or two pages dealing with local news. The edition is reasonably priced and is therefore available to many readers. Unfortunately, the advertisements in the Indian edition do not have the same international standard as those in the weekly BMJ, are misleading, and make unsubstantiated claims.
We studied advertisements from pharmaceutical companies appearing in five issues of the Indian edition (August to December 1992; 116 advertisements) and in four issues of the British edition (March 1993; 87 advertisements). Advertisements for parenteral fluids, milk foods, and laboratory equipment were excluded. We noted whether the advertisements included indications for treatment, dosage, precautions, contraindications, adverse effects, price of the drug, the postal address of the drug company, and whether the claims made in the advertisements were referenced.
The generic name was absent in 19 (16%) of the Indian advertisements and none of the British advertisements. Scientific information was inadequate in 23 (20%) of Indian and 3 (3%) of British advertisements. In total, 76 (66%) Indian and 80 (92%) British advertisements provided an address for further information, and 76 (66%) and 84 (97%) mentioned the price. Eight advertisements in the Indian edition (7%) were for indigenous herbal and ayurvedic products.
In addition, we sent 10 randomly selected advertisements from the Indian edition of the BMJ to a clinical pharmacologist from Britain, a member of the medical therapeutic committee for Victoria, Australia, and a pharmaceutical advisor to the International Organisation of Consumers Unions (now Consumer International), in Malaysia. They found that all the advertisements were misleading or made unsubstantiated claims. Excerpts from their opinions give an idea of the standard of advertising in the Indian edition of the BMJ
Opinions of international panel on drugs advertised in Indian edition of BMJ
• Trental 400 (pentoxifylline): "The advertisement makes unsubstantiated claims of improvement in mental function." (This drug is marketed only for peripheral vascular disease in America and Britain; in India it is indicated for cerebrovascular disease as well.)
• Relaxyl (diclofenac): "The claim 'gentle on the gastrointestinal tract' is not in accord with the reported high incidence of gastrointestinal side effects (up to 30% in Australian approved product information)."
• Alarsin products (Indian preparation): "There is no information on active constituents, side effects, or contraindications, and the claims made are unsubstantiated."
• Keflor (kefaclor): "Makes unsubstantiated claims such as 'respiratory specific.'"
• Fludac (fluoxetine): "This advertisement distorts the side effect profile by mentioning only the advantages it has over tricyclic antidepressants. There is no information on contraindications or dosage."
• Globac (haemoglobin ferric ammonium citrate, copper sulphate, manganese sulphate, zinc sulphate): "No evidence for therapeutic effect is given, and there are no clear indications for use."
• Mentat (Indian preparation): "There is no information on constituents, indications, precautions, or dosage. There is no evidence given for clinical efficacy, and the reference is to a study in an obscure (in house) journal."
• Ciprodac (ciprofloxacin): "The claim 'super power in your hands' is meaningless. There is no mention of the generic name, constituents, contraindications, or side effects."
• Ciprowin (ciprofloxacin): "Makes unsubstantiated superlative claims such as 'surgical infections: most effective and cost effective therapy' and 'LRTI: better than third generation cephalosporins.'"
• Ciprobid (ciprofloxacin): "The claim 'superior to chloramphenicol, aminoglycosides, cephalosporins in ... bronchopneumonia, osteomyelitis' is misleading."
The words "Selections from the BMJ," which appear at the bottom of every page of the Indian edition, may give some readers the impression that the advertisements have the approval of the BMJ. The advertisement for Trental (pentoxifylline) is a clear example of misleading, unethical advertising and exposes the double standards of the company marketing the drug; it is prepared to promote a treatment in India in a way that would not be permitted in Britain. The advertisements for indigenous drugs are unscientific. Broad claims of cures for sleepiness, infertility, liver diseases, and infections are made, and the only proof is papers in journals published by the manufacturer. When such advertisements appear in the BMJ they acquire an aura of respectability.
It is unfortunate that the BMJ is involved in such promotion, as the journal's reputation lends respectability to these dubious advertisements. In Britain the BMJ has to conform to a stringent code for advertising.1 For its local editions, the BMJ should follow the ethical criteria for medicinal drug promotion laid down by the World Health Organisation2; we hope that this will set an example for drug advertising in India and other developing countries.
The Indian edition of the BMJ has been published monthly since 1986. All the articles in it are from the BMJ's international edition except for one or two pages dealing with local news. The edition is reasonably priced and is therefore available to many readers. Unfortunately, the advertisements in the Indian edition do not have the same international standard as those in the weekly BMJ, are misleading, and make unsubstantiated claims.
