The National Newspaper Association is urging its members to drop "swine flu" and use H1N1 to properly identify the virus during coverage of the associated pandemic, according to the National Pork Board.

Cheryl Kaechele, publisher of the Allegan County News in Allegan, Mich., reportedly told members that newspaper coverage referring to H1N1 as "swine flu" has "unfairly cast doubt upon the pork industry." NNA is a nonprofit trade association that represents the owners, publishers and editors of 2,400 daily and weekly community newspapers.

National Pork Board President Tim Bierman said he sent a letter to Kaechele thanking her for addressing an issue that is crucial to the nation's 70,000 pork producers. He noted he'd sent a letter to top executives of 25 of the country's leading media outlets asking them to do what Kaechele did.

"I told them that calling the virus anything other than H1N1 contributes to public confusion about the safety of eating pork. It is gratifying to see the leader on the largest association of newspapers supporting pork producers on this important issue," Bierman said.

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