The power of the blog: Pet-lovers get out the news
By Gina Spadafori
June 5, 2007
Elizabeth Weise of USA Today, who has been covering this pet-food mess with the tenacity of a terrier since the start of it almost three months ago, today writes about the role of bloggers in pushing the government and the pet-food industry, and in informing pet-lovers:
America’s pet owners — 56% of U.S. households, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association — were hungry for information as news spread that thousands of dogs and cats might have died after eating ingredients exported from China that were laced with an industrial chemical called melamine.
What they found was often piecemeal, difficult to find in one place. There were daily stories in newspapers and on TV. Press releases announcing recalls were scattered on a dozen pet-food maker’s websites.
Then came the accidental bloggers. Within a week, a front line of websites sorted themselves into a news-and-information collection-and-dissemination machine.
Within two weeks, there were two simple, easy-to-print (and take to the supermarket) lists for owners. One listed all the foods that had been recalled, neatly divided by brand, and one listed foods that were safe.
[...]
Not that the blogs were perfect. There was rumor and innuendo, often wildly inaccurate. When the story homed in on China, xenophobic and racist postings became such a problem that several site owners waded in and began weeding them out.
Bloggers sometimes stated tips as the truth, leaving journalists to track them down and disprove them. But all in all, it was “crowd sourcing” at its finest, says Paul Grabowicz, director of the New Media Program at the University of California at Berkeley. Pet owners assembled information sources that drew millions of readers, almost all of them for no pay.
“It’s heartening to see that people did it,” he says.
Very cool indeed. And yes, while we have had a few problems here and there with comments — although we at PetConnection haven’t had to correct one single error of fact in our posts — they’ve been pretty minimal compared to the thousands and thousands of people offering links, help and sympathy to those who’ve lost pets.
The accompanying piece has media experts talking about the phenomenon of citizen journalism:
Animal lovers frustrated with the limitations of the news media have mobilized into a national network of bloggers to share news about the foods that may have killed thousands of pets across the country.
Websites that catered to a niche audience have become an important source of news about the contamination of pet-food ingredients exported from China with an industrial chemical called melamine and related compounds. They are contacted not only by consumers but by reporters, lawyers and pet-food manufacturers eager to reach that burgeoning audience.
This kind of networked collaboration of people who share a deep interest is changing the journalism world, said Jay Rosen, a journalism professor at New York University and writer on online media.
“The people doing this pet food information hunting used to be on the demand side of journalism. But now they have the tools to supply themselves, so that’s what they’re doing,” Rosen said.
As the media focused on breaking news and other significant developments in the story, bloggers took the “completely logical approach” of finding what specific details pet owners need and putting them all together, says Paul Grabowicz, director of the New Media Program at the University of California at Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism.
It’s a new era, isn’t it? Especially for those who criticized us for being “off the charts” or for daring to offer “unfiltered” information.
Pick up the paper. You’ll get to see pictures of the people behind the scenes. I’m sharing one of those pictures, because it’s adorable. Ben and Emily Huh (of Itchmo.com) with their dog, Nemo. (There’s also a picture of me, with Clara the Cat and Eddie the Parrot. The dogs didn’t make the cut this time. And I look tired. Wonder why?)
Woof! Meow! It’s great to see so many people — more than 1.7 million page views, on this site alone, and 15,000 comments — take the situation into our own hands and get the word out.
Amd of course, we’ll keep doing so. So stay tuned.
Why should your information be “filtered?” Sounds like someone doesn’t believe in the First Amendment. Or do we need to go to court to prove freedom of the press applies to “citizen journalists”?
Comment by Robert — June 5, 2007 @ 7:37 am
Big thumbs up for Ben and Emily. We are with them 100%.
Comment by Steve — June 5, 2007 @ 7:40 am
Enjoyed the USAtoday peice about bloggers making a difference.
Great web hosts, I say, PetConnection.com and Itchmo.com. Great pictures of the people and pets on these two websites.
