Month: April 2013

ACDC News – Issue 13-06

Posted on by Nicholas Ferraz de Oliveira

A linguistic jungle – terms reporters used to describe GM (or whatever)

Writing in the Newspaper Research Journal , Linda Steiner and Nora Bird found a linguistic jungle while analyzing the terms journalists used when they reported about genetically modified food. Here are the terms identified, arranged according to frequency: genetic engineering, genetically engineered, genetically modified, GM, genetically modified organisms, GMO, biotechnology, biotech, transgenic, genetically altered, frankenfood(s), gene-altered, gene-modified, biopharming, genomics, bioengineered. On average, the reporters who were interviewed used 3.6 different terms.

You may see opportunities for education, information, and research to help clear this jungle and improve understanding.

You can read a pdf version of “Reporters see indifference on genetically modified food” at: http://libres.uncg.edu/ir/uncg/f/N_Bird_Reporters_2008.pdf

Advice for agricultural journalists about sensitive reporting

Executive members of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) recently heard encouragement and advice about free-press issues. Writing in IFAJ News , Hans Siemes summarized remarks by Oliver Vujovic, general secretary of the South and East Europe Media Organization (SEEMO). Vujovic reported that his organization, active in 20 countries, had about 800 cases during the past year in which journalists were attacked or put under severe pressure.

He encouraged IFAJ to continue to embrace freedom of the press and suggested it help agricultural journalists who are under pressure. He offered several tips to help them protect themselves.

You can read the newsletter article at: http://www.ifaj.org/news-blogs/news-detail/article/2013/01/22/title/share-delica.html?no_cache=1&cHash=a787f26bf9c47539c1d1ed551e835c5e

Get a snapshot of fast-flowing agricultural news and information

“We can’t read it all in ag” is the title of a December 20, 2012, report we entered recently into the ACDC collection. Through Truffle Labs, AgToday collects articles on a variety of topics related to agriculture. The topics involve activism, beef, bioenergy, corn, dairy, food, innovation, politics, poultry, science, soybeans, and swine.

More than 15,000 digital articles about those topics had been generated, worldwide, during the 14 months covered. You can follow the flow at: http://www.agtoday.info/channels

Another view of the “food miles” concept

Recent research by Alfred Wong and Alan Hallsworth illustrates the complexities of communicating about food systems. They examined the carbon dioxide footprint of heated greenhouse operations, in comparison with emissions that arose during the transportation of food grown in a distant location. Their study focused on fresh tomatoes for Vancouver, British Columbia.

Findings suggested that carbon dioxide emitted per kilogram was about seven times greater for tomatoes grown in regional heated greenhouses and transported fewer than 160 km to Vancouver than for open-field tomatoes grown in northwestern Mexico and transported about 2,400 km to Vancouver. As expected, emissions were lowest for tomatoes grown in season and in open fields within 160 km of Vancouver.

You can read their 2012 article in the International Journal on Food System Dynamics at: http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/bitstream/144849/2/Wong-ok-1.pdf

Fitting communications within an innovative local agri-food business model.

Thanks to Dr. Mansour Farah, consultant in development, for alerting us to a case report about the Smart Community business model. This project is sponsored by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA). It tests an innovative approach to strengthening rural communities. A key question: Can new local agri-food enterprises be developed in ways that sustain and support local community information centers?

Smart Community projects have been functioning in Iraq, Syria and Yemen since 2006. We are adding to the ACDC collection a 2009 report of the project in Iraq. Findings suggest that:

  • The Smart Community model looks promising in that setting, with signs of early impact through successful training efforts and project management.
  • Greatest challenges are apparent in official procedures, access to processing facilities for the local enterprises and access to computers and information technologies.
  • Collaboration between local governments and various industries may determine the extent to which local agri-food industries can sustainably support community information centers.

You can read the report, “Smart Community Project for Iraq,” here .

Looking back at a productive year

You can get a capsule view of programming, services and progress in the Agricultural Communications Documentation Center during 2012. It’s posted on the ACDC website and you can review it at: http://www.library.illinois.edu/funkaces/acdc/progress.html

