View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

  1. Archive content
January 27, 2005updated 22 Nov 2022 2:05pm

Ethics group slams Post’s IVF ‘lottery’ but editor denies it is a ‘win a baby’ competition

By Press Gazette

Birmingham
Post editor Fiona Alexander has been inundated with calls from couples
after launching a controversial campaign in which the paper is offering
to pay for IVF treatment.

The Trinity Mirror-owned paper is
offering to fund the fertility and investigations of four couples
chosen by fertility experts based on NHS criteria.

It follows a
report in which health secretary John Reid was pushing for all Primary
Care Trusts to fund one cycle of treatment per couple.

The Post
has launched a “Fertility Funding For All” campaign which aims to force
the implementation of the policy. The Post will publish a series of
in-depth articles on IVF treatment and, with the selected couples’
permission, will be documenting their progress throughout their
treatment.

Post editor Fiona Alexandra, said: “It has caused a huge amount of publicity.

“I
have had personal letters, calls and emails from hopeful readers and
after ITV featured our campaign it received more than 400 emails from
people both wanting to volunteer and singing our praises.

“This is not a win a baby competition, which it could be seen as.

Content from our partners
How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition
Publishing on the open web is broken, how generative AI could help fix it
Impress: Regulation, arbitration and complaints resolution

We
are treating this sensitively and intelligently. We are doing what we
think the government should be doing and putting our money where our
mouth is.”

However, Josephine Quintavalle, director of public
interest group Comment on Reproductive Ethics, described the Post’s
campaign as an intrusive lottery.

“I think the creation of life in this way is worrying when it becomes a media game and a way to sell newspapers,” she said.

“IVF
is notoriously unsuccessful despite how people like to hype it up. I am
perfectly in favour of educating people about the causes of infertility
and what we can do about it without turning it into a lottery.”

Alexander
countered: “This was an awareness campaign, not a way to sell
newspapers and the whole IVF funding is already a lottery.

“Finally
we have managed to put infertility on the agenda nationally, human
interest changes attitudes and it raises awareness through the lives of
real people.”

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network