Negative Press Fueled by Social Media

Taylor Hillman Drought, Technology, Tree, nut & vine crops, Water

Social Media Fueled Out-of-Context Finger Pointing During Prolonged Drought

global Internet technology
Several industries, headlined by almonds, fell victim to negative press regarding their water use during this drought and social media makes correcting misinformation difficult.

Fueled by Social Media

Several agriculture industries were targeted through today’s Internet venues when people were looking for water culprits during this drought. Almond Board of California Vice President of Global Marketing Stacey Humble says that’s the negative side of the Internet, and the almond industry may have been the biggest target.

The way social media works makes correcting false or out-of-context information hard and Humble says at that point, the harm is already done.

The Almond Board’s Battle

From the Almond Board of California: Balanced stories about California Almonds and the drought now appear more consistently in news coverage. The Almond Board of California (ABC) continues to see negative views and misinformation daily, but the influence and reach of the balanced publications is now approximately matching that of the negative on a day-to-day basis. The economic and dietary value of almonds is now a recurring theme in balanced coverage.

Water intensity of almonds and groundwater usage are two of the most discussed topics. ABC is rapidly responding to negative stories and correcting misinformation. Read more from the Almond Board of California.