Action on Smoking and Health A National Legal-Action Antismoking Organization Entirely Supported by Tax-Deductible Contributions    Search  | Info About  | ash.org | To Join |  Email Page To Comment or Read Other Members' Comments, Click Here

Excerpts from: Wall Street Journal drops Scruton over tobacco cash

Rebecca Allison The Guardian [02/05/02]

Roger Scruton, the philosopher and writer, has been sacked as a Wall Street Journal commentator for failing to declare his £4,500 monthly retainer from one of the world's biggest tobacco firms.

The departure of the academic was announced yesterday in an editorial of the European edition, saying he would be "taking a holiday". It is understood that Professor Scruton, a contributor since 1996, was not told in advance.

The editorial said: "We've come in for criticism lately because one of our contributors, the British conservative writer Roger Scruton, wrote an essay for this newspaper while being paid by a Japanese tobacco company...

"Our long-time standard is that such financial ties should be disclosed, so readers can make up their own minds.

"Mr Scruton had an obligation to tell us and his readers about his tobacco financing when he was writing about tobacco issues: he didn't, and so he will be taking a holiday from our pages."

The Guardian disclosed last month that Prof Scruton had, through an email sent by his wife and business partner, asked Japan Tobacco for a £1,000 a month rise to an annual £66,000 to help place articles defending the right to smoke in newspapers, including the WSJ, the Financial Times, the Times, the Daily Telegraph, and the Independent.

He was dropped as a columnist by the FT within days of the disclosure.