On Mon, 26 Jun 1995, Mike High wrote:
 
> Obviously we want good press but at what cost?
 
Bad press can cost us everything.
 
What is the excessive cost of good press you are implying?
 
If we want objectivity, concern for our welfare and fairness, shouldn't we
give a little of the same?
 
> So every reporter
> trying to get a "cute" human interest story can bumble into the
> apiary and when they get stung decry the bees?
 
Reporters are people and when people get stung, any responsible beekeeper
has reason to be very concerned.
 
As far as the reporter's purpose in being there, it is pretty irrelevant
to the seriousness of the matter.
 
I've been the subject of a number of articles which were not "cute", but
rather were written for the purpose of giving the public honest
information about an industry that has a problem from time to time with
scary misinformation becoming widespread.
 
> I think we've
> been doing fine public-wise
 
Well, I wonder how many will agree with you on that -- and how much work you
are doing to make sure it is the case.
 
As a director for many years of the Alberta Beekeepers Association, I can
assure you that seldom does a meeting go by without some mention of our
concern about the encroachment of housing on sites, the necessity for
better public relations, the question of insurance for bee sting
incidents, the fact that insurance companies are getting leary about
covering us, government (municipal) restrictions on bees, etc. etc.
 
We are fighting an uphill battle on the behalf of each and every beekeeper.
 
One of our worst enemies is the loudmouth beekeeper who thinks that he
has an absolute right to keep bees anywhere he likes and that they can
sting anyone anytime.  He might even say publicly that it serves people
right - especially if they belong to a group or profession he doesn't like.
 
One guy like that undoes the work of many dedicated beekeepers making
friends.
 
> without the media who only report
> the bad things.
 
Like the "cute" human interest stories mentioned above?
 
THat is a pretty wide brush you are wielding.  If the media used the same
wide brush - and read what you are saying, the public would think the
whole industry had a pretty bad attitude.
 
> (case in point)
 
I don't get what you mean by the above.
 
> The public and land-owners are
> easily disarmed by giving out samples of our wares.
 
Personally, I don't 'disarm' anyone.  I try to deal as fairly as I can with
everyone and make sure that there is as little risk as possible to my
neighbours and employees.
 
I would respectfully request that anyone who doesn't share that same
concern and empathy for others to please get out of the business, because
such people will destroy it for themselves and others (and all bees).
 
Allen
 
W. Allen Dick, Beekeeper                        VE6CFK
Rural Route One   Swalwell   Alberta   Canada  T0M 1Y0
Email:   [log in to unmask]    or   [log in to unmask]
Futures, Art & Honey:http://www.cuug.ab.ca:8001/~dicka