Media specialist: ‘Get on the same message’ with poultry antibiotics, other topics

The poultry industry needs to “get on the same message” when talking about judicious antibiotic usage and other production topics, says Bryan Reber, PhD, a professor of public relations at the University of Georgia who specializes in message framing and crisis communications.

“So whether it’s a farmer talking to friends and family about the reason that they use antibiotics, or the reason that they handle their poultry in such a way, whether it’s the processor who is communicating directly to the retailer about how the poultry is treated, that messaging needs to be consistent at all levels.”

And by all means, don’t consider silence to be an option, he says.

“If you don’t get your message out there, somebody will get their message out,” Reber adds.