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How to Defuse Inflammatory Rhetoric Session Featured at Stakeholders Summit
April 9, 2008 - “Don't be defensive or use intense language when addressing extremists concerns,� advised nationally-recognized risk communication expert Monique Mitchell-Turner, PhD, Director of the Center for Risk Communication Research at the University of Maryland. Dr. Turner's presentation on how to defuse inflammatory rhetoric was a much anticipated presentation at the at the Animal Agriculture Alliance's (Alliance) seventh industry-wide Stakeholders Summit, held April 8 in Arlington, VA.
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Successfully managing outrage from an incident where there is low actual risk was a key topic in Dr. Monique Mitchell-Turner's presentation at the Animal Agriculture Alliance's seventh annual Stakeholders Summit.
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Dr. Turner emphasized the importance of building trust with the audience and outlined techniques for achieving that goal. She emphasized the how perceived hazard and outrage combine to create risk a person feels. “A high level of outrage can occur over an incident even when the actual risk from the incident is relatively low,� said Turner. “Successful outrage management is especially important in these situations to avoid panic and overreaction.�
“Noting that there are two sides to an issue can be a very effective technique,� Dr. Turner advised. “These messages are more credible and can be used to reduce people's susceptibility to fear and hype.�
“Effectively managing inflammatory rhetoric is becoming increasingly important for food chain companies,� said Kay Johnson-Smith, Executive Vice President of the Animal Agriculture Alliance (Alliance). “We are happy to have Dr. Turner at our meeting so our participants can use these techniques to protect their businesses from overreactions and misinformation spread by those using inflammatory rhetoric.�
The seventh annual Stakeholders Summit, themed Animal Welfare: Building Bridges Across the Food Chain, was held April 8-9, 2008 in Arlington, Virginia. It included about 140 mid- and high-level food chain participants from around the globe. Event sponsors were Vance Publishing's Food 360° Group, Cargill, Murphy-Brown, U.S. Poultry and Egg Association, Intervet, North American Nutrition Companies, Tyson Foods, American Veal Association, Bayer Animal Health, Hy-Line, Monsanto, PCS Sales, United Soybean Board, American Feed Industry Association, Animal Transport Association, Brakke Consulting, Feedstuffs, Poultry Times, National Pork Board, United Egg Producers, Watt Agribusiness Media, Agri Beef Company, CPM, and Global Animal Management.
The Animal Agriculture Alliance, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, is a broad-based coalition of individual producers, producer organizations, suppliers, packer-processors, private industry and retailers. The Alliance's mission is communicate the important role of animal agriculture to our nation's economy, productivity, vitality, security and that animal well-being is central to producing safe, high-quality, affordable food and other products essential to our daily lives.
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