NAME:
PERIOD:
1
How media literate are you?
See if you can answer the following questions. Then look for the answers during
the media literacy PowerPoint.
Your
Answer
Question
Children spend over what percentage of their days in front of an electronic
screen?
What percent of all media is viewed on a screen?
What percent of teens own some type of cell phone?
By age 18 the average American child’s TV viewing has included 40,000 of
these?
The average number of scenes per hour with sexual content in the top 20
TV shows among teenage viewers is (not including commercials)?
How many hours per week do American youth spend watching TV?
By the time a person becomes 55 years of age they will have spent 3 years
of their lives doing what?
Excessive TV viewing has been linked to what condition?
How many “selling messages” are we confronted with on a daily basis?
How many times will the average teen ask a parent for products they’ve
seen advertised before the parents give in?
On average, how much is spent a year on marketing to young consumers
every year?
What percent of Americans get their news from a physical newspaper every
day?
Where do most Americans get their political information from?
True or false: All media messages (including nonfiction media such as the
news or documentaries) are made to make money or to gain power.
True or false: The media has embedded values and points of view.
2
Actual
Answer
The Art of Persuasion
The goal of persuasive writing and speaking is to convince your audience that your ideas are valid. The Greek
philosopher Aristotle divided the means of persuasion, appeals, into three categories--Ethos, Pathos, and
Logos. Review the notes below to learn how these appeals can be used.
Ethos (Greek for “character”): credibility or ethical appeal



The ethos appeal is used to convince an audience that a speaker’s ideas are trustworthy and believable.
Ethos can be developed by stating your credentials, showing where your information comes from, or by
using language and tone that is appropriate for your audience.
Ethos example:
“I will end this war in Iraq responsibly, and finish the fight against al Qaeda and the Taliban in
Afghanistan. I will rebuild our military to meet future conflicts. But I will also renew the tough, direct
diplomacy that can prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and curb Russian aggression. I will build
new partnerships to defeat the threats of the 21st century: terrorism and nuclear proliferation; poverty and
genocide; climate change and disease. And I will restore our moral standing, so that America is once
again that last, best hope for all who are called to the cause of freedom, who long for lives of peace, and
who yearn for a better future." -- Democratic Presidential Candidate Acceptance Speech by Barack
Obama. August 28th, 2008.
Pathos (Greek for “suffering”): emotional appeal


The pathos appeal is used to convince an audience by connecting to their feelings.
Pathos can be developed by evoking sympathy from an audience, inspiring anger, or drawing pity.

Pathos example:
"I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you
have come fresh from narrow jail cells. And some of you have come from areas where your quest -- quest
for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality.
You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering
is redemptive. Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to
Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that
somehow this situation can and will be changed." – “I Have a Dream” by Martin Luther King Jr. August
28th, 1963.
Logos (Greek for “word”): logical appeal


The logos appeal is used to convince an audience through logic and reason.
Logos can be developed by using facts, data, and statistics and by presenting an argument that “makes
sense” (is reasonable).

Logos example:
"However, although private final demand, output, and employment have indeed been growing for more
than a year, the pace of that growth recently appears somewhat less vigorous than we expected. Notably,
3
since stabilizing in mid-2009, real household spending in the United States has grown in the range of 1 to
2 percent at annual rates, a relatively modest pace. Households' caution is understandable. Importantly,
the painfully slow recovery in the labor market has restrained growth in labor income, raised uncertainty
about job security and prospects, and damped confidence. Also, although consumer credit shows some
signs of thawing, responses to our Senior Loan Officer Opinion Survey on Bank Lending Practices
suggest that lending standards to households generally remain tight." – “The Economic Outlook and
Monetary Policy” by Ben Bernanke. August 27th, 2010.
Which appeal is most important?

Aristotle believed that the facts (logos) should be most important. He felt that to be persuasive, you need
to have the right evidence and that the facts should be enough. Aristotle also realized that logos, by itself
is not enough. People often make decisions based on emotion and use the facts to support how they feel.
In order to construct an effective argument, all three appeals must be used together.
