Smith, Edward J. (author), Telg, Ricky W. (author), Tomlinson, Don E. (author), and Department of Journalism, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX; Television Communication Specialist, Texas Agricultural Experiment Station; Department of Journalism, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
1994
Published:
USA
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 97 Document Number: C08023
James F. Evans Collection, The purpose of this study was to learn about print news units within agricultural communications departments across the land-grant university system, specifically: (1) How much is invested into print news, (2) The type and nature of projects produced, (3) How audiences are defined, and (4) Answers to questions relating to production, distribution, marketing, and demographics. A questionnaire was mailed to all 52 land-grant university agricultural communications departments (50 states plus Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands)> The return rate was 80.8 percent. Among the findings: reporters overwhelmingly had a journalism/mass communications employment background; almost half of the news release output was of a "feature story" variety. Print news components (called PNCs by the authors) placed the most emphasis on "production agriculture" (producing most releases about this subject) and "nutrition or personal health". Marketing was primarily a function of geography, rather than audience demographics. (original)