Busy time for communicator activities

  • May 7-9, 2013
    Annual meeting of the Turf and Ornamental Communicators Association (TOCA) in Portland, Oregon. Information: http://www.toca.org
  • May 19-22, 2013
    “Building capacity through international agricultural and extension education.” Annual conference of the Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education in Fort Worth, Texas. Information: http://www.aiaee.org
  • June 1-5, 2013
    “Sound ideas: the stage is set.” Annual Institute of the Cooperative Communicators Association (CCA) in Nashville, Tennessee. Information: http://www.communicators.coop/2013institute.htm
  • June 11-14, 2013
    “ACE-NETC Racing Ahead 2013.” Joint conference of the Association for Communication Excellence in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Life and Human Sciences (ACE) and the National Extension Technology Conference (NETC) in Indianapolis, Indiana. Commemorates the 100th anniversary of ACE and features more than 100 professional breakout sessions. Information: http://www.dce.k-state.edu/conf/ace-netc
  • June 17-21, 2013
    Conference of the International Communication Association (ICA) in London, UK. Information: http://www.icahdq.org
  • July 22-24, 2013
    “Emerging priorities for scientific and agricultural information.” 14th World Congress of the International Association of Agricultural Information Specialists in Ithaca, New York. Information: http://www.iaald.org
  • August 3-7, 2013
    “Just wing it!” Agricultural Media Summit sponsored by the American Agricultural Editors’ Association (AAEA), Livestock Publications Council (LPC) and the Agri Council of American Business Media in Buffalo, New York. Also hosts the annual conference of the student organization, Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow (ACT). Information: http://www.agmediasummit.com
  • August 26-28, 2013
    “Transformative change: chosen or unchosen—pathways to innovation, resilience and prosperity.” International conference of the Australasian-Pacific Extension Network (APEN) in Christchurch, New Zealand. Information: http://www.apen.org.au
  • September 1-5, 2013
    Annual Congress of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) in Buenos Aires and Rosario, Argentina. Information: http://www.ifajargentina.com

Is there a history?

We close this issue of ACDC News with a thought from a 2013 article by Elizabeth Station in The Core magazine (University of Chicago). A subhead in the article read:

If there’s not an archive,

is there a history?

The question resonates with us here in the Agricultural Communications Documentation Center. Our mission during the past 31 years has been to help create an archive—to help identify, gather, process, preserve, and make available the widely-scattered body of research, experience and thought about communications aspects of agriculture, globally. We hope this effort is helping create a history of—and future progress for—something vitally important to societies throughout the world.

Best wishes and good searching.

Please pass along your reactions, suggestions and ideas. Feel free to invite our help as you search for information. And please suggest (or send) agricultural communications documents we might add to this unique collection. We welcome them in hard copy (sent to Ag Comm Documentation Center, 510 LIAC, 1101 S. Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801) or in electronic format sent to docctr@library.illinois.edu

ACDC News – Issue 13-05

Posted on by Nicholas Ferraz de Oliveira

Agricultural data more important than ever

The U. S. agricultural data system is under threat, an Oklahoma State University extension specialist reported in a January feature we are adding to the ACDC collection. It is easy to take for granted the data provided by a variety of government agencies, Derrell Peel observed. However, such data are “often overlooked and much of the current data system is under consideration for reduction or elimination.”

“Failure to recognize the longer run benefits of a strong data system against the short run budget savings of cutting data programs has enormous implications, not only for producers but for society at large.” He argued that the public-good nature of agricultural market information has been documented for many years, as a way to make markets more efficient.

You can read his report at: http://www.cattletradercenter.com/news/industry-headlines/Agricultural-data-is-more-important-than-ever-186792051.html

Food marketers among those making the “biggest branding mistakes”

Matt Haig’s second compendium of historic branding errors includes a grocery cart full of food brands and marketers. Here are examples cited in his recent edition of Brand failures: the truth about the 100 biggest branding mistakes of all time :

  • Classic failures (including McDonald’s Arch Deluxe)
  • Idea failures (including Kellogg’s Cereal Mates, Crystal Pepsi, and Maxwell House ready-to-drink coffee)
  • Extension failures (including Chiquita’s “exotic juices” and Frito-Lay Lemonade)
  • PR failures (including the McLibel trial and Snow Brand milk products in Japan)
  • Culture failures (including Gerber in Africa, Kellogg’s in India, Quaker Oats Snapple)
  • People failures (including Guiltless Gourmet)
  • Tired brands (including Ovaltine malt drink)

Check with us at docctr@library.illinois.edu if you would like help in gaining access to information in this book.

Telling the “local story” of produce can be a double-edged sword

Connecting food producers and consumers through the “local story” gets strong attention these days. Attention often focuses on direct marketing or local retail efforts. How does the story of fresh, locally-grown food get communicated within longer supply chains, such as schools, colleges, hospitals, senior meal sites, and correctional facilities? University of Vermont researchers addressed that question through interviews among those involved in institutional procurement of fresh fruits and vegetables.

“We find that providing more of the farmers’ ‘story’ is a double-edged sword,” the researchers concluded. They found it valuable in connecting the consumer and farmer, but costly in terms of time, effort, and money. Findings suggested that the connection is especially costly for producers in the supply chain.

