Congratulations to all the new IBCLC's!!  Wear your initials
prominently and proudly!

I am posting this for Laurie Coker who coordinates the National Media
Watch through the Texas Department of Health.  Please note: Laurie
needs help.  She will help anyone get started who may be interested
in coordinating a mediawatch in her own state.

From Laurie:
For the past couple of years I have been heading the
National Breastfeeding MediaWatch campaign sponsored by the Texas
Department of Health.  It has grown from a handful of participants in
1989 hundreds today from all over the U.S.  I feel this program has an
effect on the media's portrayal of infant feeding.  We are seeing more
references to breastfeeding than we did a few years ago and soap
operas, sitcoms, tv dramas, commercials and talk shows are starting to
provide viewers with more accurate information about breastfeeding.

On request from volunteers, we mail out a MW packet which consists of
an information sheet about the program, a breastfeeding fact sheet,
two sample form letters (one in response to a positive reference and
the other in response to a negative reference), a list of celebrities
who are either breastfeeding or who did breastfeed, and a list from
our MediaWatch campaign of media that has portrayed breastfeeding in a
positive and to which we responded 3 or more times, and a dozen MW
postcards.  The cards are perforated.  One is to be sent to the media
directly. The other is mailed to us giving us information about the
reference and we respond with a letter.  If it is appropriate, we send
a form letter with the volunteer's postcard attached.  If we feel an
original, not a form letter, response is needed, we send a new letter
and "cc" the volunteer.

If you would like a MW packet, please email me your mailing address,
and I'll send you one.  If you live in Maryland, you can send your MW
cards to Maryland WIC and they will respond for you.  If you live in
New York, I have someone there is willing to send MW letters to media
in NY.  Texas is responsible for national references.  If you are
willing to get a MW started for your state, please let me know.  I
could use the help.  And thank you for your interest.  I strongly
believe we do make a difference.

We write to doctors, hospitals, and other organizations and
businesses, television execs, radio station managers, children's
programming, tv soap operas, movies, dramas news and talk shows,
magazines, newspapers--even other state agencies!

We sometimes receive letters back from the media. Most all have been
receptive and positive, even if our letter was critical.  For example,
a high school textbook company agreed to include lactation information
in their revised edition and more detailed information in their
teacher's guide.  Mr. Rogers ("Mr. Roger's Neighborhood") has written
two very positive responses, one handwritten by Fred himself!  Company
CEO's have agreed to give our recommendations to their ad agencies
when making commercials.  A doctor whose patient had written to us
about his having formula brochures in his waiting room, wrote and said
he was very pro-breastfeeding and never realized these were on
display.  He instructed his staff to remove them permanently.  If you
watch a lot of television, you will definitely see a more positive and
educational representation in soaps or daytime serials, and talk
shows.

I do respond to email notices as well and if you prefer to correspond
that way, that's fine.  MediaWatch will be on our web page when it is
installed and I expect our forces to really grow after that!

My present goal for MediaWatch coincides with our section's goal to
increase the public's awareness of the international WHO Code and the
fact that the U.S. did agree to it and yet nothing is being enforced.
I believe our mediawatch campaign can impact this.  I believe if
enough breastfeeding promoters write their concerns to hospital
administrators and healthcare professionals, we will be able to send
moms home from the hospital WITHOUT sample formulas and gift "club"
coupons, and other such advertising gimmicks.  I also think if we
write our local grocers about things like giving coupons for formula,
even though they are selling formula, we will still have an impact on the
advertising of this product.  After all, breastfeeding moms shop at
the supermarket, too!

Would love to hear back from you.
Laurie Coker
National Mediawatch
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Respectfully submitted

Jeanne B. Fisher, MSN, RN, IBCLC
Breastfeeding Promotion Nurse
Texas Department of Health
(512)406-0744
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