Industry News for 2011

Engage creative industries to achieve awareness, seminar told

Communications professionals need to think beyond the 30 second television spot if they are to reach the hearts and minds of the masses with awareness campaigns on issues like climate change, a senior media executive told a seminar in Bangkok today.

Todd Miller, a member of the Board of Advisors of The Media Alliance, and former Executive Vice President, Networks, Asia/Pacific, Sony Pictures Television, said collaboration with creative industries was essential to make the issue topical, talked-about and top-of-mind.

“The creative industries need to take action to embed the climate change issue into pop culture, weaving climatic issues into the storylines of popular dramas and comedies, on talk shows, and into music and movies,” he told the gathering of representatives from UN agencies, development organisations, media and private sector companies.

Mr Miller cited the example of drunken driving in the United States: “Public health officials introduced the notion of a designated driver and enlisted the support of Hollywood, of the networks, and of talent to get this message across.

“The message of designated driving permeated pop culture and changed behavior. Today a designated driver is a common, socially acceptable and responsible behavior in the US,” he explained.

The seminar, organised by the UNEP Regional Climate Change Adaptation Knowledge Platform for Asia in partnership with The Media Alliance and the Swedish Environment Secretariat for Asia, was the fifth in a series on public awareness, behavior change and calls to action for sustainable consumption and production.

New PR campaign to raise awareness of aging issues in Singapore

A Singapore PR agency is to develop a campaign to raise awareness and increase acceptance of ‘successful aging’ as a life-course process regardless of life stage, health status or physical ability and to reach out to the media and the age-care industry.

Ruder Finn Singapore has been appointed by the Tsao Foundation to develop the campaign as part of a two-year agreement covering public relations counsel, development of a PR strategy and key messages, media planning and media relations.

Established in 1993, the Tsao Foundation has been at the forefront of developing models of community-based medical and social services for older persons, providing training in the age care service sector, and fostering new thinking on the challenges posed by rapid demographic change.

“Tsao Foundation is closely aligned with the government’s vision of building a world class health care system that meets the needs of our aging population. We believe that empowering the individual with the necessary information and skills, and developing an integrated network of community services to optimize health, participation and security would enhance the quality of life as people age,” said Dr Mary Ann Tsao, President of the Tsao Foundation, said.

Singapore has one of the fastest aging populations in Asia and its government has identified this as one of its key social development issues.

Indian media campaign on TB to take new approach

India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare today announced a repositioning of its media and public awareness campaign for the control of tuberculosis (TB) in the run-up to World TB Day which will be marked around the world tomorrow, Sify News reports.

Ashok Kumar, Deputy Director General of the ministry’s central TB division, said the campaign would now focus on ensuring patients properly complete the course of medication that lasts for six months.

Patients are given seven tablets a day on every alternate day over the six month period. “We want to make sure that we minimise the number of patients who reach fatal multi-drug resistant TB stage,” he said.

He was speaking at a function in New Delhi organised by the Resource group for Education and Advocacy for Community Health (REACH) and the pharmaceutical company, Eli Lilly, to present awards for excellence in TB reporting.

REACH director, Dr Nalini Krishnan, said local and national media had a very important role to play in creating awareness about the disease. Over three million people die every year in India due to TB. “Early diagnosis of the disease is very crucial,” she said

“Media can help reduce the social stigma and mental burden associated with TB in India,” she added.

Indonesian filmmaker wins ADB water video competition

Just one scoop of water will give you a fulfilling, enjoyable and cleansing shower, says the Indonesian independent filmmaker who has won the grand prize in the Asian Development Bank's (ADB) ‘MyView H2O’ video competition.

The winners have been announced on the eve of World Water Day, an annual global event designed to highlight the critical importance of sustainably managing the earth's fragile freshwater resources.

ADB supported this year's contest to promote awareness of the causes, implications and solutions to Asia's looming water crisis.

In his winning entry, Jakarta based Muhammad "Wawan" Zulqamar cleverly illustrates in just over one minute, and without words, how showering and conserving water can go hand in hand.