Comment by Evelyn — June 5, 2007 @ 7:43 am
kudos to the valiant pet sites that have followed the pet food/food safety scandal relentlessly and continue to keep a concerned public informed. i’m glad to note that special recognition goes to petconnection for their liveblogging of the liars club meetings.
Comment by explodinghed — June 5, 2007 @ 7:46 am
Comment by Robert — June 5, 2007 @ 7:37 am
If people can not at the least keep their punches and blows clean and above the belt they shouldn’t post.
Blog sys ops have to play referee.
Comment by Steve — June 5, 2007 @ 7:54 am
Head bumps and paw waves from Stormy, Junior, Butters, Rascal, Bumpers, Daisy and Spot! You helped our Momma soooo much!!! We Love You!!!
Comment by Peggy (AKA: Big Fat Momma Cat) — June 5, 2007 @ 8:35 am
This is wonderful acknowledgement for all the hard work the bloggers are doing! Congrats all of you!!
Pet owners know it.. now the rest of them who haven’t been her hopefully will now find you all are here to help them.
Comment by Ann H — June 5, 2007 @ 9:18 am
It’s about time these great websites that have done so much for pet parents got their recognition. Can’t even imagine where we’d be without you. Christie with her ‘sploding head & aching wrists & Gina with her funny comments & adorable pics.
By the way, Christie, I saw your contribution in my June WDJ…..a year ago, I wouldn’t even have known your name….sure do now. Won’t forget it either……you or Gina.
All of the pet websites noted in that USA Today article deserve a lot of credit. Had I not had access to all of these websites to keep up to date on the recall of the day, I probably would no longer have my sweet dog by my side. For that I am eternally grateful to all of you.
Comment by JanC — June 5, 2007 @ 9:21 am
Thanks to Gina and Christie, to Ben and Emily and all the other ones who took it upon themselves to do what *our fine news media* for the most part neglected to do: inform the public, keeping the ‘uptheres’ on the straight and narrow, or at least trying to.
Thanks to all the bloggers who took it upon themselves to research and sleuth, to dig and contradict, to speak out and close their wallets to those who abused their trust, doing what *our fine government* neglected to do: caring for the people and animals of this country.
And a very sad ‘thank you’ to all those dead and sick animals for enriching our lives and helping to change our future.
Comment by MaKo — June 5, 2007 @ 9:32 am
I agree with everything that has been said here. If it wasn’t for the hard work , and very late hours/ lack of sleep I’m sure, of the people here I would of never known half of what I do now. I thank each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart.
Comment by Terri — June 5, 2007 @ 9:39 am
Congratulations to PetConnection and the other great sites. I believe that I am correct in saying that it was bloggers on this site that first identified the US importer of the melamine as well as the identity of the company in China that was exporting it.
If we waited for the corporate supported media to investigate we’d still have hundreds of animals dying from poisoned food.
And I must say, that’s the cutest best man/flower girl I’ve ever seen!
Comment by Andrea 2CatMom — June 5, 2007 @ 10:03 am
I think the timing of this article - coming right on the heels of the FDA’s announcement of their “risk communication” advisers - is EXCELLENT!
What a PERFECT counterpoint!
And I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again - one of the most admirable things going on right now is that all of these blogs are working COOPERATIVELY instead of COMPETETIVELY (which is nicely covered in the article, although not quite in those words). We really are all “in it for the animals”, and isn’t that a great testament!
Thanks again to one and all!
Comment by The OTHER Pat — June 5, 2007 @ 10:15 am
Have sent a link for this article to our local newspaper with “WE DID IT WITHOUT YOU!” in the subject line. So much for their coverage.
When the going got tough, the tough got going!!! Thanks to all of you, we all now have information that a good part of the world will still never have, but at least something will get done about the dog food problems!
Thanks to God for unfiltered information!!!
