Provide names of other journalists involved.
Zhuang Pinghui, Reporter, Beijing Bureau
List date(s) this work was published or aired.
24 Jan 2011, 14 Feb 2011, 3 May 2011, 31 May 2011
Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
I have covered the progress of tobacco control in Hong Kong and Asia with perseverance for years. One of the scoops I produced this year was to expose how tobacco companies lobbied the government just prior to the announcement of the annual budget, which violated WHO guidelines. This sparked anger among health professionals. I also called to the attention two areas that required the government’s urgent action- banning smoking outside building entrances and regulating electronic cigarettes that do not contain nicotine. In the final clip, I produced a one-page feature to coincide with the WHO World No Tobacco Day. I analyzed the state of tobacco control in Asia and reported on Hong Kong’s performance in quit-smoking schemes. There was also an additional story filed by Zhuang Pinghui on the situation in China.
Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
I referred to medical journals for the latest research findings, consulted the WHO website and requested statistics from the government.
Explain types of human sources used.
There were typically three types of human sources in each story- health professionals, smokers alliance or tobacco companies and government officials.
Results:
My body of work has raised general awareness on tobacco control among Hongkongers. In particular, the exclusive on tobacco companies’ lobbying has generated heated public discussion. The government eventually raised tobacco tax by 41.5 per cent, despite opposition from tobacco companies and cigarette vendors. Hong Kong has one of the lowest smoking rates in the world, but that was precisely why public focus shifted to issues like drug abuse. My body of work could also serve as a reminder to Hongkongers that they should not be complacent in fighting the tobacco epidemic.
Follow-up (if any). Have you run a correction or clarification on the report or has anyone come forward to challenge its accuracy? If so, please explain.
None.
Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
Tobacco companies are very secretive, especially when it comes to sharing their sales volume and marketing strategies. However, they are many NGOs which monitor tobacco companies closely. Their findings might be of use during reporting.