AAEA members, their publications and advertisers are showing signs of strengthening the role of editorial independence in today's commercial environment.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Document Number: C16797
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Thesis, Master of Arts, University of Missouri. 97 pages, Examines the beliefs of the ag media, farmers, land grant researchers and government agency personal concerning sustainable agriculture.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Document Number: C22527
Notes:
Agricultural Publishers Association Archives, Series No. 8/3/80, Box 5., Delivered to the Agricultural Editors' Association, Chicago, Illinois, May 16, 1922. Annual report, pp. 16-23., Offers perspectives on the relationships between editorial and advertising interests of farm periodicals. Urges editors to cooperate with advertisers when it will best serve reader interests.
4 pages., Via online., "The chief ethical fear for the past 99 years of agricultural journalism has been that one of our number would cuddle up closer to advertisers than others of us, and reap unethical benefits of that. The chief charge of every Ethics Committee [of AAEA] has been to protect our collective readers from any hoodwinking that would come from such collusion. As I look toward that 100th year, I wonder who needs protecting from whom." Examines pressures on agricultural journalists in the wake of divided audience perspectives about the role of agricultural media in covering contentious political issues
James F. Evans Collection; Paper presented at the 1989 Annual Conference of Agricultural Communicators in Education; 1989 July; Portland, OR, Responses from a mail survey of 190 journalists who work for farm journals -- a 78 response rate -- reveal that about two thirds of the journalists say advertisers have threatened their journals on occasion, and about one-half say that advertising has actually been withdrawn. The journalists also report that advertisers sometimes attempt to win over journalists with gifts, free meals, or in other ways, usually not with success. These journalists report that most farm publications do not have a clear policy in dealing with advertiser influence. At the same time, most farm journals are struggling to maintain advertising, a struggle that makes them vulnerable to pressures.
Author emphasizes that codes of ethics need to be internalized throughout the publishing organization - considered and addressed daily. Points to a source of tips on how to incorporate ethics into the workplace effectively.
Cites journalism educator Don Ranley who urges maintaining the wall between editorial and advertising, in the interest of reader credibility. "I am not a businessman, but it has to be good business to be trusted."
