Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 12 Document Number: D10405
Notes:
4 pages., Online from Australian Broadcasting Corporation website., During a severe drought, a Queensland grazier decided to share her story on a social media post that included distressing images of livestock. Unintended consequences included accusations of animal abuse and investigation by Biosecurity Queensland.
Role of social media for civic participation, drawing on Swedish volunteer initiatives that emerged in the context of the migration crisis in 2015 as a case study.
23 pages., via online journal, Cultured meat has yet to reach store shelves but is nonetheless a growing issue for consumers, producers, and government regulators, many of whom have taken to social media to discuss it. Using a conceptual framework of social cognitive theory and issues management, this qualitative content analysis investigated social-media discourse surrounding the topic of cultured meat in the United States by describing the content of the discussion in late 2018 and identifying individual influencers and communities of influencers engaged in the discussion. Data were collected from Twitter using listening platform Sysomos MAP. The thematic analysis revealed eight themes: legality and marketing, sustainability, acceptance, business, animal concerns, science and technology, health concerns, and timeline, and indicated that conflicting views and questions about cultured meat exist among conversation participants. Top influencers included philanthropists, government officials, journalists and writers, and animal-welfare advocates. These influencers were grouped into four distinct communities based on interactions with each other and other users. The topics identified in the analysis provide insight into ways in which communicators can enter these conversations, and influencer communities represent groups of users whose broad reach could more easily transmit pro-agriculture messages.
10 pages, Enormous quantities of data are generated through social and online media in the era of Web 2.0. Understanding consumer perceptions or demand efficiently and cost effectively remains a focus for economists, retailer/consumer sciences, and production industries. Most of the efforts to understand demand for food products rely on reports of past market performance along with survey data. Given the movement of content-generation online to lay users via social media, the potential to capture market-influencing shifts in sentiment exists in online data. This analysis presents a novel approach to studying consumer perceptions of production system attributes using eggs and laying hen housing, which have received significant attention in recent years. The housing systems cage-free and free-range had the greatest number of online hits in the searches conducted, compared with the other laying hen housing types. Less online discussion surrounded enriched cages, which were found by other methods/researchers to meet many key consumer preferences. These results, in conjunction with insights into net sentiment and words associated with different laying hen housing in online and social media, exemplify how social media listening may complement traditional methods to inform decision-makers regarding agribusiness marketing, food systems, management, and regulation. Employing web-derived data for decision-making within agrifood firms offers the opportunity for actionable insights tailored to individual businesses or products.
4 pages, via Online journal, Since late Mar. 2020, many universities halted normal operations due to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Although extension uses many different techniques to educate consumers, it has been slow to grasp the power of social media. Faced with a dilemma of using digital methods instead of in-person field days, short courses, and workshops, Twitter was a viable alternative, especially for broad audience engagement. Tweet threads were posted on Twitter every Monday morning from 6 Apr. to 8 June 2020. Each thread consisted of 10 tweets. A hashtag #YardFruits was used to start the thread and for later reference. For the first nine threads only one fruit species was discussed per thread. The final thread consisted of single tweets of several species. Engagement percentage did not differ over time but did differ among the crop species. Tweets that did not include a photo received less engagement (2.7%) than those that did include a photo (4.7%). My Twitter account saw a 6.5% increase in followers during the series. Grape (Vitis sp.), passion fruit (Passiflora sp.), fig (Ficus carica), and pear (Pyrus communis) threads had the least engagement and were different from the Other Fruits thread. All other threads were similar. Extension educators can grow their influence by using well-targeted, focused tweets and tweet threads, especially those that use hashtags and photos.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 146 Document Number: D06631
Notes:
Raw data responses to a survey conducted by the Ethics Committee of the American Agricultural Editors' Association among 431 participants at the 2012 Young Farmers and Ranchers Leadership Conference, American Farm Bureau Federation, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Februaty 18-20, 2012. 1 page with accompanying committee member correspondence.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 197 Document Number: D09484
Notes:
Truffle Media Networks LLC, Indianapolis, Indiana. 29 pages., Survey among participants in the agriculture industry in media, ag product companies, agencies, associations, or other.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 114 Document Number: D11021
Notes:
Online via Accelerating Innovation in Technology Data and Media. 2 pages., Summarizes results of a survey among nearly 3,000 U.S. owners of ranches and farmers.
