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ELECTRONIC ARTICLE: Carden Johnston COMMENTARY: Commercialism in Classrooms Pediatrics 2001; 107: e44 [Abstract] [Full text] [PDF]

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Demand the Demise of Channel One

Eunie Smith   (12 April 2001)

3 Out Of 4 Artists Agree

Margot Knight   (12 April 2001)

Corection to URL

Eunie Smith   (13 April 2001)

A fine article

Gary Ruskin   (13 April 2001)

Demand the Demise of Channel One 12 April 2001
Eunie Smith, homemaker Eagle Forum of Alabama Send letter to journal: Re: Demand the Demise of Channel One alaeagle{at}charter.net Eunie Smith	Dr. Carden Johnston, a highly respected Birmingham physician, with this cogent presentation of the problems caused for students by allowing commercialism in our schools - Channel One in particular - has provided a significant service. A visit to http://www.obligation.org/ch1videotape.html confirms his points. I hope others will join Dr. Johnston in working to remove Channel One from our schools for the sake of students' academic, physical and moral well being. Surely if parents could monitor this colossal waste of time that is exploiting its captive student audience with its unhealthy commericals, they would demand its demise.
3 Out Of 4 Artists Agree 12 April 2001
Margot Knight, photographer Fabrica (the Communications Research Center for United Colors of Benetton) Send letter to journal: Re: 3 Out Of 4 Artists Agree margot{at}fabrica.it Margot Knight	Dear Pediatrics, It is important to consider this topic within the larger phenomenon of private corporate infiltration (aka sponsorship) into the public realm. Commercials are shown in the classroom, soft drink companies obtain exclusive contracts on university campuses, and corporations pay for medical research. At every level we have to ask: who is underwriting our mental environment and what are their motives? We should entrust our children's education to advertising companies in the same way that we should entrust our cancer research to tobacco companies. However, most people do not consider the underlying motives and messages inherent in corporate involvement as well as in commercials themselves, which brings us to Dr. Johnston's recommendation for media literacy education. As an artist working in communications media, I strongly support his recommendation. In 1999 I tested the media literacy of students at my college by posting a 9 foot digitally- manipulated photograph of a scantily clad woman whose waist I reduced by over a third. It was depressing to discover that over half of the people I interviewed (n=88) thought the photograph was real. One girl admitted she "felt inferior." Even our hyper-educated ivy league minds have not been equipped with the critical skills to separate media images from reality. Perhaps our students are already too media literate; we need to teach them to read between the lines. Sincerely, Margot Knight
Corection to URL 13 April 2001
Eunie Smith, homemaker Eagle Forum of Alabama Send letter to journal: Re: Corection to URL alaeagle{at}charter.net Eunie Smith	I regret that the previous URL in the letter titled, "Demand the Demise of Channel 1" was incorrect. Please see the correct site at http://www.obligation.org/ch1videopage.html
A fine article 13 April 2001
Gary Ruskin, Executive Director Commercial Alert Send letter to journal: Re: A fine article gary{at}essential.org Gary Ruskin	Three cheers for Carden Johnston's splendid article on commercialism in the schools. It's about time that Pediatrics noticed the commercial assault on American schoolchildren. Pediatrics ought to run a regular column on the health effects of the commercial culture on American children -- with special attention on the aggressive marketing of violent entertainment, alcohol, tobacco, junk food, fast food, video games, television, pornography and gambling. Our nation's children need pediatricians to protect them from corporations that would exploit them for monetary gain. For extensive, detailed information about commercialism in the schools, and what pediatricians can do to eject Channel One, Coke and Pepsi from our nation's schools, please see Commercial Alert's website at <www.commercialalert.org>.

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