We studied advertisements from pharmaceutical companies appearing in five issues of the Indian edition (August to December 1992; 116 advertisements) and in four issues of the British edition (March 1993; 87 advertisements). Advertisements for parenteral fluids, milk foods, and laboratory equipment were excluded. We noted whether the advertisements included indications for treatment, dosage, precautions, contraindications, adverse effects, price of the drug, the postal address of the drug company, and whether the claims made in the advertisements were referenced.
The generic name was absent in 19 (16%) of the Indian advertisements and none of the British advertisements. Scientific information was inadequate in 23 (20%) of Indian and 3 (3%) of British advertisements. In total, 76 (66%) Indian and 80 (92%) British advertisements provided an address for further information, and 76 (66%) and 84 (97%) mentioned the price. Eight advertisements in the Indian edition (7%) were for indigenous herbal and ayurvedic products.
In addition, we sent 10 randomly selected advertisements from the Indian edition of the BMJ to a clinical pharmacologist from Britain, a member of the medical therapeutic committee for Victoria, Australia, and a pharmaceutical advisor to the International Organisation of Consumers Unions (now Consumer International), in Malaysia. They found that all the advertisements were misleading or made unsubstantiated claims. Excerpts from their opinions give an idea of the standard of advertising in the Indian edition of the BMJ
Opinions of international panel on drugs advertised in Indian edition of BMJ
• Trental 400 (pentoxifylline): "The advertisement makes unsubstantiated claims of improvement in mental function." (This drug is marketed only for peripheral vascular disease in America and Britain; in India it is indicated for cerebrovascular disease as well.)
• Relaxyl (diclofenac): "The claim 'gentle on the gastrointestinal tract' is not in accord with the reported high incidence of gastrointestinal side effects (up to 30% in Australian approved product information)."
• Alarsin products (Indian preparation): "There is no information on active constituents, side effects, or contraindications, and the claims made are unsubstantiated."
• Keflor (kefaclor): "Makes unsubstantiated claims such as 'respiratory specific.'"
• Fludac (fluoxetine): "This advertisement distorts the side effect profile by mentioning only the advantages it has over tricyclic antidepressants. There is no information on contraindications or dosage."
• Globac (haemoglobin ferric ammonium citrate, copper sulphate, manganese sulphate, zinc sulphate): "No evidence for therapeutic effect is given, and there are no clear indications for use."
• Mentat (Indian preparation): "There is no information on constituents, indications, precautions, or dosage. There is no evidence given for clinical efficacy, and the reference is to a study in an obscure (in house) journal."
• Ciprodac (ciprofloxacin): "The claim 'super power in your hands' is meaningless. There is no mention of the generic name, constituents, contraindications, or side effects."
• Ciprowin (ciprofloxacin): "Makes unsubstantiated superlative claims such as 'surgical infections: most effective and cost effective therapy' and 'LRTI: better than third generation cephalosporins.'"
• Ciprobid (ciprofloxacin): "The claim 'superior to chloramphenicol, aminoglycosides, cephalosporins in ... bronchopneumonia, osteomyelitis' is misleading."
The words "Selections from the BMJ," which appear at the bottom of every page of the Indian edition, may give some readers the impression that the advertisements have the approval of the BMJ. The advertisement for Trental (pentoxifylline) is a clear example of misleading, unethical advertising and exposes the double standards of the company marketing the drug; it is prepared to promote a treatment in India in a way that would not be permitted in Britain. The advertisements for indigenous drugs are unscientific. Broad claims of cures for sleepiness, infertility, liver diseases, and infections are made, and the only proof is papers in journals published by the manufacturer. When such advertisements appear in the BMJ they acquire an aura of respectability.
It is unfortunate that the BMJ is involved in such promotion, as the journal's reputation lends respectability to these dubious advertisements. In Britain the BMJ has to conform to a stringent code for advertising.1 For its local editions, the BMJ should follow the ethical criteria for medicinal drug promotion laid down by the World Health Organisation2; we hope that this will set an example for drug advertising in India and other developing countries.
Misleading Cosmetic Advertisement In India
Advertisements are designed to attract consumers and often, they find that the promises and claims in the advertisements are not true. L'Oreal has recently been reprimanded by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for producing 'misleading' ads featuring Hollywood actress Penelope Cruz.
The print and TV advertisements claimed that their Telescopic mascara could create 60 per cent longer eyelashes "that could reach for the stars". But it was found that Cruz had actually used false eyelashes for the advertisements. L'Oreal has been ordered to add a disclaimer to future ads.
