Tokyo, Oct. 18 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s health ministry has drawn up guidelines outlining points to consider when creating advertisements in collaboration with movies and television dramas to raise awareness of government policies. The move came after a poster promoting support for cancer patients that the ministry created in a tie-up with a film drew a backlash on social media, informed sources told Jiji Press. To raise awareness of the support system for cancer patients, the ministry partnered with a film about a woman who was diagnosed with cancer. It sent the poster to hospitals and other institutions, but faced repeated criticism, including comments such as, “What would patients think if they saw the poster?” The criticism stemmed from the fact that the film deals with the death of a woman. The ministry eventually called on institutions to refrain from displaying the poster. The guidelines call for confirming “whether such policy ads would be accepted by the people concerned” and “whether they pose a risk of fostering misunderstanding or prejudice.” The guidelines state that the public relations office first checks the relevance of the policy, whether the content is sound and whether there are any social risks for people appearing in the ads. Next, staff in the section in charge watch a preview to familiarize themselves with the content before presenting the advertising plan to the parties concerned and supporters and seeking their opinions. For example, the guidelines say that opinions should be sought from those eligible for cancer screening, cancer survivors, patients’ families and medical professionals when planning awareness campaigns promoting cancer screening. Finally, the tie-up is decided upon after confirmation by the director of the bureau in charge. Among government agencies, the Justice Ministry had partnered with an internet program featuring a former “bosozoku” motorcycle gang member, but later canceled the tie-up following criticism of a remark made by one of the cast members. Preventing an online backlash is a common challenge for all government ministries and agencies, and the health ministry has received inquiries about its guidelines, sources familiar with the matter said. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