Practice: write the correct appeal next to each example
1. A magazine ad shows people smiling and laughing while drinking Coke __________
2. Tiger Woods endorsing Nike products
__________
3. “Advil provides 8 hours of pain relief”
__________
4. “A glass of orange juice provides 75% of your daily vitamin C needs”
5. “Coke Zero is 100% sugar free”
__________
__________
6. “Sealy mattresses are the only mattress that does not hurt my back”
__________
7. A dentist recommends using Colgate toothpaste
__________
8. “If you want the most delicious food, you should go to Taco Bell”
__________
9. “50% of Americans prefer chocolate ice cream over vanilla ice cream” __________
10. “English teachers suggest reading for at least one hour each day”
__________
Sources: “Six Minutes: Pathos, Ethos, Logos” by Andrew Dlugan; examples from pathosethoslogos.com
4
Seniors are more cautious
By Charles “Doc” Anderson
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Some elderly drivers shouldn't be allowed to operate motor vehicles. Neither should any dangerous driver,
regardless of age.
Proposed restrictions on elderly drivers, such as the bills introduced in the Texas Legislature, amount to
discrimination against all seniors, including those with excellent driving records. The Senate version would require
periodic vision tests starting at age 79, with potential driving exams starting at age 85. The House version would
require only vision tests every two years, with no additional required road tests. The vision test requirement
wouldn't start until age 90.
Both measures go too far. Blanket assessments of capability and behavior of a large population of folks is often
misguided.
It's no more credible to say that elderly citizens are poor drivers than saying that all young people are good
drivers.
Seniors are more cautious drivers. They tend to avoid high traffic times and routes. They don't often get out on
major highways at peak traffic hours. Rather, they drive locally to provide for daily needs, such as going to
grocery stores, church functions, doctor and veterinary clinics or senior citizen centers.
Elderly motorists generally avoid driving in adverse weather conditions. Seniors are not often given to alcohol or
drug use that would impair their faculties and driving abilities. They are not often given to distractions of loud
music or driving while using cellphones.
The proposed requirements would impose rules for everyone regardless of ability. I'm reluctant to classify
everybody in the same boat and restrict these folks.
Seniors aren't the ones going down the highway at 85 miles per hour. They usually don't get on the highway at all.
They rarely drive after dark.
Statistics can be misleading. Accidents involving seniors naturally involve more serious injuries. This is not a
cause and effect but simply attributable to the fact that seniors are more prone to injury.
Threatening to remove or restrict driving privileges is very stressful to the elderly. Perhaps requiring an AARP
type of driving refresher course would be the better way to go.
Copyright © 2007 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.
5
Scrutinize older drivers
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Trying to persuade Grandpa that it's time to give up his driver's license is likely to be met with an irascible, if not downright
hostile, response. Seniors know that physical and cognitive abilities decline with age, but they also fiercely prize their
independence. Too many are in denial about their fading driving skills and won't voluntarily release their grip from the steering
wheel.
The case for that difficult intervention - if not from families then from state governments - has never been more compelling.
Elderly drivers are more likely to be involved in fatal crashes at traffic intersections than are younger drivers, according to a
report issued last month by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
By 2030, the number of licensed drivers ages 65 and older will nearly double to about 57 million - about one in five drivers. Yet
efforts by states to evaluate the abilities of older motorists aren't nearly as stringent as new limits being placed on teens, who
increasingly face restrictions on night driving, the number of passengers they can carry and other matters.
That's happening because motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among 15- to 19-year-olds. But drivers older
than 75 are even more at risk, as you can see from the chart nearby. They deserve equal scrutiny, and according to a new
study by Congress' Government Accountability Office, they aren't getting it:
•Only 16 states demand that seniors undergo more frequent license renewals than non-seniors.
•Only 10 states require older drivers to undergo extra vision assessments.
•Only five states require older drivers to renew their licenses in person.
•Only New Hampshire and Illinois require road tests for those 75 and older.
In addition, little is done to screen older drivers for dementia, a condition that's likely to affect nearly half of those 85 and older.
