ACDC Newsletter – Page 4 – Funk Library

ACDC News – Issue 21-10

Posted on October 14, 2021 by Kevin Wiggins

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When Lightning Ridge lost its newspaper

Local residents of that rural Australian town lamented their loss of The Ridge News and experienced a fragmenting, less-vibrant public sphere, according to a recent article in the Australian Journalism Review.

Researchers Marco Magasic and Kristy Hess used a two-month focused ethnographic study to explore people’s media-related practices following the closure of the town’s only newspaper in 2015. While social media are considered to have partly filled a news void, the loss led to growing complacency among individuals about political affairs, especially in local government.

You can read the abstract and learn how to buy the article via IngentaConnect.com here. Or confer with us at acdc@library.illinois.edu

“How should journalists cover climate change?”

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Elizabeth Kolbert asked that question in a Nieman Reports article we added to the ACDC collection recently. Her take on answering the question:

“It’s a very hard issue to cover because it is everything. It’s every aspect of how we live. Its causes are ubiquitous, and its effects are ubiquitous. There are no great stories. Climate change has never really been a good story and won’t ever, on some level, be a good story. I applaud everyone covering climate now if for nothing else, trying to make people think about how we are going to cover this issue.”

You can read this article here.

Role of NGOs in building connections and belonging among refugees in Colorado meatpacking industries

“Unsettled belonging in complex geopolitics” is the title of a 2021 article we have added from the Sustainability journal. A seven-person research team from three universities used data analysis and interviews to examine how “multi-scalar geopolitical processes shape processes of refugee resettlement and refugee labor in Colorado meatpacking industries. They found that non-governmental organization (NGO) employees, “many of whom identify as foreign-born and/or refugees, work to build connection and belonging among refugees in challenging resettlement environments.”

You can read the article by open access here.

What “sustainability” means to U.S. fruit and vegetable growers

Growers of produce in the U.S. most often think of three things when they consider sustainability:

Essential long-term viability (61%)
Natural resource stewardship (58%)
Being able to pass the farm on to another generation (58%)

That finding came from a recent Sustainable Insights survey by The Packer periodical. Editor Tom Karst observed that the three considerations can be summarized with one theme – “keeping the farm for the long run,”

You can read this brief research summary here.

Impact of government promotion of agricultural exports in Nigeria

Findings reported in the first 2021 issue of the African Journal of Economic Review revealed a significant positive short- and long-run impact of government-sponsored promotion of agricultural exports in Nigeria. Findings by researchers also highlighted the need to be selective in the choice of export promotion strategies.

You can read this article here.

Communicator events approaching

Uncertainties of the COVID-19 health issue continue to prompt flexible event planning. Here are plans of which we are aware, with contact information you can use for details.

October 15, 2021

Deadline for submitting professional development papers and sessions at the 2022 National Agricultural Communications Symposium (above). Information from Annie Specht at specht.21@osu.edu

October 22, 2021

Deadline for submitting posters at the 2022 National Agricultural Communications Symposium (above). Information from Shuyang Qu via squ@iastate.edu

October 26-28, 2021

Annual Conference of the Agricultural Relations Council in Richmond, Virginia.

Information: https://agrelationscouncil.org/agricultural-relations-council-annual-meeting

November 17-19, 2021

“Harvesting News for Rural America,” Convention of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB) in Kansas City, Missouri.

Information: https://nafb.com

Another twist on life

We close this issue of ACDC News with thanks to veteran agricultural writer Fred Myers. Responding to an insight we cited from Will Rogers in the August issue, he shared with us another “good twist on life.” It also came years ago – from steamy entertainer Mae West:

“You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.”

Offering information and best regards

ACDC is a resource for you, so please 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 and valued international collection. We welcome them in hard copy (sent to Ag Comm Documentation Center, Room 510, 1101 S. Goodwin Avenue, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801) – or in electronic format sent to acdc@library.illinois.edu

ACDC News – Issue 21-09

Posted on September 13, 2021 by Kevin Wiggins

Click here for a printer friendly PDF of this newsletter.

Create theater in the produce department

That’s the advice of Brian Dey, senior merchandiser and natural stores coordinator for wholesaler Four Seasons Produce based in Pennsylvania.

