Kathleen,
Thanks for the info. I will add CBS to the list of media folks I need to
dash off a letter to about why bottles should not be used to illustrate
'babies'. This is SUCH a pet peeve of mine! The local LA TV channels do the
same thing, if there is a new story relating to babies, the little 'logo'
they flash up in the corner always has a bottle in it. (A couple years ago I
tried to buy someone a baby congrats card in a well known brand stationery
store and could not find ONE single card that did not have a bottle somewhere
on it!)
I think those of us who are letter writer/protestor types need to make a
point to write to these companies explaining the WHO code, as well as the
simple fact that not all babies get bottles, therefore there ad's or whatever
don't apply to those babies & parents! Several years ago, a large
multi-store local department store chain had a large 2 page ad for their
annual 'Baby sale' and bottles were the featured graphic. I wrote a letter
to the president of the chain and cc'd the managers of each store, the local
papers, the local BF director for WIC, LLLI, ILCA, WHO, UNICEF, the US
Surgeon General - just about anybody I could think of, and made sure all
these cc's were listed at the end of the letter. The only actual responses I
got to the letter were from the local WIC rep, and James Akre of WHO, but
every year since, the graphics for this sale have featured babies, or teddy
bears, etc. The WIC BF director, bless her heart, spreads my fame (if not
my fortune!!!) every time she has a class for new personnel, as she shows
them the original ad, tells about my letter, and shows subsequent ads, and
says it only takes one person who cares . . .
Guess I need to dig out that old letter and get busy after the holidays!
Kathe Catone ([log in to unmask])
ps
I'd be happy to share a copy of the letter I wrote with anyone who would like
it as a prototype, email me privately.
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