Comment by Kathy — June 5, 2007 @ 10:21 am
Comment by Kathy — June 5, 2007 @ 10:21 am
I hope you do not mind that I am going to use your excellent idea and send the very same message to every TV station that *refused* to cover this story.
And I would like to add my thanks to Gina and Christie for going above and beyond.
I am sorry it needed to be done but glad that you were willing to step up.
So very many of those you might expect to step up failed to do so.
Comment by E. Hamilton — June 5, 2007 @ 10:28 am
It’s good to see the blogs getting the recognition they deserve. I have a family member with a Washington newspaper who has been pretty beaten up by the blogs, and I know very well that there’s an uncomfortabele standoff between the blogs and the traditional media sources. Kudos like that, from a traditional media source, are a Very Big Deal, and you (and the folks at Itchmo and Pet Food Tracker) deserve a lot of credit for doing such a good job that you are getting that kind of recognition.
(Oh…. and Gina, that kitten is getting HUGE! Wasn’t she just a tiny thing yesterday?)
Comment by CatLady — June 5, 2007 @ 10:28 am
Comment by E. Hamilton — June 5, 2007 @ 10:28 am
“So very many of those you might expect to step up failed to do so.”
For example, Salon.com - I’m still angry at them for brushing this under the rug because it’s “only” about pets!
Comment by The OTHER Pat — June 5, 2007 @ 10:30 am
Comment by The OTHER Pat — June 5, 2007 @ 10:30 am
Send Salon and any other media you can think of the link, with suitable scorn if you like, for the fact that they failed miserably to do their job!
Radio, television, newspapers, every place that we have been begging for months needs to have this thrown in their face by as many outraged pet parents as possible.
Comment by E. Hamilton — June 5, 2007 @ 10:34 am
If you have copies of emails you’ve sent to reporters begging for coverage that they didn’t respond to, might be fun to forward those along with this article.
Just sayin…
Gee, wonder what I’m about to do?
Comment by Kim — June 5, 2007 @ 10:43 am
Gina and Christie:
You both have done and are doing “super” jobs with the “Pet Connection” - thanks so much for all your hard work, sleepless nights, calloused finger tips, and non-ending patience.
Comment by Linda — June 5, 2007 @ 11:08 am
Re: contacting media to cover this story. Didn’t we hear that 63% of households in the U.S. have a pet? I would think that would be the most persuasive fact to tell them.
Comment by Maureen — June 5, 2007 @ 11:11 am
I found this site when I was looking for reliable, up-to-date info on the pet recall. This proves that individuals can make a great difference! What a wonderful job everyone has done to spread factual, current information and inspire us to rectify this terrible situation. With a few exceptions, the media has let us down. Maybe they are more concerned about their corporate owners than with “the news.” Sites like this have filled in the huge gaps left by the media. Well done!
Comment by Carol — June 5, 2007 @ 11:14 am
Such a CUTE pic of Emily, Ben and NEMO!! How ~darling~ !! Gina & Clara are cute! Cute comment about Christie’s FAST fingers!
Great piece written about all the facilitators: PetConnection, Itchmo, PetFoodTracker, PetSit & contributions by every one.
There will probably a lot more new people coming on here looking for information.
Comment by Kat — June 5, 2007 @ 11:53 am
Kim: In the early days of this debacle — I used to find the few articles that were being written about the pet food recall & send them to the big 3 networks “Oh, by-the-way - did you happen to hear about the pet food recall? It’s been going on for THREE WEEKS NOW!” Just so they knew.. or maybe had ~forgotten!~ errrrr! They probably & evidently could care less — or at least their producers didn’t… But — I got a big kick out of it!
Comment by Kat — June 5, 2007 @ 11:59 am
I come to this site to get a lot of the information because I know this site is always updated and where people a very serious about the recall and other infomation. This is the BEST site I have come to.
Comment by Jill — June 5, 2007 @ 12:19 pm
The media that *refused* to cover the news that was needed and wanted have signed their own unemployment notices.