"Save Water won not only because it is so well directed and photographed but because it has such a powerful message told simply, concisely and with wit and impact," said Ann Quon, Principal Director of ADB's Department of External Relations and one of the judging panel.

In the Under-21 category, "Time to Refill" by 18-year-old Emmanuel "Joe" Ortigas of the Philippines was the winner. The video shows the dangers of the world running out of water. In the over-21 category, "My Riverside Story" a moving story about one woman's life from Filipino director Nash Anggahan was the winner.

In Asia and the Pacific, about half a billion people still lack access to potable water and ADB estimates that about US$8 billion a year will be needed to meet the Millennium Development Goal target for safe drinking water in the region over the next decade. In addition, no area of the world is more vulnerable to climate change and water shortages, with rising temperatures, sea levels and extreme weather events threatening the food security, livelihoods, health and homes of millions of people. The poor are most at risk because of their high dependence on natural resources and limited livelihood and mobility options.

The winning videos and full list of prize winners can be seen at:http://www.adb.org/MyView/2010/winners.asp

Pakistan's information minister urges media to help eradicate polio

Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, has asked the country’s private media to play a greater role in giving exposure to the government’s polio awareness campaign, the Associated Press of Pakistan reports.

She was speaking on Saturday at the launch of the first National Emergency Action Plan for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health in Islamabad.

The Minister said the campaign would have the full support of the government media including PTV, APP and PID, but it needed help from the private media to make the campaign successful.

Dr Firdous said she was of the view that there was a huge gap between private media and institutions. She urged private broadcasting channels to give considerable time to the campaign as this was the government’s strongest-ever commitment to eradicating polio.

“This was the mission of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto who held the cause of children’s health and well-being as of paramount importance to the development and progress of the nation,” she added.

The Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Nargis Sethi, said there had been an upsurge of polio during last year as a direct result of the inability of polio teams to access security compromised areas of the country, and the unprecedented floods that had wreaked havoc across the country destroying health-care infrastructure.

CNN launches major anti-human trafficking initiative

CNN is marshaling its global resources for a major initiative that takes on human trafficking with the launch of ‘The CNN Freedom Project: Ending Modern-Day Slavery’, it was announced today by Tony Maddox, Executive Vice President and Managing Director of CNN International (CNNI).

Throughout 2011, CNN’s reporting will expose the horrors of modern-day slavery, highlight the growing efforts to stop the trade and exploitation of human beings and amplify the voices of the victims.

“It’s our journalism-based assertion that this is the greatest uncovered breaking news story of today, and CNN plans to rip the lid off,” Mr Maddox said. “The inhumanity of those who trade humans is truly shocking and should be stopped. Our coverage will spotlight not just those responsible, but the many courageous groups and individuals on the frontlines doing genuinely admirable work.”

Launching today, CNNI will lead this initiative with special reports on trafficking on every CNNI signature program for the full first week of the ‘The CNN Freedom Project.’ Throughout the year, CNNI will air numerous reports on the subject – with a focus on solution-oriented information and analysis – such as an exclusive series of reports by Sara Sidner from northern India where residents were enslaved by landowners.

Increasing the scope and reach of this initiative, ‘The CNN Freedom Project’ will involve an online collaboration between CNNI and CNN.com to embrace viewer involvement and first-hand accounts. ‘The CNN Freedom Project’ site on CNN.com will educate, motivate and unravel the complicated tangle of criminal enterprises trading in human life.

Among CNN’s roster of international correspondents covering this story in the Asia-Pacific region will be Stan Grant and Eunice Yoon in China; Reza Sayah in Pakistan; Kyung Lah in Japan; Paula Hancocks in South Korea; Kevin Flower in Israel; and Mohammed Jamjoom in the UAE.

Private media asked to support voter awareness in India

The need for private media to take voluntary ownership of creating awareness for better participation of voters in elections was the key recommendation from a roundtable on “The Role of Media in Building Voters' Awareness” held in New Delhi yesterday, The Hindu reports.

