Did anyone catch David Miliband on the News at 10 advertising Aptamil?

[foxytoxin]

I guess he like the current PM doesn't understand about the WHO Code and UK Law restricting the promotion of formula but Jeez, I expect the news editors at the Beeb to have some awareness.

In case you want to view it and complain about it, here is the link. Fast forward to 9.30 mins.

The editors really are the ones responsible, I think.

"Badgers same here told to use formula milk but had no idea about it. Surely no information is worse then some."

We had no idea either and would really have appreciated some information, in the end one midwife did cough up a few details but it felt really rather sordid.

Surely once something crosses that line where medical advice says that you need to do it to quite bluntly safe the life of your child then it shouldn't be a dirty topic that's beyond discussion?

It felt like some old WW2 movie where we were trying to buy something off the black market with hushed and hurried conversations in quiet corridors with lots of looks over shoulders.

I'm sure that trying to hire a hitman would involve a lot less furtiveness than trying to discuss formula on a maternity ward.

the editor totally broke the product-name rules. usually the Beeb blur out recognisable branding.

equally, politicians should avoid product endorsements of any kind - Ed M should know that.

Actually (off topic) just re-watched the Apprentice in the shop - they didn't show Flash - they didn't show any particular cleaning brand (only Bold, Aerial and Persil on show behind Karen Brady) - the names of the other cleaning products were either hidden, or blurred out

that's standard practive baroquin and usualy they'd say 'a supermarket' rather than Tescos.

yes - that's what I thought - I was just thinking about Ryoko's comment about Flash in the Apprentice so went off to look (you can never watch Stuart THE BRAND Baggs being an arse too many times ).

Badgers - Formula gushing down the corridors in our maternity ward. I hope your experience is more widespread then mine, frankly.

Swear He was standing there holding a bottle of the floor cleaning version, (the yellow bottle).

Guy on the news wearing a Super Dry coat or the number of people on the news wearing North Face coats is that advertising? roaming reporters preferred brand, 9 out of 10 recommend it (or wear Regatta).

ryoko, the north face thing is difficult to avoid though, there are very few non branded high performing coats out there (it's North Face or Berghaus) I'll defend journos on that one because they do stand around outside a heck of a lot.

One thing I would say though, if you're fed up of this kind of think on the Beeb you have to complain. NR won't get bollocked unless there have been tons of people calling in to complain.

Badgers I had similar experience.

Was really bad when my dd was readmitted due to bf dehydration and jaundice. Trying to get hold of formula when she was out of SCBU was a total nightmare. They used to eek the ready made bottles out 1 by 1(not enough sterilising equipment). Thing was I didn't know when my baby would be hungry so it was a total nightmare hunting down nurses to get a feed. Honestly it felt like I was asking for heroin.

Why I couldn't have had a stock of several bottles by my bed I don't know,she was going to drink it whatever.

I also asked for info initially and was refused. Now that is shockingly bad,stuff a glimpse of formula on TV. Come on lets get things into proportion here folks.

he was holding a yellow bottle - but you only see the back of it with the slogan (so unless you happen to know the Flash slogan you wouldn't know it was that). You don't actually see any of the brand names (aside from the 3 washing powders behind Karen Brady which all get an equal airing) when they're handling the cleaning products.

HeadFairy they could stick something over it, like a BBC name badge thing, or cover it with scarf.

you can complain to the BBC [[https://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/forms/process/news?id=RPT0PUU8ASGRQM5J8LU4FAQIOK&uid=318805604
here]]

No one who uses formula should be deprived of information about it. Of course midwives who advise formula for a baby should be able to discuss brands - it is pathetic that they say they are not allowed to. This is not true and it is poor care.

They cannot 'recommend' one because there is no independent evidence that brand a is better than brand b. But they should be saying 'choose a whey dominant formula for a young baby' and 'make sure you don't get follow on' and 'avoid soya formula unless your baby really can't have anything else' and 'here's how to make up the powder safely' and 'here's how to hold your baby comfortably' and so on.

I don't understand how objecting to Ed M and the BBC giving free advertising to one brand of formula is the same as not wanting information about ff to be given to mothers who need it. You're not saying that knowing Ed M and his partner using formula is somehow helpful information, are you????

what TT said and the midwives could always say the truth about formula. instead of being all coy about it.

That being, that all the brands are more or less equal in nutritional balance, quality etc etc despite what the labels and advertising are trying to tell you. Use any brand which you can find in the shops near where you live.

I am afraid the reasons they inadvertently give the impression that it is a dark alley thing is because they are not adequately trained in how to discuss infant feeding (breast or formula) by the health system.

yeah, ryoko, that's true, but usually it's the last thing on your mind as you're standing on some gusty street about to go live and there are people making silly faces behind you. I think the BBC should bulk order a load from North Face or Berghaus and give them to on screen staff. For free :o Ok I was joking about the last bit :o

BBC News At Ten 25/11/10

Normal practice for the BBC is to not mention brand names unless directly relevant to the story - in this piece instead of saying 'a supermarket' the presenter names Tescos, and subsequently shows Ed Miliband indicating a brand of formula and then showing the packaging that clearly identified it as Aptamil. Advertising of all brands is not in line with the BBCs mission - advertising of infant forumla for babies under 6 months of age is illegal. The Editor should have not allowed the mention of the brand names to have been in the piece, and should have blurred the packaging or used a different shot.

this was my complaint. I've tried to weed out my grammatical errors, but hey, I was comprehensive educated after all

I couldn't care leSs if Eds baby is FF or BF. He came across as a complete pratt throughout the whole piece

I couldn't care leSs if Eds baby is FF or BF. He came across as a complete pratt throughout the whole piece

Premature... BBC guidelines state "We need to be able to reflect the real world and this will involve referring to commercial products, organisations and services in our output. However, we must avoid any undue prominence which gives the impression that we are promoting or endorsing products, organisations or services. To achieve this we must:

ensure that references to trade names, brand names and slogans are clearly editorially justified
not linger on brand names or logos and use verbal references sparingly unless there are very strong editorial reasons for repeated references to a brand"

i don't see that usage as editorially justified

No neither do I..

i have complained on the that foxy sent

There's a lot of over-reaction in this thread. If anyone is buying Aptimil / abandoning breastfeeding as a result of Ed Miliband mentioning it on the news I would eat my hat. Frankly, if anyone is going to be voting labour as a result of Ed Miliband being leader then I would also eat my (admittedly tasty) hat. Get a sense of perspective ladies.

I EBFd for over 6 months and continued to BF for the best part of 12 months with DS and am passionately pro BFing. Melodrama such as some of whats beeon on this thread simply isn't ever going to encourage more people to BF, sorry.