6 pages., Online via Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)., Author analyzed case studies of corruption reported in 24/7 "convergent" media and concluded: "As the mainstream media is failing in exposing the enormous corruption in the government, there is a need to use the 'convergence' and 'blogging' to expose the corruption from the people side."
Via online issue. 1 page., Includes link to what is cited as an excellent example of an ag business podcast on the "DuPont Weed Wrecking Crew" web site. Http://www.weedwreckingcrew.com/broadleaf.html, "Broadleaf Weed Report."
Kozak, Jerry (author / President, National Milk Producers Federation) and National Milk Producers Federation, Arlington, Virginia.
Format:
Commentary
Publication Date:
2008-03
Published:
USA
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 176 Document Number: C30200
Notes:
2 pages., Comments on a widely distributed video showing mistreated cattle at a California meat packing plant. Examines the increasing complications of cattle processing and other factors that "haven't really been the focus on the ongoing investigation."
3 pages, Figure 1 above appeared on July 31, 2018, in Bloomberg. Bloomberg tweeted this graphic on August 13, and twenty-four hours later it had been retweeted by 84 twitter accounts and “liked” 118 times. Chances are you have seen this graphic on your social media newsfeed (e.g., Facebook, Twitter) by now. It is a novel idea to portray how U.S. land use could be represented across the United States. However, to the casual observer, which is most everyone viewing a graphic on social media, this graphic is misleading.
22 pages., via online journal., Scientists are frequently asked to broadly share their expertise and research with a variety of audiences, beyond typical academic circles in their home disciplines. That could include developing community engagement programs, school outreach, leveraging online social networks, and other activities. The purpose of this study was to examine U.S. agricultural and natural resources (ANR) scientists’ typical science communication channels, their experiences utilizing Twitter for sharing their knowledge, research, and engaging in online public science discussion. Diffusion of Innovations theory and the model of science in-reach versus outreach guided this study. Researchers used a qualitative case study design. Data collection included ANR scientist interviews (n = 8) and application of Internet-based research methods for observing scientists’ Twitter activities. Four themes emerged from the data: 1) academic journals and conferences as scientists’ typical communication channels, yet Extension efforts help to broaden audiences, 2) scientists expected research to be peer-reviewed before public dissemination to combat misinformation and spreading of ‘junk science’, 3) scientists balanced professionalism, personalization, promotion, and Twitter hashtags for engagement, and 4) scientist-identified barriers to using Twitter included lack of time and avoiding heated discussions. Recommendations include revisiting scientists’ job descriptions and expectations for online science engagement. Also, there should be continual development and implementation of science communication training for scientists targeting best Twitter practices, growing followers for outreach beyond academic colleagues and groups, using visuals for online engagement, intentional scheduling for social media, and how to effectively navigate heated online discussions.
Wandersee, Cassie (author) and Baker, Lauri (author)
Format:
Paper abstract
Publication Date:
2018-02
Published:
USA
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 199 Document Number: D10018
Notes:
Abstract of paper presented at the National Agricultural Communications Symposium, Southern Association of Agricultural Scientists (SAAS) Agricultural Communications Section, Jacksonville, Florida, February 4-5, 2018.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 178 Document Number: C35770
Notes:
"The Farm Journalist"series via online. 2 pages., Discusses agricultural journalists' use of new information technologies. "The challenge is not that of attempting to use all available technology but of selecting those parts offering the highest probability of working best for us."