However, lashes are not the only fake things in advertisements. Advertisement
filmmaker Prahlad Kakkar reveals, "What you see in advertisements
is always doctored. The flawless models who endorse these products are not real, because their appearance is touched up. You have makeup, lights, airbrushing and all sorts of techniques, which give a picture-perfect end result."
Professional make-up artist Manzoor Khan, who works in films and advertisements, says, "The right make-up makes all the difference in an advertisement
for a beauty product. Sometimes, we have to do a little cheating here and there if the product being advertised doesn't give the desired look. We could use a product from another brand to get the best finish. Make-up and lighting go hand in hand to create the perfect look."
Dermatologist Dr Malavika Kohli stresses the need for consumer awareness. "We should make it a point to read the label for the active ingredients, their percentages, clinical studies and trials conducted for any cosmetic product. Based on this information, we can make our choices. We should all be informed consumers."
However, if a company deliberately misleads consumers with false advertisements, a complain can be lodged to the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), a self regulatory voluntary organisation of the advertising industry.
The print and TV advertisements claimed that their Telescopic mascara could create 60 per cent longer eyelashes "that could reach for the stars". But it was found that Cruz had actually used false eyelashes for the advertisements. L'Oreal has been ordered to add a disclaimer to future ads.
However, lashes are not the only fake things in advertisements. Advertisement
filmmaker Prahlad Kakkar reveals, "What you see in advertisements
is always doctored. The flawless models who endorse these products are not real, because their appearance is touched up. You have makeup, lights, airbrushing and all sorts of techniques, which give a picture-perfect end result."
Professional make-up artist Manzoor Khan, who works in films and advertisements, says, "The right make-up makes all the difference in an advertisement
for a beauty product. Sometimes, we have to do a little cheating here and there if the product being advertised doesn't give the desired look. We could use a product from another brand to get the best finish. Make-up and lighting go hand in hand to create the perfect look."
Dermatologist Dr Malavika Kohli stresses the need for consumer awareness. "We should make it a point to read the label for the active ingredients, their percentages, clinical studies and trials conducted for any cosmetic product. Based on this information, we can make our choices. We should all be informed consumers."
However, if a company deliberately misleads consumers with false advertisements, a complain can be lodged to the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), a self regulatory voluntary organisation of the advertising industry.
Misleading English Language Course Advertisements
Off late, the capital has witnessed a tremendous increase in the number of various professional institutes, especially those, which proclaim that they cater for those underprivileged, who want to speak English. Local newspapers are full of advertisements about English courses, which are offered at various institutes at varying fees. These institutes boast that they can groom an individual to meet the modern day needs.
However, a question often arises in one’s mind about their authenticity. There are various institutes which are operating with various names and are charging hefty money. If one visits them, then one can clearly make out that they themselves are ill-equipped to teach the students.
The so called teaching staff is ignorant about English language. "The teachers themselves are unacquainted about the language. If you talk with them then most of them speak incorrect English with lots of grammatical errors and fumble a lot so how can they groom those students," says RC Shukla, a resident of Vikas Lok lane.
Echoing the same sentiment, Pankaj Purohit, a student says, "No doubt English is a global language and plays a very important role in a country like India besides being in great demand in day to day business. However, hardly any institute in the city teaches it properly."
Sometimes it is really absurd to read the advertisements that these institutes not only teach English but also British and American English. They further train students for the interviews for Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) and Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO) companies. In addition to this, they have courses (with fees ranging from Rs 2500 to Rs 4500) like personality development and confidence building to face any interview within 7 to 15 days.
"I think even today English rules the roost. Those, who speak this language, are seen with respect and those, who cannot, are looked down upon even if they are very talented. I am not against English language but it is our Indian mentality, which has given birth to these institutes," says an annoyed student Pramanshu Singh.
"Some of these institutes are registered but others are not. But you see, in our country it is easy to get things done by greasing the palms. There should be stringent rules to obtain registration, as they are doing less of constructive work and are only filling their coffers," adds Pramanshu.
If one reads the pamphlets then a closer look shows that the course is not designed to impart but rather to misguide and mint money. Some say that they will teach English language by playing English songs, which seems ridiculous.
"I think that they should purchase some good CD's designed by University Grants Commission (UGC) to impart knowledge. But they are only minting money and misguiding those, who are actually interested to learn but they cannot and by the time they realise, it is too late", says Gaurav Gupta, a resident of cement road.