“Create theater, create opportunity, and create sales!” he urged in a 2020 issue of The Packer. He shared two examples of theatrical flair in the produce department. One involved “a big display of fabulous fungi” to celebrate National Mushroom Month. The other was a SugarBee apple extravaganza featuring a SugarBee mascot that greeted and interacted with customers.

“…customers walk away from a great promotion with new insight, product knowledge and a desire to come back for more fun and events at your stores. Another significant benefit is that events like this help strengthen relationships with your wholesalers and their vendor partners.”

You can read the article here.

Advice for delivering effective science communication

It comes from Sam Illingsworth, a professional science communicator in the Faculty of Science and Engineering at Manchester Metropolitan University, United Kingdom. His 2017 review in the journal, Seminars in Cell and Development Biology, presented practical advice for developing, delivering, and evaluating effective science communication initiatives.

It involved “event logistics, suggestions on how to successfully market and advertise your science communication initiatives, and recommendations for establishing effective branding and legacy.”

You can read the article here.

Helping indigenous communities bridge the lingering digital divide

Native American country has largely been ignored when it comes to internet infrastructure, Jessica Douglas reported in the April issue of High Country News. By the end of 2018, only about one-half of tribal lands in the lower 48 states had high-speed Internet access, according to the Federal Communications Commission. However, increased government attention is helping tribes gain opportunity for solutions. A recent report from the national Institute for Local Self-Reliance includes two key features, which Douglas described in her article:

A case study of four indigenous nations as they constructed their own internet service providers
A comprehensive list and map of all the tribally owned broadband projects in Indian Country

You can read “Bridging the digital divide” on pages 7-8 by open access here.

The press and agricultural news: Looking back nearly 80 years

We recently added to the ACDC collection a 1942 article entitled, “The press and agricultural news.” It was published in The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science with William A Sumner, professor of agricultural journalism at the University of Wisconsin, as author.

“There is no question that news of agriculture does now concern everybody,” he noted in introducing the subject. “…Even the most casual survey of newspapers, periodicals, or radio programs reveals a surprising volume of agricultural news.” Sections of his brief historical review feature:

Early agricultural news
Government interest in agricultural news
The first news releases
Influence of Extension workers
The volume of agricultural news
Change in subject matter
A.A.A. (Agricultural Adjustment Act) and the news
Tomorrow’s agricultural news

You can read the article by open access here.

Consumer attitudes, trends, and habits involving food safety

The International Food Information Council provides a 2020 snapshot of perspectives about food safety in a probability sample of 1,000 U.S. adults.

You can review a concise 24-page visual summary of findings here.

Communicator events approaching

Uncertainties of the COVID-19 health issue continue to prompt flexible event planning. Here are plans of which we are aware, with contact information you can use for details.

September 29-30, 2021

Professional development virtual workshop of the Cooperative Communicators Association (CCA). Information: https://communicators.coop/professional-development/workshops

October 4-6, 2021

“Something’s Brewing,” Fall Conference, National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) in St. Louis, Missouri. Information: https://www.nama.org/fall-conference.html

October 8-11, 2021

ScienceWriters2021 of the National Association of Science Writers will take place as a hybrid event with an in-person gathering in Boulder, Colorado, and virtual experiences in the weeks surrounding it.

Information: https://www.nasw.org/events/upcoming

October 8, 2021

Deadline for submitting papers to be presented February 13-14, 2022, at the National Agricultural Communications Symposium in conjunction with the annual meeting of the Southern Association of Agricultural Scientists in New Orleans, Louisiana. Information from Ashley McCloud-Morin via ashleynmccleod@ufl.edu

October 15, 2021

Deadline for submitting professional development papers and sessions at the 2022 National Agricultural Communications Symposium (above). Information from Annie Specht at specht.21@osu.edu

October 22, 2021

Deadline for submitting posters at the 2022 National Agricultural Communications Symposium (above). Information from Shuyang Qu via squ@iastate.edu

October 26-28, 2021

Annual Conference of the Agricultural Relations Council in Richmond, Virginia.

