Getting past chippiness

Re: Getting past chippiness

Arlo Guthrie — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 09:52:30 GMT

[quote user="Ian Mostyn"]On a side note, isn't it amazing how quickly these posts get into google, less than an hour apparently for the last post![/quote]

Just in case anyone is concerned about the appearance of discussion threads in Google, just to point out that only a small excerpt appears in Google results (we have set it so that Google does not keep a cached copy of the page), and the thread may not be read unless the viewer is a member of the site.

Re: Getting past chippiness

Ian Mostyn — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 09:39:46 GMT

Mardy? Aye! E's nobbut a bletherer. But I can't be mithered to threap, got to take me whippet out. Gaffer's down pit today.

On a side note, isn't it amazing how quickly these posts get into google, less than an hour apparently for the last post!

Ian

Re: Getting past chippiness

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 01:07:38 GMT

[quote user="Ian Mostyn"]

Regional variations in language can be quite confusing. Two up here that confused me were skriking and thrutching for crying and retching. I had forgotten about the ace of spades bit but "calling a spade a spade" is about as unracist as you get get. I was just trying to use the language discussion to hide the fact that I agree with JGW for a change in that BVA are not doing as good a job as they should be.

Ian

Nay, 'e's a bit mardy an' 'e keep gippin' like.

Art laikin' this Saturday?

When I moved up to God's own second-best county I had to ask the boss what slow fever was.

[/quote]

Re: Getting past chippiness

J G Wray — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 15:40:57 GMT

[quote user="Arlo Guthrie"]The only way to fight back is to more or less ignore the negative stuff that appears from time to time, and instead concentrate on finding innovative ways of getting the media to run stories which show the profession in a good light. [/quote]

The BVA do this all the time 

The more people who point this out, especially to the President, the better.

Regs

JGW

Re: Getting past chippiness

Ian Mostyn — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 15:35:03 GMT

I completely agree, you can't fight fire with fire but a separate good news PR offensive would be well appreciated.

Ian

Re: Getting past chippiness

Arlo Guthrie — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 13:28:42 GMT

[quote user="Ian Mostyn"]I agree with JGW for a change in that BVA are not doing as good a job as they should be.[/quote]

When I was a PR man, people would often ask me what they could do about negative or inaccurate media stories 'after the event' (or even just shortly before it). The answer is just about nothing, and the same is true for BVA.

Sure, it's wise to have robust facts and figures ready in defence. But even if you get the chance to put your case in advance of the story (by no means always the case), it's highly unlikely that you'll persuade a journalist not to run the story, or to change their slant significantly, unless you're Max Clifford and you can offer them a meatier story in return.

The only way to fight back is to more or less ignore the negative stuff that appears from time to time, and instead concentrate on finding innovative ways of getting the media to run stories which show the profession in a good light. That's a challenge, in the sense that it is usually harder to get the media to run a feel good story than a juicy scandal.

Having said that, a good starting point is for everyone to be on the lookout for extraordinary cases where you've saved an animal's life. Get a picture. Write a press release, and get it into your local newspaper. It's good marketing for the practice, and it's good publicity for the profession. OK, so a story in the East Grindlington Daily Bugle might be a pea shot against the Panorama cannons, but the national media often sources stories picked up from local papers.

More than that, a brainstorming is needed to come up with ideas that might put the profession on the front pages, in a good light. i.e. rather than reacting to negative stuff, it's better to go on the offensive with positive stuff.

Increasingly, it's possible to bypass the media altogether and reach out to an audience using the Internet. I still have it in mind that a funny video of a vet band playing a cover version of a well known hit, with suitably doctored lyrics, could be very effective. I started work on a reworked version of a Dire Straits hit at someone's suggestion in another thread. Just a case of finding the time to finish it (and finding a band).

If anyone does have a particularly heart-warming / extraordinary story, and needs help turning it into a press release for the papers, do let me know, I'll be more than happy to help. I do still have a couple of contacts in the main newspapers too, so you never know ...

Re: Getting past chippiness

Ian Mostyn — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 12:46:55 GMT

Ian

Re: Getting past chippiness

Derek Copeland — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 12:05:10 GMT

I am often laughed at for stating "if it doesnt chipper up soon we are going to have to put it to sleep" obviously when talking to colleagues not clients, not even my bedside manner has become that blunt. However I wonder wether this might be applicable to the BVA et al.

I agree with you Jonathan and am sick to death with the placid stance and responce we as a profession take to criticism. The approach taken by the VDS is something that we should encourage .If an error or mistake has been made that should not they apologies and pay up immediately . If the complaint is unfounded they will defend the claim aggressively sometimes to the higher courts in the land.

I have little time to spend discussing Mathew Watkinson etc views but we need someone to slap these people down when they start talking boll@cks obviously in a more eloqent way than I can manage.

Re: Getting past chippiness

Vikki Halliday LLB — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 09:00:59 GMT

[quote user="Jonathan Wray"]This is pointless. This is chippiness. This is weakness.[/quote]

Jonathan, I had to laugh, and thankyou for brightening my day. I don't quite know who is chippier over the pages of these forums, and I find it amusing that we do all get a bit chippy, but I had no idea comparing myself to another profession was a weakness.

Kindest (non chippy ) regards,

Vikki

Re: Getting past chippiness

J G Wray — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 07:21:29 GMT

“The limits of my language are the limits of my world.”

Ludwig Wittgenstein

Re: Getting past chippiness

Laurence Webb — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 20:41:57 GMT

[quote user="Ian Mostyn"]

I must be thick as I didn't realise that a "spade" was a derogatory (?) slang term.

[/quote]

As black as the ace of spades. Rascist term

Re: Getting past chippiness

Ian Mostyn — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 19:53:13 GMT

I must be thick as I didn't realise that a "spade" was a derogatory (?) slang term. I must have spent too long up North

PS We call people with "a chip on their shoulder" Southeners but that includes anyone south of Sheffield! I shouldn't be too harsh, not everyone can live in god's own county.

Re: Getting past chippiness

J G Wray — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 19:20:47 GMT

Dear Mr Mostyn,

[quote user="Ian Mostyn"]Please excuse my ignorance but what is "chippiness"?[/quote]

No need to ask me to be excused.

"Chippiness" is a colloquialism for behaving/talking as if you bear a "chip on your shoulder", nothing to do with anyone of African-American origin, any more than an Australian vet calling a "spade a spade" (sic) is. That is a quaint Yaaaaawksheer colloquialism, rather than a reference to someone of Afro-Carribean origin. But, you probably knew that.

[quote user="Ian Mostyn"]the Daily Mail has no interest in a balanced discussion[/quote]

Do any of the newspapers? Still I'd quite like to see the BVA make the effort to be pro-active rather than reactive.

Contact the President

Regs

JGW

Re: Getting past chippiness

Ian Mostyn — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 17:52:19 GMT

Mr Wray,

Please excuse my ignorance but what is "chippiness"? The only reference defining the word I could find in google was a urban dictionary which seem to describe someone of African-American origin. I am not sure how this is relevant. Link A chippy can also be slang for a joiner / carpenter??

I can understand your point about BVA, they need to be more involved in positive PR for the profession but the Daily Mail has no interest in a balanced discussion. It is not just vets that they target but anything that will give them a sensational headline. I have long since learned to ignore the rantings of this paper. The BVA should try to get more balanced articles in the other newspapers.

Ian