On 12/5/03 9:29 AM, "Kate Hallberg" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> "maybe I am being too optimistic, but, it seems the
> formula company complaints about the national ads are
> backfiring on them and those AAP "top officials"
> who support the formula companies, ie; the risks of
> *not Bf* are in the news now, hopefully more so in the
> upcoming days and weeks, as is the formula
> companies efforts at a cover-up campaign, and root of
> the issue; money"
>
> I don't know who said the former, but ... The NYTimes
> doesnt' exactly reach the people who need to know this
> information- ie, the risks of not breastfeeding.  I
> live a fairly academic life, and even in my world I've
> been snickered at for my reliance on the NYTimes for
> news- as if it's too esoteric for most people.  (My
> other sources are mainly NPR and I've heard nothing
> there.)
>
> Jodine, maybe you know how much press this issue is
> getting outside of lactation and advertising circles?
> those mommas who rely on TV and commercial radio for
> their information surely are getting none of this news.

Drudge picked up the story and had it on his web site from about midnight
on, (when the NYW online edition comes out) and for the entire day. So far I
haven't seen it picked up by a wire service but I did get a note from
someone offlist who did a local television interview based on the story - I
just haven't had time to post the story.

NYT has a very large readership and is influential in several ways - for eg,
a lot of journalists and news editors have seen the story and so this might
help give it legs. Also, the ad/media section is widely read and there will
be a lot of interest in this story in that industry.

A news release/news conference/statement issued by one of the bf
organizations supporting the Ad Council campaign is the surest way to
generate wide-spread coverage.

IMO, the point of the current news coverage is not to disseminate the
message about the risks of not breastfeeding, but to make sure influential
publics/stakeholders are aware of the attempts to kibosh the campaign. The
Ad Council campaign itself, with its plans for massive reach/frequency, is
needed in order to reach a wide audience with a consistent message.

I pitched the NYT ad/media section because a) I knew the reporter was
familiar with some of the background issues of formula lobbying and the AAP
(because she did the Ross/AAP/Breastfeeding book story last year and b) I
knew there would be little to no learning curve vis a vis who the Ad Council
is and how their campaigns work.

- Jodine Chase

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