Information: https://agrelationscouncil.org/agricultural-relations-council-annual-meeting

November 17-19, 2021

“Harvesting News for Rural America,” Convention of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB) in Kansas City, Missouri.

Information: https://nafb.com

No smile?

We close this issue of ACDC News with an enduring insight from Will Rogers:

“If you see someone without a smile – give him one of yours.”

Offering information and best regards

ACDC News – Issue 21-08

Posted on August 10, 2021 by Kevin Wiggins

Click here for a printer friendly PDF of this newsletter.

Meeting in the grove, virtually

Index Fresh, Inc., a worldwide marketer of avocados, has found that using an avocado grove as a setting for a virtual meeting breaks the ice during the time of COVID-19. It “has a completely different vibe than in a conference room,” according to a news article in The Packer.

“We can talk about new business opportunities, market trends or just simply how they’re doing because our customers are not just clients, they’re friends.” This “meeting in the grove” concept involves videos and photos from the company’s field department, provided in a relaxed environment.

You can read the article here.

News media sparing audiences the truth

We recently added to the ACDC collection a 2016 Journalism Studies article about the role of news media in constructing perceptions of nonhumans used for food, and their treatment. Researchers Natalie Khazaal and Nuria Almiron compared 60 articles from the New York Times (United States) and El Pais (Spain) during a two-year period using a critical discourse analysis. Results showed that “while both newspapers play a major role in concealing the nonhumans’ cruel reality, a distinction can be drawn between the crude speciesism of El Pais and the camouflaged, more deceptive style of the New York Times.”

You can read the article here.

Tribal nations against “one way” communicating

A recent article in High Country News describes efforts by 11 native Alaska tribes to be involved in the conservation and management of their ancestral lands. They submitted a July 2020 petition to the U. S. Department of Agriculture to create a “Traditional Homelands Conservation Rule.” It represents a new strategy in tribal nations’ ongoing efforts to hold the federal government to its legal responsibility to consult with them on projects that impact them.

“…these battles are not going away,” said one participant. “It is one of the divides, and there has to be bridges. … This will never change unless people are willing to talk to one another.”

You can read the article in the October 2020 issue here.

Sending useful agricultural safety signals

A new poster featuring hand signals for use around agricultural equipment has been added to this ACDC collection. The American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers developed it, with 11 signals to communicate and promote farm safety.

You can read it here.

They devised a game to teach environmental decision-making

We recently added to the ACDC collection a teaching game that can introduce the relationship between industry and the environment. It appeared in a 1995 issue of the journal, Teaching Geography. Authors Clare Brooks and Graham James of the United Kingdom described “The Green Factory Game,” which they had found successful throughout secondary school, and beyond.

Each player in the game manages a factory producing soap powder at a site located outside a large town near a main river. The winner is judged to have succeeded in creating the most environmentally-friendly company.

You can read the four-page description and retrieve the game pieces here.

Welcome, Rachel Riffe, to the ACDC

We are delighted to welcome Rachel Riffe as the newest graduate assistant in the Agricultural Communications Documentation Center. She is a candidate for a graduate degree in information sciences from the ISchool here at the University of Illinois.

Rachel earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication from Berea College, Berea, Kentucky, where she gained experience in repair and cataloging at Hutchins Library. She has worked in billing and account setup for Aramark Financial Services.

Communicator events approaching

Uncertainties of the COVID-19 health issue continue to prompt flexible event planning. Here are plans of which we are aware, with contact information you can use for details.

September 16-18, 2021

“Back in the Saddle,” Equine Media Conference of American Horse Publications Association in Irving, Texas. Information:

https://americanhorsepubs.org/2021-ahp-back-in-the-saddle-conference/

September 23-25, 2021

“Risky business.” National conference of the Canadian Farm Writers Federation in Windsor, Ontario. Information: https://cfwf.ca/

October 4-6, 2021

“Something’s Brewing,” Fall Conference, National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) in St. Louis, Missouri. Information: https://www.nama.org/fall-conference.html

October 8-11, 2021

October 26-28, 2021

Annual Conference of the Agricultural Relations Council in Richmond, Virginia. Information: https://agrelationscouncil.org/agricultural-relations-council-annual-meeting/

November 17-19, 2021

“Harvesting News for Rural America,” Convention of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB) in Kansas City, Missouri. Information: https://nafb.com

With whom one should speak

We close this issue of ACDC News with a Danish proverb that offers advice about communicating. Julie Jensen McDonald included it in her published collection, Scandinavian Proverbs:

One should speak

little with others and

much with oneself.

