"Good technical editors can go far these days towards actually protecting the job of the scientist and defending the cause of worthwhile scientific research. Let them rise to the occasion."
Describes the cost-saving benefits of this recently developed method of offset printing. "Our Farmers' Week posters this year (1933) cost us, for a two-color job, just a little more than one-third of what we had been paying for what appeared to be the same grade of work - quality, paper and printing."
"We have an ample supply of investigators, but there is a shortage of readable and responsible interpreters, men who can effectively play mediator between specialist and layman."
Raises eight questions for ACE members: " 1) Are we glorified clerks or are we scientists? 2) What are desirable forms of publication and information materials? Scientists are demanding longer bulletins. The public is calling for shorter. 3) What should be the professional training of men and women to become agricultural and home editors? One school suggests that all that is needed in our fields is a certain facility -- we are engaged in a science -- home scientists measure success by acceptance in AP and UP. 4) Is there opportunity for research in the field of farm and home editing? 5) What is to be the future of agriculture and what leadership will the college of agriculture, the experiment stations, and the USDA be called upon to give? Together with our institutions, we must begin long-time planning. 6) What place has and will the radio have in carrying to the people the results of research? 7) How shall we measure results in our field? 8) What are we going to do about it?"
Comments and observations from an ACE member in England to fellow members meeting in St. Paul, Minnesota. Comments include newspapers, rural weeklies and the English radio system.
Author reports that Kansas State has offered a news writing course for agricultural students for more than a decade, and with good results.. Believes a course in news writing should not be a universal requirement in the agricultural college curriculum, but emphasizes skills in English.
Supports training of agriculture students in news-writing, and argues that they also should be trained in public speaking. Also: "it would seem that agricultural students should by all means know or learn how to make a living with their hands on land before they take up news-writing and public speaking. Our national literacy of the head is far greater than our literacy of the human hand. We cannot take much of a hand in nation-building from the ground up unless we have trained hands, even in this machine age."
Poem featuring a listener's reaction to an extension agent who used the technique of listening and asking questions. "The other night at meeting house, We listened quiet as a mouse, To hear a man the Council got, 'Splain runnin' farms right on the dot. Instead of talkin' how to plow, And how to feed and milk a cow, How chicken coops get filled with lice, He said he's from our own State College, That had quite a bit of knowledge, Which matched with our own common sense Would knock our losses off the fence. He said most folks is in a groove. Before their business will improve, They've got to open up their mind, And think right sharp why they're behind. He asked us questions straight and hard, And what we done to make hens lay. You'd thought to hear him ask and ask, His head was empty as a cask, But when he finished up with us, We'd never seen so smart a cuss."
"Have I forgotten the toils of the farm and home laborer? Am I unable to appreciate the folks back home; unable to place myself in their surroundings, and unable to feel and to breathe wholesomeness of rural life? If this is true, then 'back ye editor' to where you will once again become steeped in the spirit of rural America."
President's column includes at note: "There are new mediums through which we may serve - the radio and the motion picture. We need to give these more serious attention than we have given them thus far - particularly, the radio. The effective use of both of these, however, needs consideration."
Recommendations from the Professional Development Committee of AAACE. They include sabbatical leaves, exchange appointments, short-term media experience (unpaid leave from college position). "Members of the association were emphatic in their statement that editors should be given the same privileges of sabbatical leave as other college workers and that they should develop their jobs and positions so that they would have a rank equivalent to that of any professorship on the campus."
Abstracted from a talk at the 1935 AAACE meeting, Cornell University, New York. A strong case for reporting vividly, from observation, and with heart. "Flesh and blood on bare bones."
"The organic act which lies back of the work college editors are doing provides for the gathering and dissemination of information. It was never intended that public funds should be used for "institutional promotion," "propaganda," "press-agenting," "space-grafting," "publicity," "self laudation," "selling" or call it what you will. If "institutional promotion" - to give it the benefit of the least obnoxious designation - comes as a "by-product" of news and helpful information, there's no harm done. But an item aimed to benefit the institution rather than the person who reads that item is not only subversive to the purposes of the college, but is also subversive to the interests of the so-called "by-product." The college has no mandate to work the newspapers; yet it has a sufficient warranty to work for its readers."
Response to "'Selling' vs. news" by Bristow Adams, Cornell University. Harris notes that the Cornell president and dean probably spend time seeking support from the legislature or other sources for their institution and its work. Asks if their efforts are (as Adams argued) "subversive to the purpose of the college?" Also observes that a pastor is paid for ministering to the souls of his flock, but he pauses frequently to pass the collection plate. "I maintain that if education is worth having, then it is justifiable to educate people to support educational institutions."
Author reports that weekly newspapers in New York State are not losing influence. Reports kept by months at Cornell show that the newspapers are using not only more of the college editors' material, but more agricultural news in general.
