STEP UP & MAKE THE CORRECTIONS

The truth is incontrovertible, malice may attack it,
ignorance may deride it, but in the end; there it is.

Winston Churchill

Whether you follow them or not, the new social media - Facebook, Twitter, blogs and viral emails of every description - are here to stay. Other than giving the average Joe a place to make his or her thoughts public, they are a way of getting out information immediately. A Google search on just about any event or subject will result in a myriad of websites to view. But whether all that information deserves to see the light of day or not can be highly debatable.

Those who “tweet” along with the companies that offer blogs for employee or client use had better be prepared to be truthful and monitor them on a daily basis. The potential for misinformation to be let loose and personal causes to be aired is extremely high. Everyone has an opinion and is rightfully entitled to it. But the platform used to state those opinions is of extreme importance.

Take for example a recent bru-ha-ha that occurred in the US of A at the Environmental Protection Agency. An agency intern, fresh out of college, took it upon herself to educate the general public on the EPA's blog about the many reasons why people should become vegetarians or vegans. She quoted several sources and studies to make her point.

The reaction was swift. Livestock producers of every description responded to her blog to point out the many misconceptions and proven flawed data stated as fact. Others were just plain mad that their tax dollars were being used to promote a personal agenda. Even fellow interns told her to “go back to school” and check out all the facts before passing them on. However, many supporters jumped on the bandwagon and believed every word written to be correct. After all, it was on a US Government website – it must be true, right?

It shouldn't matter that the EPA provided a disclaimer on the blog pointing out that the opinions expressed are not necessary those of the agency. It's their website, and they have a responsibility to know and monitor what appears on it. Incidentally, either the EPA approves or doesn't care – the blog is still there (http://blog.epa.gov/blog/2010/04/20/living-without-meat/ if you are interested). It looks like websites have become the new social tabloids – the more sensational the content the more followers.

The downside of “instant” information is that anyone can promote whatever they wish with a push of a “send” button. The upside is that vital news gets out quickly and even wrong “facts” can be corrected. If anyone is paying attention, that is.

Every week some reporter (and I use the term “report” loosely) writes another commentary on some book or movie or website that exposes agriculture and cattle as bad business – bad for the environment, bad for our heath, bad for the survival of the planet. The majority of us struggling to survive are not running a factory farm nor have we ever seen the extreme conditions that have been reported about them. If there is a choice between feeding our cows on time and making our own supper, the cows come first. But somehow we all get bunched into the same group and this is something that needs changing.

One speaker who has been running workshops for the agriculture industry concerning consumer relations and new media is promoting that first we must stop calling ourselves producers. We are farmers – a term Joe Public can relate to with that warm and fuzzy feeling.

There's lots of misinformation out there, especially about the food industry and cattle in particular. It is up to us to make sure we know the facts and are prepared to present them – in a nice, civilized, non-preachy manner. Everyone has the right to choose. Our job is to pay attention. Read those blogs, those stories, those columns and comment and correct when warranted.

- jl