You can read this Journal of Food Distribution Research article at: http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/handle/139456

Cloud computing: hope for rural development

Authors of a 2012 article in the Wayamba Journal of Animal Science suggested that cloud technology and innovations have opened up a new era of information dissemination and connectivity to rural areas. They discussed these potential applications in rural India:

  • E-agriculture commerce services
  • Animal health care and delivery services
  • Tele-medicine
  • Microfinance institutions
  • Disaster management
  • E-education/E-learning
  • Rural cyber youth entrepreneurs
  • Rural governance

They also identified challenges such as network access, cost of data transfer, user control over remote servers (confidentiality, integrity, availability of user’s data), and language barriers.

You can read this article at: http://www.wayambajournal.com/documents/1331186993.pdf

New IFAJ steps for supporting and protecting agricultural journalists

The International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) organization is moving forward in a strategy developed last August to reach out to journalists in new countries and new ways. President Markus Rediger, writing in the January issue of IFAJ News , emphasized the importance of free flow of information in serving societies.

“We want to stick to it in our process of becoming a more worldwide organization and reaching out to journalists in new countries,” he explained. His report identified new and ongoing contacts in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America.

You can read his president’s report at: http://www.ifaj.org/news-blogs/ifaj-newsletter/ifaj-news-january-2013.html#c4973

“Unpacking the HSUS gravy train”

That is the title of a report and commentary added recently to the ACDC collection. It was posted during late November by the HumaneWatch organization, Washington, D.C. It provides financial information from the Internal Revenue Service Form 990, as submitted by the Humane Society of the United States for calendar year 2011.

You can read the report at: http://humanewatch.org/index.php/site/post/unpacking-the-hsus-gravy-train_2012_edition

Lots of communicator activities approaching

  • May 7-9, 2013
    Annual meeting of the Turf and Ornamental Communicators Association (TOCA) in Portland, Oregon. Information: http://www.toca.org
  • May 19-22, 2013
    “Building capacity through international agricultural and extension education.” Annual conference of the Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education in Fort Worth, Texas. Information: http://www.aiaee.org
  • June 1-5, 2013
    “Sound ideas: the stage is set.” Annual Institute of the Cooperative Communicators Association (CCA) in Nashville, Tennessee. Information: http://www.communicators.coop/2013institute.htm
  • June 11-14, 2013
    “ACE-NETC Racing Ahead 2013.” Joint conference of the Association for Communication Excellence in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Life and Human Sciences (ACE) and the National Extension Technology Conference (NETC) in Indianapolis, Indiana. Commemorates the 100th anniversary of ACE and features more than 100 professional breakout sessions. Information: http://www.dce.k-state.edu/conf/ace-netc
  • June 17-21, 2013
    Conference of the International Communication Association (ICA) in London, UK. Information: http://www.icahdq.org
  • July 22-24, 2013
    “Emerging priorities for scientific and agricultural information.” 14th World Congress of the International Association of Agricultural Information Specialists in Ithaca, New York. Information: http://www.iaald.org
  • August 3-7, 2013
    “Just wing it!” Agricultural Media Summit sponsored by the American Agricultural Editors’ Association (AAEA), Livestock Publications Council (LPC) and the Agri Council of American Business Media in Buffalo, New York. Also hosts the annual conference of the student organization, Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow (ACT). Information: http://www.agmediasummit.com
  • August 26-28, 2013
    “Transformative change: chosen or unchosen—pathways to innovation, resilience and prosperity.” International conference of the Australasian-Pacific Extension Network (APEN) in Christchurch, New Zealand. Information: http://www.apen.org.au
  • September 1-5, 2013
    Annual Congress of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) in Buenos Aires and Rosario, Argentina. Information: http://www.ifajargentina.com

Writing tips from 86 years ago

We close this issue of ACDC News with a poem in a 1927 issue of ACE , newsletter of the American Association of Agricultural College Editors. It was attributed to John B. Opdycke, author of The English of Commerce . Although it pertains to letter writing, it also offers insights and tips that serve agricultural journalists and communicators.

Write your letter somewhat better

Than all other things you do;

Write it neatly and discreetly,

Keep it brief, yet ample, too;

Write it brightly, but politely,

Make it human through and through

Best wishes and good searching.

Please pass along your reactions, suggestions and ideas. Feel free to invite our help as you search for information. Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @ACDCUIUC . And please suggest (or send) agricultural communications documents we might add to this unique collection. We welcome them in hard copy (sent to Ag Comm Documentation Center, room 510, 1101 S. Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801) or in electronic format sent to docctr@library.illinois.edu