Hats off to everyone who has taken the time to write in reply to the
appalling breastfeeding Nazis article.  Bad press and how to respond seems
to be an all-too-common theme on Lactnet.   What if we were to get there
first -- an ounce of prevention so to speak.

Why not feed positive breastfeeding information to our local media?  Stories
could be simple one-page items, perhaps talking about new research and
adding a local angle, issued every 3 months or so.  How to send it would
depend on individual circumstances -- an LC in private practice could use
her own letterhead, it could come from a breastfeeding coalition in the
community, or employees might work through hospital or public health public
affairs departments.  Who to approach would depend on your local media --
medical writers, health policy writers, tv radio news reporters,
talk/magazine show producers, lifestyle writers, parenting writers ....
Start with a few, then add.

If you need inspiration for subject matter, one possibility is adapting
information from INFACT's newsletter.  INFACT is pleased for its information
to be passed on provided INFACT is acknowledged as the source. In this
month's newsletter there is info on breastfeeding and the environment, plus
an abstract of a study which documents how breastfeeding protects against
infections even in developed countries.  Both these topics could be
'localized': "At xxx local hospital, there are xxx admissions for these
illnesses each year"   You might also use info from JHL or LLL publications,
but check their guidelines first.

In these days of modems and e-mail, this probably would not be a
time-consuming undertaking; not much more than writing response-type letters.

Even if the newspaper never prints a word you write, you will nevertheless
establish yourself as a source of information on breastfeeding, and educate
your local media about breastfeeding -- which might entirely prevent
publication of drivel such as Ms. Hart's. If there is a negative story about
breastfeeding, you are more likely to be contacted so that other points of
view are represented.  Ideally, they will use your information or better yet
get inspired to do features!

Jean Geary
Fundraiser, INFACT Canada  www.infactcanada.ca    [log in to unmask]