On 28/01/10 6:34 PM, "Karleen Gribble" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> 
> It is true Rachael, breastmilk need not be in short supply and wouldn't we
> all help another mother and her child if such help was needed. And there is
> no doubt that many, many Haitian mothers are doing the same and sharing
> their milk (and their breasts) with infants who need breastmilk. We're just
> not getting to hear about them (and rarely we do- Jiang Xiaojuan was an
> exceptional case).


We need to change this. It's critically important for us to find ways to
tell the stories that matter because it is through these stories that people
will begin to understand. Sharon Craig Economides talks generally about work
being done on the ground and we are cheered and relieved to from her. Much
of the specific news out of the USNS Comfort is produced or facilitated
directly the US Navy - they have embedded journalists, but they also have
crew members telling their own stories. In fact some of the news we have had
about the milk bank set upon that ship is from stories told by the people
involved directly, in emails sent home and posted by relatives on blogs.

I have a friend who is a retired journalist who has started working with the
World Food Programme. His first assignment was to Congo, where he signed on
as a media relations officer. He envisioned his work would be traditional
media relations and after a career as a reporter working in many hot zones
around the world he knew what to do. However, it quickly became apparent
that he was not doing much relating to the media - he was not a facilitator
helping the media outlets tell their story. He was doing the same thing he
has always done - he was telling stories. As news organization budgets
decline and fewer reporters come out to tell their stories, and as the
internet gives them direct access to the public, aid organizations are
realizing they can tell their own stories, and they are.

Let's tell our own stories. Find the people who can tell stories, take
pictures do the interviews and tell the stories that matter.

-- Jodine Chase

             ***********************************************

Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html
To reach list owners: [log in to unmask]
Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask]
COMMANDS:
1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail
2. To start it again: set lactnet mail
3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome