The Korea Press Consumerism Organization (KPCO) is conducting a full-scale boycott campaign of companies who advertise in the Chosun Ilbo, JoongAng Ilbo and Dong-A Ilbo. Just one day after launching a boycott against a pharmaceutical company that concentrates its ads in the three newspapers, the firm announced it would correct the balance in its advertising. It is reported that KPCO intends to select a second boycott target shortly, and that it plans to gradually expand the scope of the boycott to larger firms.

The Chosun, JoongAng and Dong-A dailies must clearly understand why a movement against them is once again spreading after last year’s candlelight vigil demonstrations. The average citizen has determined that the three papers stand on the side of ruling powers and with capital, and are distorting the representations of public sentiments. Moreover, they believe that in taking the lead in distorting representations of public opinion in order to protect the interests of a small vested-class, the papers have been forcing democracy into retreat. To criticize this method of reporting and to conduct a press consumerism campaign to attempt to affect the situation are the due rights of the people. This is the essence of the boycott against the advertisers in the Chosun, JoongAng and Dong-A dailies. How one engages in this is the issue at hand.

During the candlelight vigil demonstrations last year, KPCO led a campaign to apply direct pressure on companies who advertise in the Chosun, JoongAng and Dong-A dailies, but a court convicted them for it. Accordingly, this year they switched strategies to launch a consumer boycott of the goods of companies that concentrate their advertising in the three papers. Even the courts have recognized this as a legitimate consumer activity. Despite this, the three papers are once again distorting the nature of the campaign, referring to it as “advertising terrorism” and “criminal.” For the Chosun, JoongAng and Dong-A dailies, which are getting a beating for bias and distortions in their reporting, to once again distort the press consumer movement is quite pathetic.

Despite the propriety and legality of the KPCO’s advertiser boycott, there is one aspect of the boycott that is causing controversy. KPCO is currently demanding that firms take out an equal amount of advertising in the Hankyoreh, Kyunghyang newspapers and other newspapers as they do in the Chosun, JoongAng and Dong-A dailies. For the KPCO’s consumer movement to have justification and legitimacy, its primary focus must remain on 【(the reporting pratices of)】 the Chosun, JoongAng and Dong-A dailies themselves. Meanwhile, it is appropriate to see if the companies will decide whether it will heed the consumers’ opinions and correct biased advertising practices.

Again, while this is a boycott of companies who concentrate their advertisements in the Chosun Ilbo, JoongAng Ilbo and Dong-A Ilbo, the intention is to address biased and distorted reporting in the three newspapers. If the Chosun Ilbo, JoongAng Ilbo and Dong-A Ilbo ignore this urging and opt instead to slander the campaign and question its legality, the press consumer movement’s opposition against the three papers will only spread further.

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]