Myth masquerading as fact highlighted on Town Hall Ohio

For Immediate Release

February 25, 2010

COLUMBUS, Ohio (OFBF) – A recent CBS News report on antibiotics is more fairy tale than fact according to guests appearing on this week’s Town Hall Ohio.

CBS’s “A Ticking Time Bomb” report, which linked antibiotic use in farm animals to human health concerns, is refuted by former United States Department of Agriculture Deputy Undersecretary for Food Safety Scott Hurd and food communicator Mike Smith.

Smith explains the familiar elements of story-telling – heroes, villains and damsels in distress – and demonstrates how the CBS report applies the ancient model for myth-telling. Hurd reviews the lack of scientific accuracy, which he says caused unnecessary alarm among viewers of the report.

Town Hall Ohio is a weekly public affairs discussion program produced by the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation with the financial support of Nationwide Insurance. Current and past programs are available for download at www.townhallohio.org. Station dates and times for Town Hall Ohio are:

WTVN, Columbus – Sunday at 7 a.m.

WNCO, Ashland – Saturday at 6 a.m.

WBLL, Bellefontaine – Saturday at 6 a.m.

WSRW, Chillicothe – Saturday at 7 a.m.

WONW, Defiance – Saturday at 11 a.m.

WFIN, Findlay – Sunday at 6 a.m.

WMVO, Mt. Vernon – Sunday at 6 a.m.

WNDH, Napoleon – Sunday at 6 a.m.

WLKR, Norwalk – Sunday at 6 a.m.

WLEC, Sandusky – Saturday at 9 a.m.

WMVR, Sidney – Saturday at 6 a.m.

WTTF, Tiffin – Saturday at 9 a.m.