Boycott General Mills - Sinclair advertiser

[madmax]

Their response to my letter regarding Sinclair - it's NOT good enough. I have personally boycotted local business and service providers in my area who are republicans. I stopped buying Florida OJ after 2000 and now will add ALL products made by General Mills. Might not be enough to bankrupt them but, I feel better about not spending my bucks on their products.


"Thank you for contacting General Mills.

Many consumers have written to share their views on this issue. Some have urged General Mills to use its influence as an advertiser to ensure that the media reports the news in an unbiased manner. Some have urged General Mills to continue advertising, and have threatened to withdraw support for our products if we alter our advertising plans. Passions run deep on both sides, particularly this close to an election.

Whenever possible, General Mills does strive to preview the programs on which our advertising appears. We do so to assure that we do not advertise on programs inconsistent with the family-oriented nature of our products. This works well with entertainment programs produced and available for advance screening, but pre-screening of news broadcasts is usually not possible.

Our view in this area is clear. We believe one of the fundamental elements of our society is the freedom of the press. Companies such as ours, in our view, should not attempt to influence, control or pre-empt the content of news through the leverage of advertising sponsorship. To do so would undermine that fundamental freedom.

From time to time, any one of us as viewers may consider a particular news story to be inaccurate or imbalanced. News organizations do err. Judgment is not always well applied. One major news organization recently acknowledged that errors were made in stories relating to the current presidential election. When such errors occur, certainly a price is paid in terms of reputation. But errors and questionable judgment are an acceptable price to pay, in our view, to assure the presence of a free and independent media in our society.

As viewers, each of us is free to make a choice. We can choose to patronize or not patronize programs with our viewership. We can choose to patronize or not patronize particular television stations, or even entire networks.

Similarly, advertisers may choose not to sponsor certain broadcasts, a particular network or specific publications because of their journalistic standards and judgment. But advertisers should not attempt to control or pre-empt news programming prior to broadcast or publication. That, in our view, would be inappropriate.

In this instance, as in the example cited earlier, passionate voices are calling on advertisers to insert themselves into the election by threatening to boycott those who remove or who do not remove their advertising.

We choose to stand with freedom of the press.

We welcome the views that you and others have shared with us. You may rest assured that we will remind the networks we sponsor that the integrity of their reporting reflects on the companies that advertise during their broadcasts.

Hopefully, you will understand our views – and the importance we place on a free press.

Again, thank you for taking the time to contact us and share your views."

[City Lights]

1. I got the same canned - or in this case, "frozen" - resonse

even though I had specifically requested not to be contacted unless their position changed. I included comments from GM other DUers received in my email, so it was obvious I knew where they stoof. I doubt they are even reading their emails anymore. GM can kiss my business buh-bye.

[Out the Parasites]

2. A boycott will take a long time to catch up with them...

but, I'm willing to give it a try. Keep in mind that the first to suffer are the little guy retailers selling general mills products. This may back fire and put mom and pop retailers out of business before it even gets back to the mega general mills. Perhaps we need to think of a better way to go after them. It may be better to contact your local retailers, letting them know you plan to boycott general mills products. That way at least they have a heads up..and can plan accordingly when they make their purchasing decisions.

[ItsTheMediaStupid]

5. Be smart in how you do this

Most supermarkets I shop in have generic Cheerios.

From this day forward, that's what I'm buying in the grocery. I may still buy their products at a convenience store that I like, but given a choice, I'll eat another brand of cereal.

It's not all or nothing.

[Out the Parasites]

7. Right, but if we can put the pressure on the retailers...to put pressure

on General Mills, I think it will all together go better. In my area the major supermarkets that carry the bulk of their products are:

Fred Meyers (Kroeger)
Safeway
Alberstons
Walgreens
Costco

Etc.

These are the people that need to be contacted regarding General Mills decision. And to let them know what and why you are boycotting those products. They may scale back on their orders. ???

[City Lights]

8. GM sells food, which is something my family must continue to buy.

My boycott of GM won't withhold money from the economy since we still have to eat. I'll just be spending it wiser. GM's loss will be some other company's gain.

[Iceburg]

3. Let them eat cake !!!!... their own cake

I got the same response to which I replied,

Dear Robot,

Please quit contacting me with your pathetic and flawed auto-letter generator messages (I have received 3 today and 1 on Monday). As I stated in the last reply, my mind is made up -- "This wound will NEVER heal!!!

[peacetalksforall]

4. Isn't this another typical letter from a corporation where they completely

miss the point? I haven't been able to follow all of the Sinclair business - but isn't this NOT an issue of freedom of the press, BUTt RATHER an aggression against our public airwaves by their action to ORDER their stations to show this film? Doesn't it involve the FEC and their failed obligation to the public? Do I need to study more?

[TexasSissy]

6. You got it! Consider them boycotted. (I'll read labels to ensure no GM )