Thapa, Manita (author), Adhikari, Sudarshan (author), Specht, Annie R. (author), Lawson, Cara (author), Rumble, Joy N. (author), and Buck, Emily B. (author)
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
2024
Published:
USA: New Prairie Press
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 211 Document Number: D13655
19 pages, Agricultural issues are the topics that attract public attention and impact the sector. This study investigated the salient agricultural issues and perceptions on those issues among Ohio residents. The study employed agenda setting theory to understand how media shapes public perceptions of agricultural issues in Ohio. A quantitative method was used, and a survey instrument was developed after an environmental scan of selected sources to identify five issue categories. From the responses of 515 Ohio residents, the findings suggest that environmental issues, particularly water quality, were the most important among participants. Food quality followed, focusing on aspects like safety, quality, and sustainability. Climate change, animal welfare, and government policy ranked third, fourth, and fifth in importance, respectively. Participants presented a moderate level of awareness about climate change, with a greater emphasis on the conservation of public lands and forest management. In terms of government policy, the recognition of the need to balance economic and environmental interests was observed with a desire for farmland preservation. Additionally, participants perceived food as expensive, with moderate in quality and healthiness. While perceptions of climate change issues were moderate, they acknowledged that the role of human behavior in environment management is paramount. Participants’ perception of livestock treatment indicated their concerns for animal welfare. The perceptions toward government policies reflect the recognition of the economic importance of the agricultural sector, yet there is apparent dissatisfaction at the same time. These findings served as a foundation for targeted interventions, stakeholder collaborations, and policy enhancements in addressing agricultural issues.
8 pages, Guinea-Bissau, an important regional biodiversity hotspot in West Africa, faces the challenge of raising awareness among the general public about the significance of natural resources for rural communities' survival and the need for biodiversity conservation. This knowledge gap hinders conservation efforts as initiatives are deemed irrelevant or unnecessary. A climate of political vulnerability, financial uncertainty and threats to media freedom are further obstacles to conservation biology. Researchers lack established communication platforms for academic dissemination. In this paper, we introduce the initiative News for Nature/PRIMACTION (2020–2022), which aimed to establish a communication channel between researchers and media agents. The project had two primary objectives: firstly, to raise awareness among the Guinea-Bissau society about the importance of national biodiversity and conservation challenges; and secondly, to enhance the capacity of specific communicators and opinion makers. The project had several important outputs, including: i) a bi-monthly newspaper section focused on “biodiversity conservation in Guinea-Bissau”, ii) three radio-theatre episodes performed by a well-known group and broadcasted nationally, iii) one song composed and sung by famous musicians, with an introduction by Jane Goodall, and iv) a website providing technical resources for journalists covering biodiversity and conservation news. Collaborators mentioned the lack of logistical conditions for traveling in the country as a major impediment in reporting conservation-related news. We emphasize the significance of establishing direct contact and articulation between researchers and local media to promote conservation research in West African countries. In countries where science communication and environmental education outreach are not well-established, it is crucial to bridge the challenges faced by the communities in different regions of the same country. This is especially urgent in cases where such challenges are significant.
Witzling, Laura (author), Shaw, Bret R. (author), Comito, Jaqueline (author), Wald, Dara M. (author), Ripley, Elizabeth (author), and Stevenson, Nathan (author)
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
2023-10-17
Published:
Japan: Springer Nature
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 211 Document Number: D13621
13 pages, An understudied aspect of promoting conservation agriculture is how to effectively use social media to reach farmers. To address this gap, we tested message frames related to aspects of farmer identity using Facebook ads. In doing so, we extended work about farmer identity by considering how farmer identity emphasis frames would perform in the context of social media. We ran four 8-day campaigns that each promoted relevant events or materials (e.g., a cover crop field day) through a real agricultural organization’s Facebook account. Each of the four campaigns consisted of four ads representing an identity frame (Business, Hero, Science, and Steward). Our results indicated that users were compelled by the farmer identities presented in our ads, and that demographics played a role. Ads framed to address Business as a farmer identity were the most cost-effective relative to obtaining clicks. However, relative to the Business frame, ads using the Science or Steward frames were more effective at engaging women. Among younger users, the Hero ads received fewer clicks per reach compared to the Business or Science ads. Consequently, the “best” frame is relative to the communicator’s goal. Overall, our work verified that in the space of paid social media advertising, message frames mattered, possibly because our approach facilitated peripheral processing. This exploratory work offers a point of departure for future collaborations between practitioners and researchers mutually interested in using social media to communicate about conservation.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 206 Document Number: D12971
Notes:
10 pages, Toxins, pollution and invisible boundary lines are obstacles to harvesting bivalves such as clams and oysters. A new cohort of cellphone and web apps promises to help people farm and harvest shellfish more responsibly.