Ducking media regulation using ‘citizen media’
Since it is illegal to advertise smoking on TV and Hollywood and TV directors are being increasingly discouraged from glamourising the practice, nicotine peddlers are following ‘citizen journalists’ into DIY media. One savvy entrepreneur has decided to produce the Up in Smoke Video Podcast - guest starring technology pundits John C. Dvorak and Steve Gibson to give it some online word of mouth - and is trying to promote it via bloggers (the creator contacted me via my weblog).
I note that while the website of the company selling the cigars and producing and promoting the podcast asks that you be over 18 to view it, there is no such barrier to access the website or directly download the podcast and the only barrier to downloading the programme via iTunes is that it is rated ‘explicit’ (a tag normally used to describe language or nudity). iTunes does let you restrict access to ‘explicit’ content but that parental control option is not switched on by default.
Alas, the hype around weblogs being a ‘free’ media where the plucky independent citizen can challenge corrupt corporate and governmental interests is obscuring the manner in which business interests are sheltering behind its current lack of regulation for their own ends (as I have blogged before).
P.S. Smoking cigars is a fatal addiction - just say no!
P.P.S. To save you a lengthy download, the quality of the acting in this ‘mini sitcom’ is, perhaps unsurprisingly, truly awful. Not even laughably awful…
April 7th, 2006 at 9:58 pm
The best media regulation policy — completely allow all truthful adverts. If you want to tackle smoking, the best method is higher taxes on the products (or banning the products altogether), not advertising restrictions.
April 8th, 2006 at 1:47 pm
Thank you for calling me a “savvy entrepreneur.” That was a first.
As for your displeasure in corporate tobacco interests invading podcasting, I’d like to clear a few things up.
I am a young filmmaker, trying to use my limited resources to tell stories. I was able to secure the cigar shop location with the caveot that we provide them with some online advertising. So far, they’ve recieved 1 customer from our audience. It seems, mostly non smokers enjoy our show.
Second, I heartily agree that podcasts, blogs, etc. should be a place for citizen media, not rehashed corporate content. If you’ve looked at the top 25 podcasts on the iTunes music store lately, most are simply repackaged radio programs or clever film/tv marketing tools.
I chose to create a sitcom (not journalism) about a cigar shop because I knew it was a subject matter that would never see mainstream distribution. It was an extra challenge. Had I chosen to pander to the evangelicals or the brokeback mountain audiences, I’m sure I would have seen much more acceptance by either target.
I still feel, no matter the general consensus on smoking, that a valid story can be told about a cigar shop. I’ll admit, our production values are low, but that hasn’t stopped the thousands of viewers waiting for another episode.
Thank you for blogging about the Up in Smoke Video Podcast.