The risk of a crash for drivers with dementia are two to eight times greater than those with no cognitive impairment.
When states fail to get dangerous senior citizens off the roads, the results can be tragic.
Almost four years ago, George Russell Weller, then 86, drove his car through a crowded farmers' market in Santa Monica,
Calif., killing 10 people and injuring more than 70. He mistook the car's accelerator for the brake, his attorney said.
In Dallas, teen Katie Bolka was killed last year when a 90-year-old driver ran a red light and slammed into her car. A bill known
as “Katie's Law” is being considered in the Texas Legislature to impose new restrictions, including required vision tests, for
elderly drivers.
Tougher regulations would no doubt be inconvenient and perhaps insulting to older drivers. But for their own safety and the
well-being of others, states and families need to act to avert preventable tragedies.
Copyright © 2007 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.
6
Methods of Persuasion
Advertisers use the following appeals to persuade us:
Logos: Logical Appeal
Ethos: Credibility Appeal
Pathos: Emotional Appeal
Facts, statistics
Showing where the facts came from
Stories, anecdotes, emotional language
Some ways that advertisers use logos, ethos, and pathos are:
Humor
Macho
Friends
Family
Fun
Nature
Sexy
Cartoon
Wealth
Scare/
Exaggeration
Funny or crazy images.
Strong, tough, powerful – usually males. May carry weapons or be pictured in
dangerous situations. Cowboys.
Groups of people enjoying each other and doing things together. Buddies, pals
and friendship.
Mother, father, children or a family. May also be intergenerational group.
Everyone is happy – smiling and laughing. Often images of people doing fun
things and having a good time.
Outdoor settings – mountains, ocean, desert, snow, flowers, etc. May or may not
have people included.
Emphasis on physical attributes of models, usually female; may wear revealing
clothing and be shown flirting through attitude or body language.
People or animals portrayed as drawing or animation, often humorous.
Expensive and elegant places and things. Big houses, new cars, jewelry,
designer clothing, etc.
Images, words, or stories that create uneasiness or fear. Made to scare
consumer into buying, believing, or doing something.
7
Faulty Statistics
Too small a sample
Often, statistic gatherers will ask too few a number of people or study too small a sample of people, or study only
one group to get the statistics they are hoping for.
Biased sample
Some statistic gatherers will only survey the group whom they know will agree with the “facts” as they wish to
prove them.
Manufactured sample
Some groups will actually PAY a group of experts to follow their product or conclusion. This is not to say that the
experts consciously agree with whoever is paying them, but if you knew you would only get on TV and get paid if
you said you preferred Pepsi to Coke, what would you say?
Inappropriate sample
Some scientists will use an inappropriate group (say rats, or fish) when trying to prove something about human
beings. Sometimes this is necessary, but it does not follow that their statistics are reliable proof.
Skewed facts
A person can create statistics that are incorrect simply by confusing words or mixing up facts that deal with
another issue.
Crazy statistics
These are statistics that “sound” good, but when you think about them for a while, you realize that they are
impossible!
Practice: Review the sentences below and identify which type of logical fallacy is being used in each. Be sure to
explain why the answer you selected is correct.
1. “Every year since 1950, the number of American children gunned down has doubled.”
2. “In an experiment performed on 40 members of the Tanomami tribe of Brazil, over a period of one year,
scientists were able to prove that the tribe was the most violent of any other tribe in the world.”
3. “Our religious minister has shown, through a survey done in his ministry, that 95% of all Canadians believe in
God.”
4. “Nine out of Ten doctors prefer Bayer Aspirin over any other pain killer.”
5. Hamsters make horrible pets because they do not live very long. My sister had a hamster and it only lived a
year. Therefore, no one should be able to own a hamster.
8
Logical Fallacies
Red Herring
Faulty Cause
Attempts to distract the audience with details not relevant to the argument.
States that one event caused another event, just because they happened close
together in time, even when there could be another cause.
Jumping to
Supports a claim using one or two experiences. Jumps to the conclusion that the
Conclusions
same event will happen in every case.
