I have to admit that I am breaking one of my self-imposed rules. I am writing about something that I am currently mad about. A wise man once told me not to be mad when you are mad, meaning to always be under control. This, however, is the exception to that rule.
Why is it that the media continues to use the phrase “swine flu” instead of H1N1? I am not sure if it is sloppy journalism or wanting to create sensationalism and get better ratings but it is affecting farmers directly and for me it has gotten personal.
Recently I talked to a friend of mine who is (or was) a swine farmer. He told me he was getting out of the business because of the low pork prices and the fact that he could not make a living or even break even. This is a good, hard-working farmer who has a full-time off-farm job. He often worked late into the night and then was up, well before dawn, taking care of his pigs before he left for his “paying” job.
Last summer he lost a couple of sheds to a storm that came through, this would have been a devastating blow on its own. This was closely followed by commodity prices that rose rapidly last summer in response to the increase in fuel prices and the demand for ethanol. Being a good business man, he contracted his corn and bean meal. However, the corn and soybean markets collapsed this fall, leaving him holding the bag with high priced feed inputs.
The final blow was the H1N1 outbreak (and I use the word outbreak sarcastically) and the media referring to it as the “swine flu.” The hysteria around the news caused an already slumping pork market to fall even harder and forced my friend’s hand. Keep in mind, no hog has ever had H1N1 but that didn’t stop the media from using and continuing to use the term “swine flu.”
I am not telling you this story to generate pity for my friend. Although I find it ironic that in a time that we are bailing out Wall Street and the auto industry from self-made disasters caused by mis-management and greed, that we cannot find a way to support our swine farmers. I would guess he has worked without pay for many years, quite a contrast from the bonuses top executives were paying themselves. Rather, I want to point out how a simple phrase, used carelessly by the media, can wreck the business and dreams of someone who has no control over the situation.
Finally, it is my hope that the media will stop referring to H1N1 as the “swine flu” period. No more, “H1N1 more commonly known as the ‘swine flu.’” All references to the “swine flu” should be wiped out immediately and replaced with H1N1. I also hope each of you reading this will put pressure on the media to do this.
I will ask for one more favor, make sure you stop by the grocery store and buy some safe, nutritious pork. Now pardon me while I go throw a pork chop on the grill and support my friends who worked hard raising it.