Canadian government seeks online seal hunt chatter monitor

Concerned by how those opposed to Canada's seal hunt are using social network sites the federal government wants to hire a social network monitor.

PETA has found a use for Canada’s Olympic mascots that has the Canadian federal government concerned. On a PETA sponsored site. visitors see Quatchi angrily wielding a club and blood dripping from Miga's snarling jaws. This and other uses of social networks to protest Canada’s seal hunt has the federal government so concerned they are seeking a "Social Media Reputation and Online Issues Management" adviser on the seal hunt. The contract is worth $75,000.00. CTV News reports the job includes analyzing what's out there on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and other sites, as well as examining what techniques anti-seal hunt groups use to maximize their profile on search engines. Apparently, the Department of Foreign Affairs wants "gauge the nature of discussions, the positive to negative percentage of dialogue and be positioned, if possible, to correct misinformation," says CTV. "We already have in place rigorous animal welfare standards -- legislation, regulations and licence conditions -- to ensure that the seal hunt is humane,” Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Simone MacAndrew, told CTV News. "The project goal is to allow the government to provide additional information including: correcting false information and dispelling myths about the Canadian the seal hunt." Sheryl Fink, a senior researcher with the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), told CTV News, "Facebook and Twitter, those things really are grassroots, and generally when a government or corporation tries to play that game they haven't been very successful because people see it for what it is, which is communications propaganda." Others feel the monitoring may be necessary, Andres Restrepo of Montreal's Ressac Media says organizations concerned about their reputations ignore the "game changing" social media phenomenon at their peril. "There is a lot of content online that is commented on, reviewed and shared, so average people become editors of what's going to become important on the media scene," Restrepo told CTV News. "With the seal hunt, the whole conversation, the point of view that is most exposed, is of those who are against the seal hunt ... so the goal of the government with that contract is to win more of the market share of the conversation so we have another point of view."