Sweeping
States a claim as fact based on an oversimplified statement (stereotype) about a
Generalizations group.
Bandwagon
Encourages audience to do something because everyone is doing it.
Unexpert/Expert Uses experts or people that appear to be experts or authority figures to sell a claim
(These authority figures may be celebrities).
Testimonials
Shows average people who can speak with “authority” on the claim.
Name Dropping Speaker establishes credibility by showing the authority figures with whom he/she is
associated.
Plain folk
Speaker presents him/herself as the “average Joe” in order to connect with the
audience and make him/herself more relatable.
Ad Hominem
Claim or argument is rejected based on irrelevant fact about the person presenting the
claim.
Name Calling
Distracts the audience by calling the opponent negative names.
Transfer
Projects positive or negative qualities (praise or blame) of a person, entity, object, or
value.
Scapegoating
Claims a person or group of people is to blame and is, therefore, not to be trusted.
Scare Tactic/
Images, words, or stories that create uneasiness or fear. Made to scare audience into
Exaggeration
buying, believing, or doing something.
Ego-tripping
Words that make the audience feel important or intelligent.
Loaded Images Words, phrases, and overall verbal and written communication that is intended to
& Words
inspire emotion in the reader or listener.
Glittering
Emotionally appealing words so closely associated with highly valued concepts and
Generalizations beliefs that it carries conviction without supporting information or reason. These words
often appeal to a love of country and home, and desire for peace, freedom, glory, and
honor.
Ad Nauseum
Argument is repeated until no one cares anymore or the opponent gives up.
Repetition
Repeated words, phrases, images are used.
Slogans
A catch-phrase or memorable phrase is used.
9
Logical Fallacies: Practice
Instructions: Review the sentences below and identify which type of logical fallacy is being used in
each. Be sure to explain why the answer you selected is correct.
1. Cold fried chicken isn’t good for you. Once, my cousin Julius had some cold fried chicken at the town
picnic and ended up in the hospital. You won’t catch me eating cold fried chicken.
2. Are you too full of life to be lonely? Are you waiting for your own great adventure to begin? Why not
add your strength to the thousands of young people who have already put on Uncle Sam’s uniform? Be
a part of it – join the greatest team in the world.
3. Let Power Course put you in the big picture right where you belong. But don’t just listen to us – listen
to reason. Here’s the reason why Mary S. Hart of Phillipsburg believe in the Power Course: “Power
Course gave me all the confidence I needed. After just one Confidence Builder Lesson, I got the raise I
wanted – without even asking for it. I can hardly wait to see what happens next.”
4. Everyone knows that boys love baseball. That’s why you should buy All-Sport At-Home Batting Cage
system. Your sons will love being able to practice hitting the ball on their own at home. So run out and
get it today!
5. When asked about his views on gay marriage, Senator Rob Roberts stated that he attended his own
daughter’s marriage this weekend at the shore this weekend and that the state of New Jersey needs to
do more to help clean up the damage from Hurricane Sandy.
6. John was warned that being involved in too many clubs would affect his grades. However, he did not
listen and he flunked calculus because of it.
7. Every man likes to appear tough. That’s why you should buy your husband or boyfriend Tough Man
Body Spray the next time you visit your local pharmacy.
10
Truth in Advertising?
How truthful do ads have to be—and how much should we believe?
By Stephanie Clifford
Pizza Hut calls itself "America's favorite pizza." Bounty pitches its paper towels as the "quicker picker upper." Clearasil
promises that its new acne product "visibly reduces redness and pimple size in as little as four hours." Should you believe any
of this?
A lot of advertising uses slogans that aren't necessarily meant to be taken literally. But now even some companies are
admitting you shouldn't believe everything you see—at least in their competitors' ads. In fact, using laws designed to protect
consumers from deceptive advertising, an increasing number of companies are suing each other, claiming that false
advertising by a competitor is hurting their sales.
Longtime foes like AT&T and Verizon Wireless, Campbell's Soup and Progresso, Dove and Pantene, and pet-food makers
Science Diet and Iams have all wrestled over ads recently. Pantene has attacked Dove's claim that its conditioner "repairs"
hair better, and Iams has been challenged for saying that "No other dog food stacks up like Iams."
