21 pages, via online journal, How an agricultural organization handles the way the media reports a crisis can have an impact on the public’s perceptions of the organization, and sometimes the industry as a whole. The popularity of social media outlets as a venue for disseminating and gathering information and news makes the use of social media surrounding agricultural crises an important topic to investigate (Glynn, Huge, & Hoffman 2012; Hermida, 2010). A qualitative case study was conducted to investigate the use of social media tools during an agricultural crisis. The participants – communications directors, social media managers, and individuals with a close connection to the crisis under study – reported that social media was a major component of their communication efforts surrounding each crisis. Participants felt social media was very effective in these situations and had a major impact on their communication efforts. Although no participants reported using a structured social media strategy or crisis communication plan, they stated a need for such guidelines in the agricultural industry. From the data analyzed in this study, a model for using social media during a crisis situation, aimed specifically for use by those in the agricultural industry, was developed. This project was funded through the USDA's Beginning Farmers & Ranchers Project.
16 pages, via online journal, One of the nation’s most important industries, agriculture, has adopted social media to communicate with consumers and the public. At the same time, traditional news media remains important to the agriculture industry because many consumers still receive information about agriculture from sources such as newspapers and television. Little literature at the time of this study explored how social media is used specifically as a media relations tool. The purpose of this study is to examine how agricultural organizations in Ohio communicate via social media and how the messages could impact central Ohio traditional media outlets’ coverage of agricultural issues. The study is grounded in uses and gratifications theory, and previous social media studies. Data were collected from seven Ohio agricultural organizations’ Facebook pages and four central Ohio news outlets. Researchers found that Ohio agricultural commodity organizations use social media, but not necessarily to communicate with the news media. The industry received limited news coverage during the time studied, and we were unable to discern a relationship between social media and news media coverage beyond a commonality of stories. By communicating the results of this study with agricultural organizations and researchers, effective social media strategies can be developed to guide the future of social media as a media relations tool.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 202 Document Number: D12115
Notes:
Online from website of the Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism, Arizona State University, Phoenix, Arizona. 2 pages., Article cites definitions that include corporate social responsibility (CSR) as a sense of responsibility toward the community and the environment that companies incorporate into their business models. Includes resources that journalists can use to report on CSR. Identifies a source of data about the top 100 companies with the best CSR reputation.
Jackson, Janine (author) and Carpenter, Zoe (author / The Nation)
Format:
Interview
Publication Date:
2019-07-19
Published:
USA
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 129 Document Number: D11275
Notes:
Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR), online via website. Episode of a CounterSpin radio interview. 8 pages., Issues in media coverage of politics, finance, and structural barriers in climate change legislation in Oregon, USA.
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
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 102 Document Number: D10892
Notes:
Online from the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, Lexington, Kentucky, Rural Blog. 3 pages., Describes the editorial approach of two award-winning local newspapers in focusing on the human toll of changing market forces in the dairy industry.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 124 Document Number: D11223
Notes:
Online from the Poynter Institute, St. Petersburg, Florida. 8 pages., Report of how journalists at The Fresno Bee newspaper changed how they cover food.