Garrett M. Steede (author), Courtney Meyers (author), Nan Li (author), Erica Irlbeck (author), Sherice Gearhart (author), and Texas Tech University; University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
2018
Published:
USA
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 149 Document Number: D10103
Article 4; pgs. 1-16, On January 1, 2017, the final rule of the Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) was put into place requiring
antibiotics approved for both humans and animals to be discontinued for growth promotion. This change was
brought on by the role growth promoters in livestock production play in the development of antibiotic
resistance. Antibiotic resistance increases the costs associated with human health care by increasing the length
of stays in the hospital and requiring more intensive medical care for patients. The purpose of this study was to
explore sentiment and characteristics of social media content and the characteristics of the key influencers
whose opinions had the greatest amount of reach on social media in regard to antibiotic use in livestock and
antibiotic resistance. Nuvi, a social media monitoring program, provided sentiment for each tweet and coded
64.8% of the content (n = 129) as negative compared to 38.2% (n = 76) humans coded as negative. The
contrast between human coders and Nuvi indicates there could be discrepancies between how Nuvi codes
content and the way a human might interpret the content. No key influencer discussed antibiotic use in
livestock positively. Findings suggest agricultural communicators should not rely completely on the output
from sentiment analysis programs to evaluate how the public discusses issues related to agriculture,
particularly controversial issues. Further, agricultural communications practitioners should prioritize
monitoring the content shared by key influencers in an effort to better understand the content being shared by
the most influential users. Recommendations for future research are provided.
Chang, Kuo-Liang (author), Elliott, Lisa M. (author), Sand, Shannon (author), Dailey, Rocky (author), and Blachford, Sierra (author)
Format:
Paper
Publication Date:
2014-07
Published:
USA
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 127 Document Number: D02709
Notes:
Paper presented at the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association 2014 AAEA annual meeting, Minneapolis, MN, July 27-29, 2014. 18 pages., Description of a research project in progress. No results reported, but literature review, conceptual approach and methods described.
Moyo, Rachel (author), Salawu, Abiodun (author), and Department of Communication, North West University, Private Bag X2046, Mafikeng, 2735, South Africa
Format:
Online journal article
Publication Date:
2019-02
Published:
South Africa: Elsevier
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 151 Document Number: D10129
7 pages., Via online journal., This study is a quantitative survey of communication media preferred by smallholder farmers resettled under the Fast Track Land Reform Programme (FTLRP) in the Gweru district of Zimbabwe. Data were gathered using a questionnaire and simple random sampling. Communication is integral to agricultural development, particularly so in the context of the FTLRP characterized by a dearth of information, education and training, ensued by the discriminatory command agriculture (Murisa and Chikweche, 2015). Farmers' preferences of communicationmedia in receiving agricultural innovations should be prioritised to improve agricultural communication andsubsequently, productivity, which is dire in Zimbabwe in the light of the continuing food insecurity. Thefindingsindicated that farmers prefer media that are stimulating and engaging such as television and demonstrations;convenient such as mobile phones and detailed such as books probably because the majority of them do not have training in agriculture. Demographic variables of age-group and education were found to be associated with communication preferences of some media. The study has implications for agricultural communication media policy. Beyond prioritization of farmers’preferences, a model of a multi-media approach to agricultural communication has been developed, that could widen communication reach if implemented.
Austin, Lucinda L. (author / University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill), Schultz, MaryClaire (author / Elon University), and Gaither, Barbara Miller (author / Elon University)
Format:
Book chapter
Publication Date:
2019
Published:
International
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 102 Document Number: D10898
Notes:
See also D10895., Pages 95-103 in Brigitta R. Brunner and Corey A. Hickerson (editors), Cases in public relations: translating ethics into action. Oxford University Press, New York City, New York. 359 pages., Reports on goals of McDonald's to increase transparency with consumers. While their goals are clear, their actions fall short."
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 176 Document Number: C30262
Notes:
7 pages., "If more of our news is going to be produced by non-traditional sources - like NGOs who have an interest in promoting their own agenda - how can news consumers sort through their sources and figure out who to believe?"
Alumbaugh, Joann (author), Schimek, Rosemary (author), Cooper, Hyler (author), Brandt, Erika (author), Rieker, Jana (author), Herman, Matthew (author), Durs, Don (author), Winter, Kristen (author), Melnyk, Darwin (author), and Rattliff, Robert (author)
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
2009
Published:
USA
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Document Number: C28778
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 191 Document Number: D02911
Notes:
Truffle Media Networks, Indianapolis, Indiana. 24 pages., Survey responses from persons associated with ag media, ag product companies, advertising agencies, agricultural associations.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 191 Document Number: D02912
Notes:
Truffle Media Networks, Indianapolis, Indiana. 24 pages., Survey responses from persons associated with ag media, ag product companies, advertising agencies, agricultural associations.