"In this economy, where [profit] margins are a bit tighter, a lot of marketing departments have decided to become more
aggressive," says John E. Villafranco, a lawyer who specializes in advertising. What exactly are advertisers allowed to say
about their products? In legal terms, advertising is considered "commercial speech"—speech on behalf of a company or
individual with the purpose of making a profit—and it's treated differently than other kinds of speech.
"Commercial speech is sometimes called the stepchild of the First Amendment in that it receives some First Amendment
protections but not as much as other types of speech," says David Hudson of the First Amendment Center. With a few key
exceptions, such as libel and incitement to violence, almost all non-commercial speech is constitutionally protected.
"False and misleading advertising is not protected at all," Hudson adds. "That's where a lot of the court battles come into play,
because there's heated disagreement as to what constitutes misleading commercial speech." Truth-in-advertising laws are
designed to protect consumers by requiring advertisers to be truthful and able to back up their claims. The Federal Trade
Commission is responsible for enforcing these laws. But the agency doesn't actively search for inaccuracies; it only follows up
on complaints.
Can You Hear Me Now?
"We've all had a pizza delivered to us with a box that says 'world's greatest pizza,'" says Robert Thompson, a professor of
media at Syracuse University in New York. "It probably isn't, but there's no way to prove that." But when there is a way to back
up a claim, companies are insisting that their competitors do so.
In December, AT&T sued Verizon Wireless over, literally, empty space, when Verizon began comparing its third-generation
wireless network to AT&T's in TV commercials. AT&T isn't challenging the crux of the ad, which is that Verizon has more
widespread wireless 3G coverage than AT&T. Rather, it's upset over the maps comparing the companies' networks.
"There are vast [blank] spaces . . . in the map that depicts AT&T's coverage," says Mark Siegel, a spokesman for AT&T. "It
suggests to the viewer that not only is there no 3G coverage in that area, but there is no coverage at all."
U.P.S. stopped running ads saying it was the "most reliable" shipping company after FedEx sued in May, arguing that the
claim was based on outdated information.
Last fall, Campbell's Soup started an ad campaign that said its Select Harvest soups were "Made with TLC," while labeling
rival Progresso soups as "Made with MSG"—monosodium glutamate. Progresso responded with its own campaign, and then
both companies complained to the Council of Better Business Bureaus, which recommended withdrawal of some ads by both
soup makers.
But Thompson, the media professor, says that though the regulations are designed to prevent bold-faced, inaccurate claims,
they cannot prevent everything that's misleading. "Advertising has always been about hyperbole and illusion," he says. "That's
what we signed up for as a capitalist, consumer society."
(The New York Times Upfront, Vol. 142, March 1, 2010)
11
TRUTH IN ADVERTISING?
Instructions: Read the article, “Truth in Advertising?” from Upfront Magazine. While reading, use the
talking to the text strategy. You may write directly on the article. Please include at least 5 comments.
After reading, answer the questions below using complete sentences.
1. Why are some companies suing each other over advertising claims?
2. What is “commercial speech”?
3. What are some exceptions to “commercial speech?”
4. What is the role of the Federal Trade Commission?
5. According to this article, why can a company get away with using a slogan such as “world’s greatest
pizza”?
6. Why did AT&T sue Verizon Wireless? Explain the argument made by AT&T.
7. One of the core concepts of media literacy states that “media messages are constructed using a
creative language with its own rules”. After reading this article, explain what this statement means.
What rules do advertisers need to follow? What rights do they have?
8. In your opinion, should advertisers be subjected to stricter rules? Do you think freedom of speech in
advertising could ever be dangerous? Or do you believe the people should use their own judgment
when watching or reading ads? Explain your answer.
12
Magazine Covers
PART ONE: Answer the questions while participating in a magazine cover gallery walk.