Offering information and best regards

ACDC News – Issue 21-07

Posted on July 7, 2021 by Kevin Wiggins

Click here for a printer friendly PDF of this newsletter.

A self-sustaining agri extension service: success in Rwanda

Implementation of a self-sustaining agricultural extension system in Rwanda has had “strong impact on agricultural development through motivation and increasing trainings of farmer promoters.” That was the conclusion of research reported in the Journal of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development. A research team used project reports, interviews, and focus groups to assess the effectiveness of Farmer Field Schools and Farmer Promoters as Rwanda implemented a self-sustaining extension system. This decentralized, pluralistic approach involved many actors from the public and private sector playing different roles through agriculture committees at community, sector, district, province, and national levels.

You can read the article by open access here.

Organic sizzling during COVID-19

Sales of organic produce in the U.S. last year accounted for nearly $8 billion, “a whopping 15% increase over 2019.” That report came recently from Tom Karst, editor of The Packer trade periodical. It was based on data gathered for the 2021 Organic Produce Market Guide.

“…one of the most striking observations about the pandemic year was the surprisingly strong performance of organic produce. … Organic produce sales benefited from more people staying home to cook and taking an interest in their health and the world around them.”

You can read details in the full edition here.

Proclamation honors Orion Samuelson

We have added to the ACDC collection a December 2020 proclamation from the Secretary of the U. S. Department of Agriculture to retiring farm broadcaster Orion Samuelson. The proclamation honors and celebrates his journalistic integrity, persistence, and support of American farmers during a remarkable career of nearly 70 years, including 60 years of agricultural broadcasting at WGN, Chicago, Illinois.

You can read the full proclamation here.

“Sunshine” law needed for food, environmental, other sciences?

Recently we added to the ACDC collection a commentary about that question. Journalist Paul Thacker proposed a “sunshine law that would expose all sorts of conflicts of interest and industry manipulation that skew research on food, synthetic chemicals, pesticides, genetic technology, and the climate.” Working in the U.S. Senate a decade ago, he had helped draft and pass the Physician Payments Sunshine Act. “The law requires companies to report monies and gifts they give physicians, which are known to influence what doctors prescribe or promote. Thanks to the Sunshine Act, you can look up doctors on a public database to see who is paying them and how much. Several other countries have passed or are considering similar laws.”

You can read this three-page piece from “Radio Free” here.

“Consumer perspectives on vitamins, minerals and food and beverage fortification”

That title introduces a new 29-page research report we have added to ACDC from the International Food Information Council. Findings were based on interviews with 1,023 U.S. adults during early March. Among the findings:

Foods (56%) and dietary supplements (49%) were the most commonly sought-out sources of vitamins and minerals.
Of those who seek out specific vitamins and/or minerals, the Nutrition Facts label (46%) and front-of-package label (41%) were top sources of information.
General health/wellness and immune health were top reasons respondents said they sought out specific vitamins and/or minerals.
Most people have heard the term “fortification,” but only one in four reported knowing at least a fair amount about it.

You can read the full report here.

Communicator events approaching

Uncertainties of the COVID-19 health issue continue to prompt flexible event planning. Here are plans of which we are aware, with contact information you can use for details.

July 20-22, 2021

“Breaking New Ground.” 2021 Agri-Marketing Conference in Kansas City, Missouri.

Information: https://nama.org/agri-marketing-conference.html

September 23-25

“Risky business.” National conference of the Canadian Farm Writers Federation in Windsor, Ontario.

DocNews21-07Information: https://cfwf.ca/

October 4-6, 2021

Fall Conference, National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) in St. Louis, Missouri.

Information: https://www.nama.org/fall-conference.html

November 17-19, 2021

“A Trusted Friend to Agriculture.” Convention of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB) in Kansas City, Missouri.

