A typical question we at Meatingplace ask of job applicants in interviews is if they would be comfortable visiting packing and processing plants, where they likely would see, hear, smell and feel things that they’ve never experienced and that could make them squeamish. I remember saying “yes” to that question myself 13 years ago, guessing that my even-keeled personality and at least a distant understanding then that animals are killed to produce meat would carry me through.

I can’t recall the first plant I visited all those years ago, but I'll never forget my first “head” room. And I remember that by the time I was done with that tour, which was one of several that day, I had honestly just had enough for one day. I also remember, however, feeling that I had arrived in a sense, because the first thing I ate on the way back to my hotel was a burger.

An appreciation of your product wasn’t the only benefit of having been through that type of grind. My product, the writing that came from it, was so much more detailed and informed. It was, frankly, more enjoyable to do. We have always valued that presence, which is why we think of our coverage in terms of “online, in print, and in person.” We know that being there matters, for both of us.

Thanks to the internet — and by thanks, I mean that I am grateful — we have been able to continue to work and do our jobs remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic, despite its resultant constraints that have crushed brick-and-mortar businesses. To some extent, the experience of working from home and the requisite use of technology has engendered more connection and camaraderie among people throughout our company. It has, critically, forced new thinking in many ways.

But there’s a danger in this distance. During our coverage of the pandemic’s impact on the industry and the industry's response, readers from the anonymous commenter to the CEO of Smithfield Foods have responded to our sometimes critical takes by criticizing our absence from the trenches and the ability to hole up in our cozy homes and write from afar.

I could argue the obvious, that our job requirements as journalists do not include working on a production line in a meat plant. I could argue that travel restrictions, at least initially, budget constraints and — beyond that — processors’ own restrictions on visitors have made it all but impossible for us to be there in any capacity. But the argument is no matter; what matters is that there indeed exists an abnormal distance, and in that distance communications and context are limited.

Scrolling through any social media site, and seeing the extreme polarity in American politics, is an example of the power and danger of online-only communication. I wonder if the chasm would be as wide if social media didn’t give people a platform to spread propaganda and vitriol with just the click of a button in the safety of their own homes. I wonder what understanding could come from more person-to-person communication, with a human, name and face in front of you and a better chance of at least agreeing to disagree.

I use that, of course, as an extreme example. By no means do I feel that we as an industry trade publication are that distant from the industry that we cover. At the same time, we do miss the visits and the regular personal interaction that have made such a productive relationship over the years.

As soon as you’re ready and able to have us, we’ll be there — in person.

It's personal

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