Oprah Winfrey vs. the Texas Cattlemen
No one can deny the power of Oprah Winfrey to influence markets. When she announces on her television show that she likes a book, it becomes a best seller. If she endorses a product, there is a run on it at stores all over the nation. By the same token, when she speaks out against anything or anyone, she can do a lot of damage. Such was the case in April 1996 when she interviewed guest Howard Lyman to discuss the recent outbreak of mad cow disease in Great Britain. Lyman made some troubling statements regarding the feeding of cattle to other cattle, a practice that could spread mad cow disease where it existed. He further commented that an outbreak of mad cow disease would ômake AIDS look like the common coldö (ôOprah Winfrey Show 4.16.96ö). Winfrey was alarmed at LymanÆs statements and stated that they ôjust stopped [her] cold from eating another burgerö (Flock).
The impact of WinfreyÆs comment on the U.S. cattle industry was so devastating that the CattlemenÆs Beef Association took her to court over it, claiming that it ôsent cattle prices tumblingö and cost their industry $12 million (Flock). Winfrey ultimately won her case in court on the basis that she had no intent to harm the beef industry, but the tremendous response to her comment raised the nationÆs consciousness of the power of her opinions. In terms of the effectiveness of WinfreyÆs communication with her publics, this incident illustrates that the communication is outstanding. To paraphrase the E.F. Hutton commercial, when Oprah talks, people listen.
In the mid-1990Æs when this crisis occurred, the Internet was established but many newer technologies that allow people constant access to the Internet, such as the Blackberry, were not. Even cell phones can now access the Internet. Therefore, if the same incident were to occur today, these advanced technologies would disseminate the news much faster a...