Cat and Mouse

Cat and Mouse

David Sparks Ph.D.
David Sparks Ph.D.
The give and take of information between the media and people in the know. There is a very long history of playing it close to the vest when it comes to politicians, agricultural leaders, people in positions of authority dealing with members of the media. The reason that people in positions of authority either avoid the media or use very careful language is because the media notoriously shapes their version of the truth. I have even been asked to give mini-seminars on how to best deal with the media when a controversial subject such as ag gag laws come up. When I interview someone, I always say, I'm not a rabble rouser. Personally, I don’t try to get people in trouble through their responses to my questions. A very recent example of that came with good friend, Idaho state veterinarian Dr. Bill Barton. I called and asked him if the recently identified bird flu was getting worse. Dr. Barton very nicely went on an explanation of how domestic poultry producers need to practice bio security. At the end of the conversation… “Hey, notice that I never answered your question about is it getting worse.Yes I did notice that. We don’t know if it’s getting worse or not. We know that we have identified two premises in the state as being affected with it and we are taking all precautions and watching it carefully.” So even though Dr. Barton and I have a long and trusting relationship, we still can play a friendly game of cat and mouse and that’s what I love about this job.
Previous ReportSnow and Entertainment
Next ReportSchool Lunch