1. What type of articles are featured on the cover of each magazine?
WOMEN’S MAGAZINES:
MEN’S MAGAZINES:
2. What do you notice about the layout of each magazine cover? (Consider colors, fonts, organization,
etc.)
WOMEN’S MAGAZINES:
MEN’S MAGAZINES:
3. Based on the magazine covers for each gender, what do you think the media is saying about the
ideal male/female?
WOMEN’S MAGAZINES:
MEN’S MAGAZINES:
PART TWO: Reflect on the questions below.
13
1. Based on the type of articles featured in these magazines, what do you think our society believes
that women are interested in reading about? What are men interested in reading about? Are any of the
topics featured of interest to you?
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
2. Do you think advertisers consider how men and women think when designing magazine covers? In
other words, do you think they choose certain colors/fonts based on the way our brains are wired?
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
3. In your opinion, how does the media’s portrayal of the “ideal woman” and the “ideal man” impact our
society?
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
14
Hype & Consequences
Instructions: Answer the questions below while watching the documentary.
Part 1: High-Priced Fashion
1. Why do you and others buy “hot” items like the high-priced sneakers featured in this video
clip? What benefits do you and others get from high fashion purchases? What are the costs
from buying something so expensive?
2. According to the video, what is the difference between a “want” and a “need”?
3. Explain why Marbury’s mother would not let him or his siblings buy high-priced sneakers.
Describe the things that Marbury and his siblings would have had to give up if they had
purchased the high price sneakers.
4. How does Marbury’s personal success in responding to his family struggles impact today’s
youth? In other words, how is Marbury using his experiences to help others?
Part 2: Vaccine Fears
1. According to the video, why is there so much controversy surrounding vaccines?
2. What are the risks of getting vaccinated? What are the risks of NOT getting vaccinated?
3. Why do people think that vaccines cause autism? Do they have any proof that vaccines
actually do cause autism?
4. Why did people stop getting their children vaccinated against whooping cough? In your
opinion, was this a good idea?
15
Part 3: Media Scares
1. Why are people more concerned about bird flu than regular flu?
2. Think of the example about the house with the pool and the house with the gun. According
to the video, why are people are more worried about a house with a gun?
3. In the jellybean example, why did more people choose the red jelly beans from the larger
plate? Why was it better to choose from the smaller plate?
4. Why are people more afraid to fly in a plane than drive in a car? Which is actually more
dangerous?
5. Explain what is meant by “you should worry about the right things”.
16
Marketing to You Survey
Before we discuss how the media targets you, please answer the questions below. These questions should be answered
using your opinion and/or experiences.
1. In your opinion, should alcohol companies be able to advertise to children? Why?
2. Should tobacco companies be able to advertise to children? Why?
3. Should sugary cereals? (Captain Crunch, Cocoa Puffs, Lucky Charms, etc.)
4. Should snack companies? (Fruit rollups, animal crackers, etc.)
5. Should fast food companies?
6. How do companies market/advertise to you?
7. How often do you buy new clothes/shoes? Why do you buy new clothes? What makes you buy the clothes you do?
8. Do you own clothes with company names on them? Why?
9. Do you have an iPod? If you do, why do you have an iPod and not a less expensive MP3 player?
10. How many times have you replaced your iPod? What about your cell phone (if you have one)? Why did you replace it?
17
Marketing to Youth Video Note-taking Guide
As you watch Consuming Kids, please jot down any interesting and/or important facts, OR any
reactions/thoughts you have on what you are seeing.
Part 1: Introduction
Part 2: The Floodgates Open
Part 3: By Any Means Necessary
Part 4: Under the Microscope
Part 5: Brand New World
Part 6: Cradle to Grave
Part 7: Rewiring Childhood
Part 8: Our Future
18
Sweet Spot: How Sugary-Cereal Makers Target Kids
By Bonnie Rochman | Monday, Nov. 02, 2009
Before food politics became a Wikipedia entry and the
title of a book, before anyone cared about trans fat or
realized we were in the midst of a pediatric-obesity
epidemic, Lucky Charms were simply magically delicious.
