Nick Naylor's Conviction Of Cigarettes

‘If you argue correctly, you are never wrong’ (Naylor, 2005). This is Nick Naylor´s deep conviction. He made a career out of this belief. Nick is a lobbyist employed by the ‘Academy of Tobacco Studies’ (as of now: ATS). ATS is conducting research on the link between smoking and lung cancer funded mostly by tobacco companies. His task is to communicate the company’s message to the public. He thinks of himself as a mediator. Even though smoking is inarguably deteriorating to your health, ATS and Naylor are continuously convincing the society of the attractiveness of cigarettes. The movie thus depicts corporate communications on many levels.

The first type of interaction is the regular meeting Nick has with the two other lobbyists, Polly Belly and Jay Bliss. These get-togethers are held in a relaxed and informal manner, as they are eating out at a steakhouse. The three of them comprise a team with the common purpose of representing their industry the best they can. One of the most important aspects of their meetings is that they communicate openly, consequently creating unity and trust. In the end, Nick breaks their trust in revealing the identity of Polly and Jay to the gossip writing news reporter Heather Holloway. Another informal meeting takes place when Nick is sent to California to bribe Lorne Lutch (Marlboro-Man). The two are negotiating on the couch of Lorne´s house, making it a very relaxed atmosphere. By

This is best described as mass communication, since Nick is speaking to thousands of followers in front of the TV (digital form). In those conversations we can clearly see the ability he has to use statements made from the opposition in his favour. This is where the quote stated above is highly relevant. All Nick does is revoke the argument made by his challenger. By doing so, he makes his own case more appealing and