James F. Evans Collection, This study was designed to describe the amount and kind of writing recent College of Agricultural Sciences baccalaureate degree graduates complete on the job, their perceptions of the importance of on-the-job writing, and the graduates' level of satisfaction with their writing preparation at Penn State. A questionnaire was mailed to 309 recent College of Agricultural Sciences alumni and 48.4% responded. The majority of respondents were white males (23-26 years old), worked in agriculture-related jobs in Pennsylvania, and earned between $20,000 and $29,999 a year. Respondents wrote less than eight hours a week and wrote a variety of forms such as letters, memos, and reports to different audiences. Respondents felt that the ability to write well was important, and in general, were satisfied with their undergraduate writing courses. (author).
Boone, Kristina M. (author), Paulson, Curtis E. (author), Barrick, R. Kirby (author), and Department of Agricultural Education, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
1993
Published:
USA
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 96 Document Number: C07599
James F. Evans Collection, In public-information work writers may modify or generate direct quotes for news releases (non-verbatim quotes). In contrast, journalistic news writing traditionally uses verbatim quotes. How do land-grant communicators say they use quotes? Survey data (sent to 50 randomly-selected land grant news writers, response rate 80 percent) indicate the majority (79 percent) said they use non-verbatim quotes at some time. They do so with the understanding that the quotes will be checked with sources before release. Ninety-two percent reported their communications office had no policy about the use of non-verbatim quotes. (author)
James F. Evans Collection, Because large-circulation newspapers in the United States continue to serve increasingly urban audiences, there is a logical question as to what place agriculture-related news had in their pages. Amounts and kinds of farm news urban readers receive is important because urban readers far outnumber rural readers and have much more power to elect legislators and to influence other policy-makers who control the direction of agriculture;s future. Content analysis of selected issues of three urban newspapers, The chicago Tribune, The Los Angeles Times, and The Washington Post, from 1982 through 1992, showed extensive use of agriculture-related news. A patterned schedule of weekday urban editions on alternate months during alternate years provided a total of 234 issues for analysis. (author)
James F. Evans Collection, As we move further into the electronics age, several agents of control are muscling their way into the business of communicating. Specifically, technology, fashion and a one-way mid-set are fighting for control over message development and delivery. This article advises land-grant university communicators on how they can recognize - and beat - these control agents, and how communicators can help land-grant universities overcome reputation deficit. We, as communicators, are in danger of losing control of our message. I am not talking about a shadowy conspiracy to subvert our civil liberties. I do not have any evidence of such a thing occurring. The control I am talking about concerns, first, the role of technology. Second, it concerns the way popular fashion shapes and often misshapes our messages. And, finally, it concerns our own intellectual honesty. I call it the problem of the One-Way Mind. Therefore, let me sketch how these agents of control are muscling into our business of being professional communicators. (author)