However, a question often arises in one’s mind about their authenticity. There are various institutes which are operating with various names and are charging hefty money. If one visits them, then one can clearly make out that they themselves are ill-equipped to teach the students.
The so called teaching staff is ignorant about English language. "The teachers themselves are unacquainted about the language. If you talk with them then most of them speak incorrect English with lots of grammatical errors and fumble a lot so how can they groom those students," says RC Shukla, a resident of Vikas Lok lane.
Echoing the same sentiment, Pankaj Purohit, a student says, "No doubt English is a global language and plays a very important role in a country like India besides being in great demand in day to day business. However, hardly any institute in the city teaches it properly."
Sometimes it is really absurd to read the advertisements that these institutes not only teach English but also British and American English. They further train students for the interviews for Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) and Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO) companies. In addition to this, they have courses (with fees ranging from Rs 2500 to Rs 4500) like personality development and confidence building to face any interview within 7 to 15 days.
"I think even today English rules the roost. Those, who speak this language, are seen with respect and those, who cannot, are looked down upon even if they are very talented. I am not against English language but it is our Indian mentality, which has given birth to these institutes," says an annoyed student Pramanshu Singh.
"Some of these institutes are registered but others are not. But you see, in our country it is easy to get things done by greasing the palms. There should be stringent rules to obtain registration, as they are doing less of constructive work and are only filling their coffers," adds Pramanshu.
If one reads the pamphlets then a closer look shows that the course is not designed to impart but rather to misguide and mint money. Some say that they will teach English language by playing English songs, which seems ridiculous.
"I think that they should purchase some good CD's designed by University Grants Commission (UGC) to impart knowledge. But they are only minting money and misguiding those, who are actually interested to learn but they cannot and by the time they realise, it is too late", says Gaurav Gupta, a resident of cement road.
Misleading Drug Advertisements Online
With no regulatory control over drug advertisements on television or the Internet, India is fast becoming a haven for illegal online pharmacies that hijack popular pharma brands to sell counterfeit medicines.
Several websites that promote sales of drugs illegally were found to be hosted in India, according to the Summer 2008 Brandjacking Index, an independent annual brand abuse analysis by US-based MarkMonitor Inc.
“Our year-over-year trend data shows a grave situation: The number of people looking to save money by buying pharmaceuticals over the Web is growing rapidly while scam-mers are more aggressively exploiting loose controls over online sales of drugs,” Irfan Salim, president and chief executive of MarkMonitor, said about the report.
The survey mirrors a report by UN’s International Narcotics Control Board in March, which said a growing number of illegal online pharmacies based in India appeared to be the West’s source for pharmaceutical drugs that cannot otherwise be shipped freely into that region or require prescriptions from doctors.
The report had blamed this on the lack of an adequate regulatory framework for the pharma industry in India.
Indeed, India’s 54-year-old Drugs and Magic Remedies Act, under which drug advertisements are regulated, has not yet been updated to include television and the Web.
“Our law currently doesn’t identify online advertisement or trade of drugs, though there are measures to check the authenticity of drug ingredients or finished formulations when they are physically transferred from one place to another,” said M. Venkateswarlu, former drug controller general of India.
As drug controller general, Venkateswarlu had in 2006 proposed updating the law to expand its scope, with provisions to prevent misguiding advertisements and false claims about health care products and medical devices on television and the Internet. The proposal was not pursued effectively at the cabinet level due to budgetary constraints and practical difficulties in its implementation, he said.
The report cites another online exchange site hosted in India, but with Russian contact information, that sells loose pills at a 93% discount over the retail price. The significant discount, the study says, indicates the website is selling fake, diluted, alternative, stolen, grey market or expired medicines.
The MarkMonitor survey reveals that the online pharmacy trade largely revolves around six leading brands prescribed for anti-impotency, sexual enhancement, and other top-selling drugs of multinational companies.
According to the brandjacking study, 60% of the presumed fraudulent online pharmacies and business-to-business exchange sites the agency had identified in 2007 are still operating.
Last year, MarkMonitor’s study said exchange sites that sell drugs in bulk quantities could corrupt the overall supply chain by “injecting potentially phony and dangerous medications into the market”. It had said 31% of the exchange site listings originated in China, followed by 26% in the US and 19% in India.
The total number of online pharmacies operating globally as in June was 2,986, of which only two were certified, according to MarkMonitor. A dramatic rise in traffic has led to a sizable increase in revenue, estimated at $12 billion, the study said, based on industry statistics for purchase rates of 0.05% of the traffic and average order size of $70.
