By Pam Caraway, ACN President
Sleight of hand.
At its most magical, it’s David Copperfield delighting an audience.
At its most nefarious, it’s people in leadership roles – be they business or political – who grab the attention of their constituents with one thing while working a completely different angle.
We saw that play out quite dramatically March 4 when President Donald Trump chose during his first Congressional address to honor Devarjaye “DJ” Daniel, a 13-year-old from Texas who is being treated for brain cancer, as an official member of the U.S. Secret Service. Social media erupted with messages condemning the Democratic members of Congress who stayed seated. Little was noted regarding the inconsistency in recognizing a child still undergoing treatment for brain cancer at a time when the administration is making sweeping cuts to Medicaid and medical research, including significant drops in funding to Baylor College of Medicine, the private school in Houston where Daniel received treatment. And nothing was noted regarding Daniel’s future in the wake of the Trump administration’s work to erase any and all diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) language from government agencies while also pressuring private companies and colleges to do the same. Daniel is black.
Why do I note this in a publication focused on professional development for agricultural communicators?
Because it is the responsibility of those dedicated to public communication to provide context to the news. Regardless of any personal opinion or bias, we have a responsibility to provide adequate information to our readers, enough that they can make informed decisions.
To quote Freedom Forum: “At its best, the press connects us and provides information we rely on to participate in public life – protecting all our freedoms.”
- If you’re a corporate communicator, your goal is to place your employer or the company’s products in the best light. But the information must be accurate and, in the case of so much of our work, the science must be sound.
- If you’re a journalist, it is not your job to advocate, agvocate or subscribe to any political agenda in a news story. Save that for the editorial page.
Communications is more than a job. It can’t be defined by corporate steps in a career. It is a commitment to our society. It is our responsibility to accurately inform those who consume our content. We cannot be lax in the performance of that duty.
– Caraway is editor of Farm Futures.