Powerful commercial actors and the actions they take, affect us all, every day of our lives – many are undermining our health, our choices as individuals and the sustainability of the planet. They shape what we see, eat, and do.
There is overwhelming evidence that the actions of many commercial industries are undermining science, policy, and public health, driving harm and widening inequities.
In a new short film, Unmasking Influence, a group of experienced interviewees explain their understanding of the ways in which the alcohol, tobacco, pesticide, ultra-processed food, social media, infant formula, and pharmaceutical industries drive harm. They reveal the tactics these sectors use to shape science, influence policy, and frame public understanding, often in ways that remain hidden from view. Through their insights, the film exposes how these strategies function as drivers of harm and what must be done to prevent the harms they perpetuate.
“From advocates and scientists to doctors and journalists, many people dedicate their careers to understanding and preventing corporate harm. This film gives a voice and a face to those stories so that we can learn from their experiences.” – May van Schalkwyk, University of Edinburgh.
For anyone who wants to prevent harm and promote health, it is essential to listen to the dedicated and passionate people in this film and the insights that they share.
“The film shows how the tobacco, alcohol, pesticides, food and other industries influence policy and the public, to the detriment of public health. But they also show how these harmful influences can be challenged.” – Mark Petticrew, LSHTM.
Unmasking Influence was produced by Dr May van Schalkwyk and Professor Mark Petticrew who are both members of the Commercial Determinants Research Group (CDRG) at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM).