“This is an industry that isn’t just going away, but is getting better at conducting their illicit activities and preying on the public,” MarkMonitor said in its latest report. “There is more traffic to online pharmacy sites that are doing more business, and a 36% growth in the availability of drugs in the online supply chain.”
The other disturbing trend, according to the survey, is the use of search engine advertising to draw in more unsuspecting buyers to misleading websites. “We identified 11,836 search ads; none of the ads that we analyzed were from legitimate brandholders. More than two-thirds of the ads showed trademark abuses. All of these ads led visitors to misleading sites that were selling these drugs,” the report said.
Several websites that promote sales of drugs illegally were found to be hosted in India, according to the Summer 2008 Brandjacking Index, an independent annual brand abuse analysis by US-based MarkMonitor Inc.
“Our year-over-year trend data shows a grave situation: The number of people looking to save money by buying pharmaceuticals over the Web is growing rapidly while scam-mers are more aggressively exploiting loose controls over online sales of drugs,” Irfan Salim, president and chief executive of MarkMonitor, said about the report.
The survey mirrors a report by UN’s International Narcotics Control Board in March, which said a growing number of illegal online pharmacies based in India appeared to be the West’s source for pharmaceutical drugs that cannot otherwise be shipped freely into that region or require prescriptions from doctors.
The report had blamed this on the lack of an adequate regulatory framework for the pharma industry in India.
Indeed, India’s 54-year-old Drugs and Magic Remedies Act, under which drug advertisements are regulated, has not yet been updated to include television and the Web.
“Our law currently doesn’t identify online advertisement or trade of drugs, though there are measures to check the authenticity of drug ingredients or finished formulations when they are physically transferred from one place to another,” said M. Venkateswarlu, former drug controller general of India.
As drug controller general, Venkateswarlu had in 2006 proposed updating the law to expand its scope, with provisions to prevent misguiding advertisements and false claims about health care products and medical devices on television and the Internet. The proposal was not pursued effectively at the cabinet level due to budgetary constraints and practical difficulties in its implementation, he said.
The report cites another online exchange site hosted in India, but with Russian contact information, that sells loose pills at a 93% discount over the retail price. The significant discount, the study says, indicates the website is selling fake, diluted, alternative, stolen, grey market or expired medicines.
The MarkMonitor survey reveals that the online pharmacy trade largely revolves around six leading brands prescribed for anti-impotency, sexual enhancement, and other top-selling drugs of multinational companies.
According to the brandjacking study, 60% of the presumed fraudulent online pharmacies and business-to-business exchange sites the agency had identified in 2007 are still operating.
Last year, MarkMonitor’s study said exchange sites that sell drugs in bulk quantities could corrupt the overall supply chain by “injecting potentially phony and dangerous medications into the market”. It had said 31% of the exchange site listings originated in China, followed by 26% in the US and 19% in India.
The total number of online pharmacies operating globally as in June was 2,986, of which only two were certified, according to MarkMonitor. A dramatic rise in traffic has led to a sizable increase in revenue, estimated at $12 billion, the study said, based on industry statistics for purchase rates of 0.05% of the traffic and average order size of $70.
“This is an industry that isn’t just going away, but is getting better at conducting their illicit activities and preying on the public,” MarkMonitor said in its latest report. “There is more traffic to online pharmacy sites that are doing more business, and a 36% growth in the availability of drugs in the online supply chain.”
The other disturbing trend, according to the survey, is the use of search engine advertising to draw in more unsuspecting buyers to misleading websites. “We identified 11,836 search ads; none of the ads that we analyzed were from legitimate brandholders. More than two-thirds of the ads showed trademark abuses. All of these ads led visitors to misleading sites that were selling these drugs,” the report said.
The Coca-Cola company is making unsubstantiated claims about its relationship to water and has a dismal record of protecting water resources. It neither protects nor preserves water. By placing an advertisement in the Daily Minnesota on March 22, the Coca-Cola company is attempting to manufacture an image of itself that it clearly is not - a responsible steward of water.
The reality of Coca-Cola particularly in India is a far cry from what was printed in the Daily Minnesota. The company has conveniently omitted pertinent data, and the advertisement is designed to deliberately mislead the public.
The Coca-Cola company is guilty of denying thousands of people access to water in India by affecting the quantity of water through its massive water use and the quality of water through pollution. Its operations are affecting the very lifeline of India where over 70% of the population derives a living from agriculture.
