Mare Reproductive Loss
Syndrome
Communications
Summary
May 24, 2001
Dr. Carla G. Craycraft
Director
University of Kentucky College of Agriculture
Agricultural Communications Services
(Click here for audio
briefing)
Free
RealPlayer is required.
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The major role of the communications
group has been to provide timely and accurate information to a wide variety
of people, including horse farm owners and managers, equine practitioners,
the concerned public and media. Professionals from the UK Agricultural
Communications Services, UK Public Relations, Department of Veterinary
Science, Department of Animal Sciences, the Kentucky Department of Agriculture,
the Kentucky Thoroughbred Farm Managers Club, Kentucky Thoroughbred Association,
Keeneland Association, Kentucky Association of Equine Practitioners and
others as needed, have worked closely as a team throughout the past several
weeks.
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A Mare Reproductive Loss Syndrome
(MRLS) web-site was immediately established as the most efficient method
to disseminate information to a wide audience in a timely fashion. Daily
briefings, reports from the UK Livestock Disease Diagnostic Center, daily
farm manager reports from the field, information from the Kentucky Department
of Agriculture along with additional information as available is posted.
Most information is provided in text and audio formats to provide media
with a wide array of options for using the information. As of this morning,
there have been over 15,000 visitors since May 8th.
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A broadcast faxing system was
set up from the UK Veterinary Science Department main office to send the
daily briefing report to equine practitioners as soon as the briefing was
approved for posting. The Kentucky Thoroughbred Association also set up
a broadcast fax system for horse owners/ managers without Internet access.
The Kentucky Department of Agriculture set up communications with other
state veterinarian offices and posting of information to the web-site.
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A central call-in telephone
line was established at UK for horse owners, media and others with comments
or suggestions about MRLS. Dr. Bob Coleman and Dr. Laurie Lawrence, both
from the UK Animal Science Department, are coordinating those efforts.
Hundreds of calls have been taken, and responses given.
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Since May 8th UK Agricultural
Communications Services has responded to nearly 300 media inquiries from
state, national and international media regarding MRLS. This number does
not include media contacts for the press conference of May 8 or either
of the Information Sharing Sessions at Keeneland.
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One of the major roles of the
communications group has been to satisfy media requests in a fair and equitable
manner. Our goal was to facilitate contacts between our scientific team
and news media while allowing team members to do their work with limited
interruptions. This may have been our greatest challenge. To meet the needs
of news organizations, the communications group has set up interviews with
several members of the scientific teams on a scheduled basis. These interviews
have included television, print and radio.
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To date, information has appeared
in news reports in at least 31 states. Eighty-three news stories have been
collected since May 9th as a representative sample. Articles have appeared
in such papers as the New York Times, Washington Post, Miami Herald, Los
Angeles Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, Chicago Tribune, and many more. Many
of these stories appeared on the front pages of their respective publications.
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Nationally, MRLS information
has been featured in reports on CNN, CBS, NBC, and ABC both television
and radio, as well as stories on National Public Radio, and a report in
U.S. News and World Report. We even did a national television interview
with FOX this afternoon.
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Internationally, the story has
appeared in print, broadcast reports and the Internet in several African
countries, New Zealand, France, Great Britian, Canada, other European countries
and the Middle East. Interviews have been done with AP world-wide news
service televison and print, ITN (Britian's Independent Television Network),
Reuters television and print, and BBC radio.
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Science Home Page
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of Agriculture Home Page
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