Now the cereal, along with other childhood favorites like
Corn Pops and Cocoa Pebbles, is being labeled a publichealth menace by Yale's Rudd Center for Food Policy
and Obesity. The center is trying to expose the marketing tactics that make kids clamor for a sugary
start to the day, crispy calorie bombs that are often low in fiber and high in junky carbohydrates. Rudd
researchers just finished crunching Nielsen and comScore data — which track television and Internet
marketing — to figure out exactly how much cereal advertising kids see. The result: obesity
researchers for the first time have hard data proving that the least healthy cereals are the ones
marketed most aggressively to children. (See which sugary brands do the most kid-chasing.)
This news arrives just as many of the cereals with the worst nutrition ratings are being adorned with
the food industry's new "Smart Choices" label, a big check mark designed to assure consumers that a
product is good for them. The label is being put on hundreds of items, from mayonnaise to ice cream,
so why are the Rudd researchers so hopped up about cereal? Because it is more heavily advertised
to kids than any other packaged-food category. And because cereals can qualify as "Smart Choices"
even if they have 12 g of sugar — that's about three teaspoons — per serving.
On Oct. 23 the "Smart Choices" program announced it would postpone operations after the
commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration said the agency plans to develop standardized
criteria to guide future packaging proclamations.
Smart choice or not, sugary cereals clearly hold sway over millions of children.
The Rudd findings, which will be detailed at CerealFacts.org in time for the Obesity Society's annual
meeting in Washington on Oct. 26, show that each year preschoolers (ages 2 to 5) see an average of
507 cereal ads that are designed to appeal to kids. The report also details how sugary-cereal makers
are interacting with young consumers online through video games like Lucky Charms Charmed Life
and Cinnamon Toast Crunch Swirl. (See the 10 worst video-game movies.)
19
With more than 20 games, General Mills' popular Millsberry.com gets more than 750,000 unique
visitors a month under age 18; the average youngster who uses the site visits 2.8 times a month and
spends nearly 24 min. per session.
About a third of children in the U.S. are considered overweight or obese, and researchers believe
television advertising is a significant contributing factor. A study in the July issue of Health Psychology
showed that 7-to-11-year-old kids who watched a cartoon peppered with food commercials ate 45%
more snacks while viewing the show than did kids who watched the same program without ads. (See
the best and worst Super Bowl commercials of 2009.)
In the U.S., there are few restrictions on food ads, but that's not the case in the U.K., where junk food
can't be marketed on children's television. "There is only one [children's] cereal brand in the U.S. that
would be allowed to be advertised on TV in the U.K., and that's Frosted Mini-Wheats because of the
amount of fiber," says Jennifer Harris, who spearheaded the Rudd research.
Cereal makers have responded to the obesity crisis by reducing calories, fat and sugar and boosting
fiber and vitamins. Twelve of some of the country's largest food players — including Kellogg, General
Mills and Quaker's parent company, PepsiCo — have promised to market only "better for you" foods
to kids under 12. Of course, companies decide what counts as "better for you," ensuring that their
products meet the standards. (Read "Watching TV: Even Worse for Kids Than You Think.")
"I wouldn't say there isn't still room for improvement," says Elaine Kolish, director of the industry's
Children's Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative. "Could the sugar be less? Yes, but it's better to
be 12 grams instead of 13 or 14 or 15, and that's what the companies have moved away from."
They may need to do more of that kind of moving. On Oct. 15, Richard Blumenthal, Connecticut's
attorney general, announced that he is launching an investigation into whether the "Smart Choices"
label violates his state's consumer-protection laws. "What's so 'smart' about Froot Loops?" he asked
at a press conference. If the label is found to be misleading, it will need to be changed, he said.
A spokeswoman for General Mills said the company declined to comment for this story, but Kellogg
CEO David Mackay defends his firm's much maligned Froot Loops, noting that the cereal is a good
source of vitamins A and C. And those 12 g of sugar? "Twelve grams of sugar is 50 calories," says
Mackay. "A presweetened cereal as part of a regular diet for kids is not a bad thing." But it's hard to
argue that it's a good thing either.
20
Notes Page
21