Survey report at annual AAACE meeting. "About 40 per cent of the county extension agents now furnish extension information to their local newspapers regularly, only a very few altogether neglecting to do so, but there is a distinct need for editorial training for agents." Among the training means proposed: journalism courses for prospective agents while in college, state news-writing training meetings held by the college editor for county agents, correspondence courses in news writing, and bulletins on news writing. American Association of Agricultural College Editors.
Author said the field for home economics extension has become so broad that it is beginning to take rank with agriculture in its diversity of interests. It would be most helpful, she said, if the editors in the various states could associate with them assistant editors, women well trained in both home economics and journalism, who could adequately give popular expression to home demonstration work.
Committee recommended that institutions having broadcasting stations of their own use every means to improve and strengthen their service. However, "the larger number of institutions must depend upon cooperation with commercial stations to reach farmers and farm families by radio." Discussed a new daily USDA program through the courtesy of National Broadcasting Company.
Author emphasizes intellectual curiosity as a striking characteristic of the effective agricultural college editor. Among other cited credentials: agricultural college education, newspaper training and practical farm experience.
Lists 20 "don'ts" in connection with the exercise of the penalty privilege by field employees of the Extension Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The report notes that many college operated radio stations have experienced restricted operations during the past year. "Those institutions fortunate enough to have a satisfactory place in the air are furnishing a valuable service and should safeguard their present allotments by sound program development. Commercial stations offer a broad and increasing opportunity for the college information services to reach thousands of their people through a medium so important in the present day scheme of things as to demand careful consideration."
Examines the status of the research bulletin and the place of the technical journal article. "There seems to be a growing tendency for research workers to publish, in their respective technical journals, what amount to progress reports of their work."
Feels that experiment station literature is losing ground in the scientific world. "..scientists generally are not looking to the experiment station bulletin for important contributions to science." Suggests that the station editor can help maintain high scientific standards, as well as high editorial standards. "Briefly, then, believing that the chief function of an experiment station is to experiment and that the chief purpose of its publications is to describe the experiments and announce the results rather than to persuade people to adopt new and supposedly better practices, we are striving to raise the standards of our technical publications addressed to the scientist, whether he is primarily interested in agricultural research or not, and to make the publications addressed to our farmers technically sound and practically worth while."
Reports three experiences in which Georgia State College of Agriculture contracted with commercial firms to provide information for paid advertisements and accompanying news releases to newspapers.
"A newspaper mat service now in its third year of use by the Missouri Agricultural Extension Service is believed by the author to be one of the best informational mediums used by the state."
Arkansas newspaper cooperates with the University of Arkansas to hold a half-day School for Rural Correspondents, followed by a lunch at which the correspondents were guests of the newspaper. Cash prizes offered for the best rural correspondent's work in the next six months.
Editorial section of a North Carolina newspaper opposes those skeptical of having county agents spend their time furnishing news stories to newspapers. The information is considered valuable for readers, or it would not be used. "There is no dearth of matter to fill up columns."
Features a cooperative program through which the Arkansas Extension Service distributes farming information in the form of stuffers that accompany mailings from banks.
Reports on a national survey of the organization and operations of editorial offices in land-grant institutions. Results revealed "an utter lack of uniformity in organization and duties in the 31 institutions reporting." Summary provides three case examples of centralized and decentralized operations. Staff numbers range from 1 to 6. Also reveals institutions in which the editorial offices provide journalism teaching.
Recalls when three midwest editors (Clifford Gregory, Iowa State; Charles Dillon, Kansas; Clyde Marquis, Wisconsin) got together and called themselves "Ye College Editors." In 1909 or 1910. Met twice in succeeding years, author believes.
Results of a survey among 32 experiment station editors.. Aspects: types and size of annual reports, financing, editing systems, comments from editors, reactions of station personnel whose work is edited.
"Radio was recognized by those in attendance at the Corvallis convention as a means that can no longer be ignored by the college or extension editor for the dissemination of information."
Parts of a talk by President E.R. Price of Virginia to AAACE members at 1931 meeting, Corvallis, Oregon. American Association of Agricultural College Editors.
Brief summary of a talk by W. P. Kirkwood, University of Minnesota, at 1931 AAACE convention, Corvallis, Oregon.. American Association of Agricultural College Editors.
Brief summary of a talk by Charles Sprague, editor of the Salem Statesman, Salem, Oregon, at 1931 AAACE convention, Corvallis, Oregon.. He explained that "the amount of agricultural publicity that reaches the daily newspaper is appalling." American Association of Agricultural College Editors.
Brief summary of a talk by Wilbur D. Staats, extension editor, State College of Washington, at 1931 AAACE convention, Corvallis, Oregon. American Association of Agricultural College Editors.
