>>If this doesn't prove that the mainstream media has a sick vendetta
>>against breastfeeding, I don't know what would.  That is disgusting.
>>
>>Cee
>>
>>On Sat, 12 Nov 2005, Dianne E. Oliver wrote:
>>
>>>http://cbs2.com/topstories/topstories_story_316174007.html
>>
>
>
>I don't honestly think it is a sick vendetta against breastfeeding. 
>The media looks for controversial, surprising, attention-getting 
>headlines and story topics. Now that breastfeeding is generally 
>known to be the best thing for babies, anything positive about 
>breastfeeding is seen as "old hat" "everyone knows that" and not 
>newsworthy. But something bad happening to a breastfeeding baby, or 
>a study that shows breastfeeding is not good - now that's news! 
>That's something unusual and controversial, so it's likely to be 
>published. Their job is to sell papers and catch people's attention.
>
>Teresa Pitman


I agree with Teresa. I am a journalist in the 'day job' and her 
analysis of the 'why' and 'how' of headline writing is correct, IMO.

That is not to say that individuals and others in the media do not 
have an agenda about breastfeeding.

But this headline is not an example of it.  In fact, it's an attempt 
to sound poignant, I think, as well as dramatic.

You can imagine a headline saying 'Mother dies while playing golf' or 
'Father collpases when running marathon' or 'Grandmother chokes on 
fishbone'. We don't think, do we, that these are attacks on golf, 
marathons or eating fish?

Heather Welford Neil
NCT bfc, tutor, UK

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