Information: https://nafb.com

Best way to give advice

We close this issue of ACDC News with special thanks to ACDC Associate Paul Hixson. He recently shared an interesting list of folk wisdom and humor. It features 28 pieces of “Old Farmer’s Advice.”

Here’s a challenging thought for July about communicating effectively:

“Words that soak into your ears are whispered…not yelled.”

Offering information, regards and wishes

ACDC News – Issue 21-06

Posted on June 11, 2021 by Kevin Wiggins

Click here for a printer friendly PDF of this newsletter.

“Very little training exists” in environmental journalism

Researcher H. C. Schmidt offered that conclusion in 2017 after analyzing college-level journalism programs in the U.S. The author’s three-component data collection framework involved all colleges and universities in the United States with journalism or mass communications programs, feedback from about 2,000 student staff members of the campus newspapers at those colleges, and nearly 50,000 news articles from those campus newspapers.

Findings indicated that almost 80% of those programs offered no courses described as directly or indirectly about the environment. At the same time, almost 80% of the surveyed students said they thought such coursework is somewhat to very important. Also, fewer than 2% of the analyzed news articles in those campus newspapers involved environmental topics, with quality assessed as “generally poor and superficial.”

You can read the research summary of “Training tomorrow’s environmental journalists” in a 2017 issue of Applied Environmental Education and Communication here.

Where honey fits into public trends these days

The 2019 Annual Report of the U.S. National Honey Board includes information about where honey fits into emerging culinary and environmental trends among consumers, retailers, ingredient manufacturers, and foodservice chefs.

“They’re interested in clean-label foods and have a growing passion for discovering new, global flavors,” according to this report. It features the changing honey industry and Board marketing program.

You can read it here.

Three needed research areas to improve discourse and action for reducing food waste and loss

A 2020 article in Food and Foodways documented need and opportunity for food researchers to do so. Through a literature scan, researchers Kelly Hodgins and Kate Parizeau analyzed nine food systems journals, looking for mentions of “food waste” and “food loss.” They found that “reference to this important topic is growing within food studies but is still a marginal concept.” They cited value in international and multicultural research, “as both waste and food systems vary across place and are deeply embedded in local cultures.”

You can read the abstract with terms and conditions for full-text access and use here.

Cited opportunities for extension services in aiding water-efficient irrigation of cotton

A team of researchers from Texas and Louisiana recently placed special emphasis on opportunities for the cooperative extension service to help cotton growers irrigate more effectively. This emphasis emerged from findings of their producer survey and regression analysis involving 14 cotton-growing states of the Southern Plains region of the U.S.

You can read their article in this 2018 issue of the journal, Water.

Communicator events approaching

Uncertainties of the COVID-19 health issue continue to prompt flexible event planning. Here are plans of which we are aware, with contact information you can use for details.

June 21-23, 2021

“Elevating Voices.” Virtual conference of the Association for Communication Excellence in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Life and Human Sciences (ACE).

Information: https://aceweb.org/conference

July 20-22, 2021

“Breaking New Ground.” 2021 Agri-Marketing Conference in Kansas City, Missouri. Information: https://nama.org/agri-marketing-conference.html

October 4-6, 2021

Fall Conference, National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) in St. Louis, Missouri. Information: https://www.nama.org/fall-conference.html

On writing tight

We close this issue of ACDC News with a Danish proverb that may resonate with agricultural journalists who must wrestle often with the challenge of covering complex topics concisely and clearly. Julie Jensen McDonald included it in her published collection, “Scandinavian Proverbs:”

What you cannot say briefly

you do not know.

Best regards and wishes

ACDC News – Issue 21-05

Posted on May 11, 2021 by Kevin Wiggins

Click here for a Printer Friendly PDF of this newsletter.

“A bitter toast at Press Freedom Day”

We are adding to the ACDC Collection a statement of concern from the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists during International Press Freedom Day on May 3. It comes from the IFAJ Press Freedom Committee.

“…there is a risk that the toast we raise this year is a bitter one, and there are several reasons to believe that the situation is not better for agricultural journalists than for journalists in other sectors.” Committee members noted:
• The global situation for democracy has been declining during the past 15 years, according to the 2021 “Freedom in the World” report from Freedom House.
• Public distrust of journalists nowadays does not make our jobs easier.
• Can we report independently about food supply?
• “…journalists in free countries protected by national and international rules have to support and encourage colleagues working under pressure…in countries without freedom to express themselves independently.”

