THREAD: Ironically, @SmithfieldFoods is the 2nd major meatpacker to use the power of advertising in the very same medium it accuses of "inaccurate" storytelling for our “info-tainment society” to reach the public with its message.

2) Call us “critics” who “aren’t in the arena,” who “sit on the sidelines” and “point fingers.” Or call us what we’re more commonly known as—“reporters.” Yes, Smithfield, you and others feed the country. Somebody has to, right?! Nobody would dare argue with that.

3) But so do we, in a way. And jargon-free (paywall-free, too, in some cases) information is what the tireless efforts of some frontline workers in *our* industry has yielded. Cc: @FERNnews @leahjdouglas @TedGenoways @Morning_Ag @deenashanker

Here's the trouble: In order for this food system to work the way it's currently set up, somebody has to lose. And right now, that somebody is a whole population of workers whose stories don't get told if we don't do our jobs. It's not spin. It's not faux controversy.

These are stories workers share with us and we provide the forum for. Yes, you have to feed the country. And their reality is part of what that costs us as a society. So you keep taking out ads, we'll keep reporting—and we'll all use the same damn forum to do it in. Deal?