Milk Money: How Corporate Interests Shaped Government Health Policy for Women

Last summer, the Department of Health and Human Services unveiled an ad campaign to promote breast-feeding. As it turns out, the campaign was much different that what was originally produced. It was a battle between mother's milk and the companies that make infant formula who put intense pressure on the government to change its approach.

The ABC news program 20/20 produced an investigative report about the efforts of the formula companies to shape the government ad campaign. This is an excerpt from the program where ABC 's Investigative correspondent Brian Ross asks Acting Assistant Secretary of Health and Human services Christina Beato why the formula companies met with then-Secretary Tommy Thompson.

* "MILK MONEY", excerpt of 20/20 Investigative Report.

Last night the story received a Gracie Award which recognizes exemplary programming created for women, by women and about women in all facets of electronic media.

* Anne Merewood, Director of Research for breastfeeding center at the Boston Medical Center. She is involved in the breastfeeding awareness campaign for the northeast region.
* Yoruba Richen, producer on Democracy Now! Before that, she worked in the investigative unit of ABC News. She was a field producer for the story Milk Money.

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http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/06/23/1358237