Coca-Cola's flaunting of their increased water efficiency in the advertisement fails to provide an accurate picture of the company's relationship with water. According to the company itself, 75% of the freshwater they extract in India is turned into wastewater. Coca-Cola extracts huge amounts of water, in some cases, using up to a million liters of water per day in some facilities in India. Globally, the company extracted 283 billion liters of water in 2004, and turned two-thirds of it into wastewater.
The omission of such relevant numbers when discussing water stewardship is designed to deliberately mislead the public. Coca-Cola's abuse of water is particularly striking in a world where lack of access to clean, drinking water is a reality for over 1.2 billion people.
Coca-Cola's claims in the advertisement of "substantially" returning the water they use to local aquifers in India is also absurd. Just last week, Coca-Cola's top public relations official in India admitted that rainwater harvesting in their Mehdiganj facility "harvested" only 8% of their annual water use. 8% is not "substantial" by any measure, and is indicative, once again, of the deliberate attempt by the company to mislead.
Rainwater harvesting is not, as Coca-Cola may suggest, an altruistic measure on their part. It is the result of the formidable community campaigns all across India challenging the company's water abuses that have forced the company to adopt rainwater harvesting. However, rainwater harvesting alone is not enough to meet Coca-Cola's supersized thirst for water.
The Coca-Cola company does not mention in the advertisement that it has been indicted for polluting water and land in India, which has resulted in further hardships for thousands. One of Coca-Cola's largest bottling plants in India has remained shut down for over two years now because the State Pollution Control Board will not allow it to operate-citing the company for gross pollution. Numerous tests conducted by government and independent agencies have confirmed that the water around Coca-Cola's bottling plants have been severely polluted and are unfit for human consumption.
Twenty villages in the vicinity of Coca-Cola's bottling plant in Mehdiganj, in northern India, have embarked upon an indefinite vigil on March 23, demanding that the plant shut down before summer begins, when water shortages are particularly acute.
The misleading advertisement in the Daily Minnesota does nothing to assuage the serious concerns of the thousands of people living near Mehdiganj.
The reality of Coca-Cola particularly in India is a far cry from what was printed in the Daily Minnesota. The company has conveniently omitted pertinent data, and the advertisement is designed to deliberately mislead the public.
The Coca-Cola company is guilty of denying thousands of people access to water in India by affecting the quantity of water through its massive water use and the quality of water through pollution. Its operations are affecting the very lifeline of India where over 70% of the population derives a living from agriculture.
Coca-Cola's flaunting of their increased water efficiency in the advertisement fails to provide an accurate picture of the company's relationship with water. According to the company itself, 75% of the freshwater they extract in India is turned into wastewater. Coca-Cola extracts huge amounts of water, in some cases, using up to a million liters of water per day in some facilities in India. Globally, the company extracted 283 billion liters of water in 2004, and turned two-thirds of it into wastewater.
The omission of such relevant numbers when discussing water stewardship is designed to deliberately mislead the public. Coca-Cola's abuse of water is particularly striking in a world where lack of access to clean, drinking water is a reality for over 1.2 billion people.
Coca-Cola's claims in the advertisement of "substantially" returning the water they use to local aquifers in India is also absurd. Just last week, Coca-Cola's top public relations official in India admitted that rainwater harvesting in their Mehdiganj facility "harvested" only 8% of their annual water use. 8% is not "substantial" by any measure, and is indicative, once again, of the deliberate attempt by the company to mislead.
Rainwater harvesting is not, as Coca-Cola may suggest, an altruistic measure on their part. It is the result of the formidable community campaigns all across India challenging the company's water abuses that have forced the company to adopt rainwater harvesting. However, rainwater harvesting alone is not enough to meet Coca-Cola's supersized thirst for water.
The Coca-Cola company does not mention in the advertisement that it has been indicted for polluting water and land in India, which has resulted in further hardships for thousands. One of Coca-Cola's largest bottling plants in India has remained shut down for over two years now because the State Pollution Control Board will not allow it to operate-citing the company for gross pollution. Numerous tests conducted by government and independent agencies have confirmed that the water around Coca-Cola's bottling plants have been severely polluted and are unfit for human consumption.
Twenty villages in the vicinity of Coca-Cola's bottling plant in Mehdiganj, in northern India, have embarked upon an indefinite vigil on March 23, demanding that the plant shut down before summer begins, when water shortages are particularly acute.
The misleading advertisement in the Daily Minnesota does nothing to assuage the serious concerns of the thousands of people living near Mehdiganj.
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