Monday, September 10, 2007
Marie Claire article
I was interviewed a few months ago for an article about freebirthing in Marie Claire Australia's October edition. I noticed that it just came out on their website, although I can't get the picture to show up.
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Came across this article on the ICAN list and would love to see some Canadians give this reporter some accurate info about homebirth. http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/columnists/story.html?id=72ba0c0d-6334-4dd4-8a0d-8d980a03dd7e
ReplyDeleteThe author definitely needs some accurate information about home birth. Anyone care to write her and educate her?
ReplyDeleteI'm living right next door in Saskatchewan, so I did write to Ms. Lakritz. I attempted to clarify several points for her and direct her toward some better information. I was rewarded with an "Out of Office" reply!
ReplyDeleteAlberta has some midwifery issues: direct-entry midwives are regulated but not funded by Health Canada. I do believe this is a unique situation in the country: normally once regulation comes in, the money is right behind it. So perhaps Ms. Lakritz's opinions are generally reflective of a certain set of ideas found in Alberta. Or maybe not.
I like that article, but I dislike the way it ends abruptly with the cons, leaving the reader with the impression that medical birth is the answer. I don't know if you felt that way, but it would have been nice to have another neutral conclusion paragraph.
ReplyDeleteok, the link is fixed! i can't wait to read this article..
ReplyDeleteSame old, same old. (I'm grumpy today.) I'm only surprised that media outlets waste money paying a new reporter to write the same formulaic crap all over every time. -- Sorry Rixa, obviously the crap is not the part about you!!! :) -- Here's the cookie cutter of freebirth articles: interview a mom or two, then call in the 'expert' obstetrician who mentions rare catastrophic events and makes them look commonplace by citing thirld world stats. Don't bother to fact-check.
ReplyDeleteAny schmuck off the street can rattle off three reasons why 98 out of 100 women think they can't give birth outside hospitals. Widespread concensus does not make it insightful or valid. Putting it in an article does not make an informative article, it isn't good journalism, it isn't even balanced journalism, for whatever that's worth. I would barely give a passing grade if this were a college assignment.
Argh.
I'm so peeved I could barely enjoy seeing you in print -- which is of course fun every time, Rixa!
Agreed that articles about UC are generally formulaic. Come on--do people REALLY believe that our situation is analogous to Third World women who are malnourished, live with poor sanitation and unsafe water supplies, and often have endemic or chronic health problems?
ReplyDeleteI was at the Childbirth in America conference, and I think it was Laura Shanley who said that the Third World argument is like saying digestion is inherently dangerous and pathological because diarrheal diseases are the major killers in Third World countries.
Rixa, your story is beautiful and wonderful, but the way they portrayed it in the article was awful, in my opinion. No lead-in, no explanation. It just made the whole thing sound crazy. I liked your other article better. I don't think this one helped the UC movement at all.
ReplyDeleteLOL @ Laura's digestion analogy!!! I will be stealing that one a lot in IRL conversations :)
ReplyDeleteFeel free to steal, Judit! Basically what I said in my talk is that claiming that birth is inherently dangerous (or poorly designed) and we know this because women in third world countries are dying, is like saying digestion is inherently dangerous and we know this because women in third world countries are dying from dysentery! I've probably said that to every reporter who has interviewed me this year and I don't think any of them have quoted me! So thanks, Rixa!
ReplyDeleteAs far as the Marie Claire article, it's better than some, but of course has the usual comments from the "experts." Yes, Judit, you're absolutely right about the formulaic crap. What's sad is that I know there have been several reporters that have not wanted to include negative comments from OB's but their editors have insisted. Remember the Canadian reporter who said that apparently she painted "too glowing" a picture of UC in her original article and so it was heavily edited? Ah, the joys of a free press.
The photo is finally coming up and it's lovely, Rixa!! And almost 200 comments at the end of the article!
ReplyDeleteLaura