Andrea’s Weblog

Question: What do you get when you mobilize a national nurse-out in 44 states with over 2,000 participants in one week without the help of the national media?
Answer: One pissed-off newspaper publisher

The story:
Through the power of the internet, there was an amazing turn-out for the Applebee’s nurse-out last week. Emails, message boards, blogs and word of mouth spread news of the nurse-out like wildfire. So where does this leave print media? Feeling left-out and worried about the future of their jobs is my guess. Normally, I wouldn’t notice such things, but the above mentioned pissed-off publisher chose to make himself known to me through a series of grumpy emails in response to my press release. Yes, I emailed him a press release on the event, like I did to every other news outlet in town, and was treated to a rant on how he didn’t approve of my tactics. I guess I shouldn’t count on people in his line of work to jump for joy when people can moblilze and spread information so fast without his help. Public discourse isn’t happening in the columns of newsprint, it is happening through the pixels on computer screens.

So here’s the email exchange for your reading pleasure–I’ve replaced his name with Mr. Publisher:

On Sep 7, 2007, at 2:59 PM, Mr. Publisher wrote:

Ms. M:

Though I’m aware you likely are merely the vessel through which this press release passed and not the originator of the event itself, your name is on the release and thus my comments are addressed to you. Feel free to pass them along to others in your organization, or discard them altogether.

Just how, exactly, will a call to send nursing mothers en masse to Applebee’s restaurants during a Saturday lunch hour accomplish your stated goal of “want(ing) Applebee’s … to become breastfeeding friendly”? Or isn’t it instead true that the real aim is to hope to create enough of a spectacle to attract attention?

This is just the kind of pushy, in-your-face advocacy that gradually is replacing constructive dialogue in our nation. It does so to the detriment of our society, and in light of the admirable cause you claim to promote – breastfeeding – it is especially disappointing because it does so to the likely detriment of your cause itself. Based on the background you provided, this event clearly represents an overwrought response to a single incident – as anyone with a sense of proportion would readily acknowledge.

Of course, the mere fact that you are advocating participation in this “protest” certainly makes it appear that those within your organization lack that sense of proportion, so I expect no agreement from you on any points that I have made – just as you won’t receive any sympathy for this farce from me.

More’s the pity. Strong, information-based promotion of breast-feeding is a valuable, noble cause that everyone should support. What we don’t need are publicity stunts from advocacy groups attempting to hijack such causes in a misguided ploy for attention.

Good day,

Mr. Publisher

My response:
From: Andrea M
Sent: Monday, September 10, 2007 11:02 AM
To: Mr. Publisher
Subject: Re: Nurse-Out at Applebees Tomorrow
Dear Mr. Publisher,

I just wanted to let you know that I received your email. Hopefully, the post-event press release I sent you this morning will clarify some of your misinterpretations on the nature of this particular event.

This is an exciting time for breastfeeding supporters. Last Saturday, many individual Applebees across the country adopted breastfeeding-friendly policies. Other restaurants across the country also jumped on board. A campaign has begun to add breastfeeding to our Federal Civil Rights. This is all a direct result of the national nurse-out, in which I was proud to take part.

I’m sure one of the other members of the nurse-out could have given your email a more eloquent response, but based on the condescending tone of your email, I’m not sure it deserves one.

Sincerely,
Andrea

His response to my response:

From: Mr. Publisher
Date: September 10, 2007 11:42:01 AM EDT
To: “Andrea M
Subject: RE: Nurse-Out at Applebees Tomorrow

Ms. M:

I apologize if my prior e-mail sounded condescending; I was shooting for acerbic.

In your position you are perhaps not privy to the constant erosion of our national dialog from single-issue interest groups in their constant quest to one-up the last group’s attention-getting effort. Across the spectrum, we in the media are inundated with organizations asserting their “right” to some behavior or another, and generally those assertions are accompanied by boorish, classless actions that only serve to demean their cause. It’s most shameful when the cause truly is good, as is the one you have been hired to champion.

If you can’t see the denigration of culture that is the natural progression of such attitudes, more’s the pity.

Mr. Publisher

Some people just can’t live without having the last word. I am not one of them–unless you count posting this for the world to see?