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.
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."
Summary of findings from a survey among agricultural communicators on professional work, interests, educational background, training needs and qualifications for training others.
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.
