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Knowledge is power

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. How many times have you heard that old saying? It is my opinion that there is significant truth in that suggestion.

Some good people hoot and holler and complain when listening to a speaker or panelist at a meeting whose opinion is much different than their own. “Why,” they ask, “would journalists who report on the agriculture industry interview those who find fault with modern agriculture practices?”

There’s a big difference between what I’m doing now – giving you my 2 cents – COMMENTARY- and what a good ag journalist does when “doing news.” In a news program, you should expect fair and balanced reporting on any subject, which means you are probably going to hear at least one or maybe two more sides to any issue – in addition to the side you are on.

I believe that knowledge is power.

I remember the first time, many, many years ago, that a well-educated and well-spoken member of academia who stood in opposition to just about everything related to modern agriculture – spoke to our National Association of Farm Broadcasting annual meeting. We actually put him up in a hotel separate from the one in which we all were staying to prevent any conflict from occurring. It was a breakthrough event to have a person with such an opposing view on our program. I learned a lot from the speaker that day. Although disagreed with him 95% of the time, we were totally on the same page 5% of the time. Going to the event that day, I was sure that I had nothing at all in common with that man. But he and I were in sync on 5% of our opinions. He didn’t change my mind with the other 95, but he opened my eyes. By listening to him speak, I was able to get a better understanding for why he believed what he did, where he got his information, who had influenced him, and other relevant pieces of information that I believe made me wiser.

There are few in this world with whom I disagree more than the President and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States. If you are a regular reader of this column, this comes as no surprise to you. But Wayne Pacelle and other detractors have been interviewed by the ag journalists working for me and have been featured on our radio programs and on the Brownfield website many times. (I no longer conduct those interviews for news purposes because of my vocal opposition to all things these anti-types stand for. There is no way I could or would produce a balanced news report when one of the subjects is HSUS!)

Friends, how are we going to even begin to reach those who hold opposing views from ours if we are unwilling to hear what they have to say? Perhaps you’ll never change their opinions, but what about those with whom they associate who are searching for answers?

Knowledge is power.