Catania Conversation CC is a new project of Centre of Excellence for the acceleration of Harm Reduction (CoEHAR) which brings together journalists, scientists and opinion leaders from all over the world to fill gaps in communication around Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR).
The “CC”is the acronym for the project that developed a online platform dedicated to an international network of specialists in tobacco research, health and tobacco communication.
The aim of the project is to make the platform (which is managed by the Catania Team) a place of sharing and selection of news that will help spread the tobacco harm reduction in an effective manner.
A lot of research has shown that less harmful alternatives to conventional cigarettes are available, but regulatory frameworks and public opinion are caught between doubt and data. In some cases, lobbies deliberately foist wrong and unscientific information on an unsuspecting public. The tobacco control scene itself is multifaceted and it includes growers, traders, workers, industries and of course the more visible sectors of the product itself. Each has a story to tell.
In all cases they mirror the development and the economy of countries. From the flashy e-cigarettes in rich countries to its country cousin the beedi and khaini in developing countries, the story of tobacco rarely disappoints the media.
At such a complex time for the international scientific community which is committed on multiple fronts to finding cures and solutions to combat the spread of COVID-19, Catania Conversation would like to be a concrete support to find and select news and press release based on Scientific evidence validated by experts in the world of science and public health.
Catania Conversation performs the same function as a news agency with the production and dissemination of information. Inside, a staff of journalists from all over the world.
To present the platform on the occasion of the World No Tobacco Day 2020,CoEHARwill organize an Online Masterclass on 29th May 2020 with excellent guests and participants selected by the most influential newspapers in the world.
Both public health and journalism are public goods. They have to be publicly verified and accepted.
The only way to counter misinformation is to inject accountability in information gathering and propagation at every step – from research of journalists to news desks to editors and finally the readers and consumers of news.
Join our community, click here to register now!