The recommendation was part of a national consultation on voters' participation organised by the Indian Election Commission, with other roundtables covering issues such as urban apathy, connecting with youth and using social marketing strategies to enhance election participation.

At the media roundtable, which was moderated by Editor-in-Chief of The Hindu, N. Ram, it was noted that voter participation had not been an area of media interest, and that it had focused more on the politics of elections and election dramas.

Turner Broadcasting continues support for clean water project

The annual UNICEF ‘Tap Project’ to raise funds to provide clean drinking water for children in developing countries will again be supported by Turner Broadcasting System Inc, with some of the funding this year directed to Vietnam – the first time an Asian country has been included.

During World Water Week from 20 to 26 March, restaurants across the United States will encourage patrons to donate $1 or more for the tap water they usually receive for free.

Last year nearly 1,000 restaurants and more than 4,200 volunteers participated in the campaign.

For the fourth consecutive year, Turner Broadcasting System Inc. is providing funding to support the project’s volunteer program, which includes recruitment, training, resources and support to thousands of volunteers who will lead on-the-ground efforts in their local communities.

Founding agency partner Droga5 and MediaVest will support the initiative again creating a high profile, pro-bono ad campaign that will place the UNICEF Tap Project in various media throughout the US leading up to and during World Water Week.

Since its inception in 2007, the UNICEF Tap Project has raised nearly US$2.5 million and has helped to provide clean water to millions of children in Africa and Central America.

UNICEF works in more than 150 countries to improve access to safe water and sanitation facilities in schools and communities, and to promote safe hygiene practices.

Philippines seeks media help on anti-drug courier campaign

The Philippines government has asked the country’s media organisations to join forces with the Department of Foreign Affairs and other government agencies to undertake an information campaign to prevent overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) being recruited as drug couriers.

At a media forum organised today by the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) in Manila, the PIA’s regional director for the National Capital District, Riza J. Baldoria, said that even though OFWs are warned about the dangers of becoming a drug courier or a drug mule at pre-departure orientation seminars, there was a need to create more awareness of the issue amongst the general public.

Ms Baldoria said there was a need to further intensify the anti-drug courier campaign given the plight of three more OFWs who have been sentenced to death in China for their involvement in the illegal trade.

The director of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Derrick Arnold C. Carreon, told the forum that there were 689 drug courier cases recorded as of January 2011, of which 431 are females, and 258 are males.

Mr Carreon highlighted some of the modus operandi of the syndicates to recruit drug mules which included marrying potential recruits and befriending them through the Internet. The syndicates offered US$200-3,000 for every successful transaction and provided plane tickets for the drug couriers, he said.

PDEA records currently show that 79 OFWs have been sentenced to death in China, eight in Malaysia and one in Saudi Arabia. Six are facing death with no reprieve, while 73 have been sentenced to death with a two year reprieve.

Pakistan minister calls for social justice awareness campaigns

The Human Rights Minister of Pakistan’s Sindh province, Nadia Gabol, yesterday urged radio and television, newspapers and Internet media to create awareness campaigns to promote the objectives of the annual UN World Day of Social Justice, Pakistan’sDaily Times reports.

Addressing a seminar in Karachi, she said that the day ought to be marked by activities revolving around subjects connected to poverty, social and economic omissions and unemployment.

The minister noted that the social justice generally refers to the idea of creating an egalitarian society or an institution based on the principles of equality and solidarity, which in turn recognizes the dignity of human being.

“Social justice is based on the value of fairness, equality, respect for diversity, access to social protection and the application of human rights in all spheres of life, including in the workplace,” she explained.

Ms Gabol said that the stability and prosperity of a society depend on ensuring that people enjoy standard levels of well-being and equality of opportunities, including gender equality, and removing barriers that people face because of age, race, ethnicity, religious, culture or disability.

The United Nations proclaimed 20 February as the World Day of Social Justice in 2007, inviting countries to devote the day to promoting national activities to support efforts of the international community in poverty eradication, the promotion of full employment and decent work, gender equity and access to social well-being and justice for all.