FW certainly works hard to be a powerful ally for farmers but it's apparent that there's still a lot of reticence about the wider media. I was speaking at a meeting of the Norfolk Mardlers last night in Hethersett and there were a few growers who were still angry about last week's tv coverage of the poultry sector and the slaughter of livestock. Several Mardlers commented that they felt the majority of farmers did not trust the general media or journalists one jot. They argued that they were too cynical and wary about their messages getting twisted to ever get engaged with tv, radio or press interviews.
I think this is a real pity. As an industry, the way forward has to be to learn to manage the media and not be afraid of them. We have to put agriculture back on the front foot and be confidence about the messages we relay. WE should grab every opportunity that comes our way - I know the NFU do. The public are interested in what farmers have to say and are not as duped as you might think by media spin. Whenever we see farmers participating in broadcasts, it's usually impressive, informative and entertaining. We should have nothing to hide and nothing to run away from.