YOU ARE FIRED! No more bonus checks, no more fancy cars and you did it to yourself!
They are no longer as useful or as valuable as they used to be and it is their own inaction that has doomed them.
Many of the people I talk to now go to the web and bloggers I recommend for news, in fact, I help older folks buy computers and learn to use this new world.
They *love* it! And I love doing it and boy, are these folks pissed about the poisoned pet food. You sell toxic waste labeled as premium pet food to a retired couple and you might as well kill yourself because nobody, *nobody* holds a grudge like a sweet old lady whose has a sick or dead pet!
That is really bad news for the pet food companies who have done sweet FA to make this right.
You find an older woman, a sweet Christian voting citizen and show her that the government has failed her, has lied, has covered up the truth, has *poisoned *her Fluffy and you have just created a warrior that would make Patton tremble!
The stuff about poison in human food is just the cherry on the parfait, not even needed but nice to include.
If you want to see fearless and committed, go to a church or a Bunco card group and tell them the truth , they have money, time, they vote and they are going to *rock* this next election and make it mighty unpleasant for the lying do nothing politicians in the meantime. Even I was blown away by the resources these folks can bring to the battle.
Comment by E. Hamilton — June 5, 2007 @ 1:15 pm
Congratulations to all!!!!!
Katie
Comment by Katie — June 5, 2007 @ 2:26 pm
Hurrah and thanks. And as E. Hamilton says, old ladies like me (with one dead and one sick dog) have long memories - the baddies are in our books and so are you guys, all of you who have worked so hard and accomplished so much. Stars in your crown, all of you.
Comment by Nancy Nielsen — June 5, 2007 @ 4:19 pm
Not sure if I should post this here but think it has some relevance. It’s an article in my daily paper written by Charles N. Davis. I’ll just quote some of what he wrote. “Congress, apparently content to explore ever new depths in public disapproval, is on the verge of having a single member derail the most meaningful reform in years of the federal Freedom of Information Act. How? The secret hold, of course. Members of the Society of Professional Journalists used the power of the blogosphere to find out whose legislative bludgeon was buried in the back of open government. We called every senator, one by one until at last he could hide no longer Sen Jon Kyl, R-Ariz admitted it was he who placed a secret hold on a bill that addresses secrecy in government”. “Senators can stop a bill dead in its tracks merely by telling their party’s Senate leader or secretary they wish to place a hold on a bill.” “It’s a good ole boy creation & another of the seemingly endless perks of the Senate.” My comment, there’s more on this but the story is too long to post.
Comment by VJ — June 5, 2007 @ 4:25 pm
Sen Jon Kyl, R-Ariz and his actions need to be outed, everywhere you can think of, and email the story to bloggers, who seem to be a thousand times better than mainstream media and their “filters”, AKA truth traps.
Comment by E. Hamilton — June 5, 2007 @ 4:59 pm
To Christie and Gina and all the bloggers, good work. In 12 weeks I’ve gotten a better education in journalism, chemistry, biology, etc, etc, than I could ever get in mainstream college. We can’t forget Elizabeth Weise. Thank you Elizabeth for a well written article.
Comment by VJ — June 5, 2007 @ 5:41 pm
I don’t trust the media at all anymore. They don’t do their job.
And I never trusted the government. They lived down to my expectations.
Thank you again for providing this forum. I know it was not what you set out to do, but when you were called to action you responded beautifully.
And thank you to the tireless bloggers who find information and post it here for those of us who don’t have the time to search it out!
Comment by Kathy — June 5, 2007 @ 5:48 pm
Another sincere thanks to Gina and Christie for this site, and your tireless efforts on the pet food scandal issue especially. You probably will never know how many pet lives you saved by “hounding” this issue, or how many human lives you’ve touched for the better. Many many thanks.
Comment by TC — June 5, 2007 @ 6:44 pm