Times-Advocate, 1979-12-12, Page 56ay your holidays be a
gathering of lore and
togetherness! We greet our
friends and wish you
joy at Christmas.
George Jeater
Thorn' as
429 Main St., Exeter
ORGANS
rtirtt10.14 0044;$41;q5grtqWgft. 'OrAllt:KASVMNI
Phone 235-2522
Times-Advocate, December 19, 1979 Page 20
• 1•40"440-n04,10,4*: Stia,140-Viiinnii0:414140NO‘nria
MERRY
CHRISTMAS
Santa's making a list of
all our friends so that he
can be especially
good to each of you.
Best wishes to all.
a
Milt Robbins & Son Ltd.
Redi-Red Automotive Repairs & Recoring
44 EXETER 235-2940
a
Fi4:41001;iiia 140 Si*0:014020i0O.Pi-4:40.e:41•Veg riaM.0.0;0,W*V.SK
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Everyone's singing out in merriment
and joy, announcing to the world that it's
Christmas! And it's our time to
thank you, customers, for your patronage.
From all of us at
SAVE-U GAS BAR
EX ETER
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Thank you for your cooperation
and good will. May your Yuletide
be ornamented with
pealth, Happiness and Prosperity!
6rrrtingS
AB tile
festine
approarlys, mitll its spirit of
gifting attb Oaring of familg
trabitions, (1,03-0)1 staff aith
their families iut iIi etterganr...
A fiterril (1:11ristmas ait.b
N'w 1Jrar .gat, hiess.
ok t int in
A happy home — that is our wish for you
and your family at this very
special time of year. And for the real
pleasure of serving you, our thanks!
GULF OIL AGENTS
PHONE 235-2411 EXETER
•
EXETER DISTRICT CO-OP
Exeter 2352081
Santa's here to help us deliver our Merry Christmas
wishes to all our patrons and friends. May the best of the season
be with you. Thank you for letting us serve you.
The Management and Staff
GUENTHER TUCKEY TRANSPORTS
A DIVISION OF LAIDLAW TRANSPORT LTD.
EXETER 235-2500
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Sound the trumpet for a
holiday that's a merry round
of pleasures. We send a full
measure of thanks to our
loyal friends.
The First Canadian Bank
Bank of Montreal
SEVEN BRANCHES SERVING YOU
Exeter - Hensall - Grand Bend - !Axon - Zurkh
Dashwood Crediton
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IM.IY-1401 es
l GET PROVINCIAL . HONOURS — Six girls received Provincial Honour certificates at Saturday's Perth County 4-H Achieve-
ment Day at Kirkton. Back, left, Lana Marshall, Lori Gevaert, Linda Muma and Sherri Hunsberger. Front, Barbara Anderson,
t Terri Brintnell and Janet Parkinson. T-A photo
Media is doing lousy job
in giving farm message
By RHEA HAMILTON
Farmers learned Thurs-
day night just how much the
media influences the
public's perception of
agriculture and just what
they can do about it. A panel
discussion with members of
the media discussed the
'lousy job' that the media is
giving agriculture and from
questions the audience posed
they seemed to do something
about improving that image.
Panel members included
Bob Trotter, farm columnist
who writes One Foot in the
Furrow, Keith Roulston,
award winner of the Huron
Farm award and past editor
of the Blyth Standard and
Henry Hess, news editor of
the Wingham Advance
Times. Each member of the
panel spoke to Huron County
Federation members
answering the question
"Does the media influence
the public's perception of
agriculture?"
Mr. Trotter was outspoken
in his condemnation of the
media and pointed out that
the national dailies, The
Toronto Star and the Globe
and Mail don't even have a
farm editor or reporter. As
and example of poor media
work he recalled a recent
news story concerning rising
beef prices and he was
elated to see an agricultural
story on the air. Although
the news story concerned
beef cattle the animals
shown were dairy. Mr.
Trotter also pointed out
some time ago the exposure
that rotten eggs got some
time ago was front page
news. When the facts came
out that it was only a one day
supply of eggs that was
destroyed, the news item
was placed far back in the
paper.
"Farmers do a good job,"
said Mr. Trotter. "Who else
in the economic sector can
boast of a 450% increase in
productivity. And yet the
Globe can print an editorial
and say that agricultural
production is notoriously low
and give no facts to back
that statement up," Mr.
Trotter stated.
Mr. Rouls ton backed up
Mr. Trotter's statements ad-
ding that there is a growing
isolation between the urban
and rural communities. He
recalled reporting at an OFA
convention where the
reporters from the large
dailies played up minor
human interest stories and
ignored the hard news.
