I blogged a few months ago about various parodies that are appearing on YouTube. The comedic “bits” that target everything from British Petroleum to Brett Favre are starting to have tangible affects on companies’ and organizations’ reputations.

While channel surfing the other night, I stumbled upon another corner of the media that seems to routinely, if unwittingly, beat up the public reputation of an organization, company or industry. This time it was a 2010 episode of “Law & Order Special Victims Unit” and a portrayal of the beef industry that had what could only be called a casual relationship with reality.

During the story one of the cops goes undercover during a murder investigation during which she encounters cockroach-infested meat and rats running here and there.

This certainly adds to the drama of the story and makes the show more interesting. Since this is entertainment and not news, the show’s creators are not governed by the same canons as journalists.

This is of considerable importance to those of us who work in reputation management and public relations since anywhere from eight to nearly 17 million people have watched “Law & Order SVU” during original airings, not to mention the millions who see the shows in syndication.

Another reputation driver to keep on our radar.