source: Farm and Food Report
How the media can influence public perception of agricultural activities is increasingly being recognized among producers as a domain that warrants special care and attention.
Inviting journalists on one’s premises, however, brings with it risks that often go well beyond those of “not getting the message across” while attempting to generate positive media coverage. The real financial implications of bio security issues can just not be ignored.
Organizations like the Prairie Swine Centre in Saskatoon will often lend a helping hand to the industry by making its resources available to the media. Lee Whittington is Manager of Information Services at the Centre. He regularly takes media through the barns:
“The hog sector is one that finds itself in the news fairly often. It is in our best interest to not only establish a rapport with journalists who cover the stories that are generated, but also to make sure they have access to fresh support materials such as still photographs or video footage,” says Whittington.
He adds: “We are all surprised at times to see grainy old footage on television to illustrate a particular news story. We ask ourselves, why are these pictures being used when we know they do not reflect recent developments in barn management practices? It is probably because that was the only footage the television station had.”
The Prairie Swine Centre makes a point of allowing media organizations in to refresh their “stock shots” whenever it gets a request. The pork interpretive gallery makes this a whole lot easier because it is a specially-designed facility built right on top of the Swine Centre’s barns, with windows set into the floor to allow viewing of the various stages of hog development. The interpretive displays feature information on the actual stages in the life of a pig. It allows visitors to see just how much hog production methods have evolved over the years.
Special treatment of the media is warranted for the good of the industry. Whittington actually will allow videographers in the barns, provided they agree to certain precautions:
“When a TV crew or a journalist — no matter who — makes a request to film inside our facility, he or she must agree to take a shower when they come in. And then we provide them with a complete set of clean clothes — including even underwear — in order to preserve the biological integrity of the unit. The same principles apply to the equipment they bring in.”
Whittington explains that cameras, microphones and recorders must be disinfected with alcohol swabs before they are allowed inside. It takes a little time, but this is something journalists generally understand because of the consequences that potential infectious diseases could have on the operation.
He points out that “in many ways, this brings home to journalists - to anyone who is allowed inside our facility - that agricultural production is an extremely sophisticated activity; that those who choose agriculture as a way of life must acquire a significant body of knowledge on complex issues if they want to be successful in today’s increasingly competitive world. We certainly feel that the time we spend taking the media behind-the-scenes helps us fulfill our public education mandate.”
In the same breath, Whittington adds:
“For a private production facility to allow media representatives to penetrate into its most vulnerable units would be too high a risk to take. At the Swine Centre, we have well established procedures that enable us to be gracious hosts, yet effective from a bio security stand point.”
For more information on the Prairie Swine Centre, contact Lee Whittington at (306) 667-7447 or visit the Centre’s Web site at www.prairieswine.com.
How the media can influence public perception of agricultural activities is increasingly being recognized among producers as a domain that warrants special care and attention.
Inviting journalists on one’s premises, however, brings with it risks that often go well beyond those of “not getting the message across” while attempting to generate positive media coverage. The real financial implications of bio security issues can just not be ignored.
Organizations like the Prairie Swine Centre in Saskatoon will often lend a helping hand to the industry by making its resources available to the media. Lee Whittington is Manager of Information Services at the Centre. He regularly takes media through the barns:
“The hog sector is one that finds itself in the news fairly often. It is in our best interest to not only establish a rapport with journalists who cover the stories that are generated, but also to make sure they have access to fresh support materials such as still photographs or video footage,” says Whittington.
He adds: “We are all surprised at times to see grainy old footage on television to illustrate a particular news story. We ask ourselves, why are these pictures being used when we know they do not reflect recent developments in barn management practices? It is probably because that was the only footage the television station had.”
The Prairie Swine Centre makes a point of allowing media organizations in to refresh their “stock shots” whenever it gets a request. The pork interpretive gallery makes this a whole lot easier because it is a specially-designed facility built right on top of the Swine Centre’s barns, with windows set into the floor to allow viewing of the various stages of hog development. The interpretive displays feature information on the actual stages in the life of a pig. It allows visitors to see just how much hog production methods have evolved over the years.
Special treatment of the media is warranted for the good of the industry. Whittington actually will allow videographers in the barns, provided they agree to certain precautions:
“When a TV crew or a journalist — no matter who — makes a request to film inside our facility, he or she must agree to take a shower when they come in. And then we provide them with a complete set of clean clothes — including even underwear — in order to preserve the biological integrity of the unit. The same principles apply to the equipment they bring in.”
Whittington explains that cameras, microphones and recorders must be disinfected with alcohol swabs before they are allowed inside. It takes a little time, but this is something journalists generally understand because of the consequences that potential infectious diseases could have on the operation.
He points out that “in many ways, this brings home to journalists - to anyone who is allowed inside our facility - that agricultural production is an extremely sophisticated activity; that those who choose agriculture as a way of life must acquire a significant body of knowledge on complex issues if they want to be successful in today’s increasingly competitive world. We certainly feel that the time we spend taking the media behind-the-scenes helps us fulfill our public education mandate.”
In the same breath, Whittington adds:
“For a private production facility to allow media representatives to penetrate into its most vulnerable units would be too high a risk to take. At the Swine Centre, we have well established procedures that enable us to be gracious hosts, yet effective from a bio security stand point.”
For more information on the Prairie Swine Centre, contact Lee Whittington at (306) 667-7447 or visit the Centre’s Web site at www.prairieswine.com.
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