"Farming is not a
glamorous job and neither is
reporting it," Mr. Roulston
said. "Reporters want to be
media stars like Woodward
and Bernstein, and you don't
get that reporting farm news
or working weeklies."
Mr. Hess from the
Wingham Advance Times
took a somewhat different
angle and although he
wanted to remain optimistic
he pointed out that the role
of the media is to report and
explain in context so as to
help people understand.
"Clearly the media has a
vital role in getting the
message out," he said. "The
most influential reporters
are urban and consumer
oriented and have the desire
to seek out the truth."
"Farmers have a right to
be heard and should insist on
having their side heard," he
pointed out. "Here in Huron
County we have excellent
access to farm news but due
to lack of help and limited
space in the newpaper there
is a limit to what can be
done."
Mr. Hess encouraged
members to contact the
paper if they feel there is not
enough information or if
there are inaccuracies.
In questions from the floor
Tony McQuail wondered if
there was anything that the
farmers should be doing to
help reporters understand
their problems.
Mr. Totter pointed out that
reporters should be taught to
ask more questions and that
farmers could be a little
more tolerant, Mr. McQuail
also suggested that a
vocabulary on important
issues be sent to papers.
This would make it simpler
to understand. It was
suggested that maybe a
short course between the
Federation and the new
reporters would help but Mr.
Hess pointed out that
because of the migratory
nature of reporters it was
hard to get them to learn
enough in a short stay.
Scholarships for the best
agricultural stories in jour-
nalism school were
suggested and a member
from the audience wondered
how to get good farm writers
where it really counts. Panel
members agreed that that
took time because the
reporters had to work their
way up the ladder.
Mr. Trotter pointed out
that a lot of the bad PR that
the agricultural community
has is due in part to
themselves.
"Write for more farm
coverage," said Mr Trotter.
"In the last 4 or 5 years it
has been declining. You have
something to say and don't
let the big organization do it
all."
Merle Gunby questioned
Mr. Hess about the news
releases sent out by both the
local Federation of
Agriculture and the. Ontario
branch. Mr. Hess said the
reports that deal with the
local level are preferred
over Toronto oriented
reports but both are taken
seriously.
"The more concise they
are the better chance they
will have of being used," Mr.
Hess said.
The question of militancy
came up and members were
encouraged to make
themselves heard with
letters to the editor and
letters asking for more farm
coverage.
In other business a resolu-
tion was passed that would
urge the Ministry of
Agriculture and food not to
support such a short sighted
measure as to allow retiring
farmers to sever land for a
retirement home. The
resolution is to be sent to the
Ontario Federation of
Agriculture for their sup-
port.
Don Pullen, Huron County
Agricultural rep., passed out
copies of a pamphlet that
will be mailed throughout
the county advertising short
courses in agriculture at
Centralia College, Huron
Park and around the County.
Hallahan
• receives
recognition
Simon Hallahan was
awarded the Huron Federa-
tion of Agriculture's Farm
Award Thursday night.
The award which is usual-
ly presented at the F of A an-
nual banquet is given each
year to someone who has
made an outstanding con-
tribution to agriculture.
Mr, Hallahan over the
years has been involved in
about 25 organizations rang-
ing from the Federation of
Agriculture, and Huron
Holstein club to the Pioneer
Thresher and Hobby
Association and in local
politics.
"It was a pleasure to serve
the community" said Mr,
Hallahan at the meeting in
Blyth. The award was
presented by Doug and
Gerry Fortune. Afterwards
Mr. Hallahan recalled anec-
dotes from his past and end-
ed by saying "they will
never get me off the farm."
Mr. Hallahan was at the
annual Threshermen's ban-
quet the same evening of the
Federation annual banquet.
He presently serves as reeve
of East Wawanosh, and is
secretary-treasurer for the
Pioneer Thresher and Hobby
Association.
Last year's award winner
was Jack Stafford, Howick
Township,
tszmcft-cmiagAtt«Kilamt tVd13?:#11
41 Don & Norma Hooper
LaAbxV.iiaft:1 /4 844co.rie:
IgtiMqrtM^McalltertgltagfinarAigiiT
Season's
Greetings
to our
customers
& friends
from
McNAUGHTON
SHELL SERVICE
Kirkton
.4.141,14;i24,1044;i284%::40,41.44iiiax.71 1.. .
tt. Wishing everyone a
Happy
Holiday
EXETER
DECOR CENTRE
ttfs.:M141;?ittuN TAW:Viiigildlit:M•tltWittaMICed
Compliments of
the Co-operators
ROSS FRANCIS - KIRKTON1