Clucking Hell

On Monday Channel 4 screened the latest instalmentof Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's campaignto encourage the great British public to buy chickens which have been bred in conditions higher than the lowest standards allowed by relevant law.

Regardless of the rights and wrongs of the argument, a fascinating aspect of the programme was the role of the media in the unfolding story. While the treatment of animals bred for slaughter has been an issue for many years, this campaign has seen it elevated to new prime-time heights.

Last night's programme centred on Hugh's battle with one specific supermarket chain and his attempts to force a change in policy from the inside: he bought a single share and forced a vote at the shareholders' AGM.

Throughout the programme the value of the media was demonstrated repeatedly as both sides of the argument made their next moves on the pages of the national newspapers and on TV news broadcasts.

Clearly concerned for its corporate reputation, the supermarket provided an on-camera interview - always a good idea as the media, like nature, abhors a vacuum. This principle was clearly demonstrated as Hugh's repeated requests for an interview were eventually granted as delaying further would cause more damage than it was worth.

Responding in the appropriate way and within a suitable time scale is vital to maintaining the values you are trying to uphold or promote for yourself or your business.

Honesty and candour should always remain as part of your armoury in times of reputation management. I'll leave it to you to decide how you would respond to thisparticular complaint.

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