15 pages., via online journal., Organic agri-food products in Spain face major commercial problems in the home market as a result of consumers’ lack of information about this type of product and difficulties in accessing it, and the considerable price differential between organic products and their conventional equivalents. This study proposes that consideration should be given to social media as a factor for mitigating these commercial problems and improving the competitiveness of organic food companies. Specifically, the aim of this research was to examine the social media penetration and activity of olive oil sector companies and ascertain whether organic and non-organic operators present differences in this respect. To this end, a checklist was used to analyse the social media activity of 663 olive oil companies in total, comprising both organic and non-organic producers. The results reveal statistically significant differences in social media penetration and use by organic and non-organic operators, with the former being more active in these networks. Nevertheless, the social media efforts of organic operators are less effective, owing to the limited demand for their products.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 170 Document Number: D09007
Notes:
Agri Marketing magazine via AgriMarketing Weekly. 1 page/, Results of 124 agri-marketer responses to the question, "What is your primary source of news about the agricultural industry?"
9 pages., via online journal., Social media platforms and other new technologies support the communication of many topics, both beneficial and controversial to t he development of the agriculture industry. Agricultural communicators’ use of these platforms is critical for engaging with stakeholders and communicating information beneficial to agriculture . The purpose of this study was to explore agricultural communicators’ use of devices and soci al media platforms in the United States. Researchers administered an online, descriptive que stionnaire to collect data from members of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting. A ma jority of respondents used social media for work, with smartphones being the most common device used. Facebook and Twitter were used more than blogs and YouTube to interact with farmer s/ranchers. Respondents agreed that social media allowed them to quickly and conveniently comm unicate with others. Significant relationships existed between perceived usefulness and Pinterest, blogs, and Instagram, while one significant correlation existed between perceiv ed ease of use and Instagram. Respondents should continue to use Facebook and Twitter to enga ge their stakeholder groups in conversations about agriculture.
The article reports findings of a media-use survey conducted among agricultural communicators attending a meeting of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting. A majority of respondents reported using a variety of social media for work, with smartphones being the most common device used. Among other recommendations, authors suggested that respondents should continue to use Facebook and Twitter to engage their stakeholder groups in conversations about agriculture. The survey identified stakeholder groups of the communicator respondents.
Focus on the most effective means of communicating with opinion leaders. In this study, respondents were asked to indicate whether they were interested in interacting with alumni of leadership development programs through a list of eight potential communication channels.
Shaw, Kelsey (author), Meyers, Courtney (author), Irlbeck, Erica (author), Doerfert, David (author), Abrams, Katie (author), and Morgan, Chris (author)
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
2015
Published:
USA
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 141 Document Number: D06139
6 pages., via online journal., ICT has been initiated and implemented effectively by the
public private partnership, government, researchers and various
Institutions. Availability of wireless service, Internet and mobile
communication have forced ICT to find foothold in daily routine
of the Indian farmers. ICT has huge impact in agricultural
development but still in natal stage. Many farmers are not availing
the actual potential of ICT due to poverty, social constraint,
illiteracy, language barriers and unwillingness to adopt new
technology. Many Indian farmers have reported positive change
in income, quality of produce and timely access to the market
information by using latest mobile application. WhatsApp is the
most popular and easy to use Mobile Instant Messaging service
amongst the Indian farmer. It supports sharing of localized
information and utilizing these services as query redressal
public platform. This paper is an attempt to gather meaningful
agricultural data for analysis and filtering of relevant need based
information assessment. The main focus of the present work is to
develop an automatic information handling and redressal of the
need based agricultural information system using WhatsApp as
social media platform.
12 pages., Online via open access. 11 pages., Findings from a case study prompted author to assert that it is imperative that festival organizers understand tourist motivations for attending festivals in order to conduct effective festival planning and achieve productive festival marketing position.
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.
