The Tobacco Control Commission (TCC) has described the relationship between the commission and the media as a mixed bag during the year 2019.

Corporate Planning and Development Manager for TCC, Hellings Nasoni, said much as the commission appreciate the way media reported on issues to do with tobacco industry but there were some media houses who lacked balanced reporting a development which had a negative impact on the country’s green gold industry.

He expressed the need for the media to always cross-check the tobacco policy and the commission in order to have balanced stories.

Nasoni said: “We saw some positive reporting from the media a development which reduced the negativity about the industry but still there are some quarters in the media industry who are not doing their job accordingly.”

He further asked the media to always verify with relevant authorities whenever they are not sure of a particular issue to make sure that the published story depicts the real issues on the ground.

Nasoni bemoaned the urgency at which the media usually have when looking for information saying this denies the commission to get more and credible details for the story to be rich.

However he assured that the media remains a good partner of TCC, and the commission will continue to provide trainings to journalists as a way of encouraging competent reporting.

During the recent years tobacco, which is the country’s main forex earner, has been making headlines because of the many challenges rocking its market every year.