‘MTSU On the Record’ explores media images of breastfeeding

photo depicting a young woman cuddling and breastfeeding her young baby (uncredited; part of a 2013 study on breast milk from African moms and gut microbiotia published in PLoS ONE)

Depictions of breastfeeding in the media was the topic of a recent “MTSU On the Record” radio program.

Host Gina Logue’s interview with Dr. Katie Foss, assistant professor of journalism, aired on WMOT-FM (89.5 and www.wmot.org). You can listen to their conversation here.

Dr. Katie Foss

Foss’s study, titled “’That’s Not a Beer Bong! It’s a Breast Pump!’ Representations of Breastfeeding in Prime-Time Fictional Television,” was published in the academic journal “Health Communication.”

In her research, Foss said she found that television tends to shy away from portrayals of breastfeeding. She said the majority of the public accepts the practice.

“If it is truly normalized, why are we making such a big deal about it?” Foss told LiveScience. “It should just be, ‘Oh, feeding the baby, just like doing everything else with the baby as part of the show.’”

Foss found 53 representations of breastfeeding between 1974 and 2012. Forty-eight of the 53 portrayals occurred after 1998.

To listen to previous “MTSU On the Record” programs, go to the “Audio Clips” archives here and here.

For more information about “MTSU On the Record,” contact Logue at 615-898-5081 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.