You can read the full statement here.

The press needs educational extension as much as educational extension needs the press

A.E. Winship offered that perspective in 1916 at a meeting of the National Education Association. Lectures, bulletins, circulars, letters of appeal have their place, he acknowledged, “but they in no wise take the place in educational extension work that is done by a subscribed-for, paid-for publication.” An example reported how an audience member at an Illinois convention shared a U.S. Department of Agriculture representative’s talk with a New York paper. It resulted in more than 12,000 letters asking for about 100,000 various USDA bulletins.

You can read this brief Journal of Education article here.

Moving beyond risk communication in the food complex

More innovative and creative communication strategies are needed to engage with consumers, according to researchers in a recent issue of Science of Food. Conventional risk communication will not succeed on its own, said researchers Patrick Wall and Junshi Chen. They urged moving to a broader platform of food information communication and consumer engagement.

“The competencies of social scientists are needed to assist in gaining insights into consumer perceptions of risk, and in understanding consumer behaviour and the determinants of trust.”

You can read the article here.

Embrace mistakes as learning opportunities

Agricultural educator Anna Warner offered that advice in a 2019 Agricultural Education article we have added to the ACDC collection. The approach builds on embracing mistakes and involves cultivating scientific literacy through seven strategies:
• Foundational literacy using math, reading and visual literacy
• Knowledge of scientific terms, concepts and facts about a topic
• Understanding how scientists do science
• Identifying and judging appropriate scientific expertise
• Knowing how scientific practices support scientific claims
• Cultural understanding of science; impact of science in society
• Dispositions and habits of mind about science

You can gain access to the article here which begins on page Eighteen. Or confer with us at acdc@library.illinois.edu

Awareness of climate change and risks among smallholder farmers in areas of rain-fed agriculture

Research among smallholder farmers in Zambia revealed that 77% were aware of climate change and the risks it poses to agriculture, according to a 2020 article in Agronomy.
• However, awareness levels varied considerably, by district (from 54% to 91%)
• Need exists for more vigorous efforts to promote awareness and provide information about ways in which producers can adapt in their settings
• Findings identified radio and agricultural extension as especially positive and meaningful sources of climate information for them

You can read “Are they aware, and why?” by open access.

Communicator events approaching

Uncertainties of the COVID-19 health issue continue to prompt flexible event planning. Here are plans of which we are aware, with contact information you can use for details.

May 20-22, 2021
“Back in the Saddle” American Horse Publications Equine Media Conference for members, in Irving, Texas. AHP is celebrating 50 years.
Information: https://www.americanhorsepubs.org/ahp-annual-conference/

June 6-9, 2021
“Connect. Create. Achieve” 2021 Institute of the Cooperative Communicators Association (CCA) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Information at: https://communicators.coop/professional-development/cca-institute

July 20-22, 2021
“Breaking New Ground.” 2021 Agri-Marketing Conference in Kansas City, Missouri.

Information: https://nama.org/agri-marketing-conference.html

June 21-23, 2021
“Elevating Voices.” Virtual conference of the Association for Communication Excellence in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Life and Human Sciences (ACE). Information: https://aceweb.org/conference

A bumper crop of food writing honors

We close this issue of ACDC News with a third winner in the 2020 Bullwer-Lytton Fiction Contest. As mentioned earlier, Bullwer-Lytton is a whimsical literary competition that challenges entrants to compose opening sentences to the worst of all possible novels. The English Department at San Jose State University has sponsored it since 1982. The winning entry in the Purple Prose category caught our attention because it featured communicating about food. Congratulations to author Candy Mosely of Hydro, Oklahoma:

“The biker gang roared into the parking lot of the bar and grill like a troop of howler monkeys trying to lure mates, the gravel beneath the tires of their well-oiled bikes crunching like the dill pickle spears the place served alongside their famous tuna salad, BLT, and Reuben sandwiches.”

Best regards and wishes

ACDC News – Issue 21-04

Posted on April 13, 2021 by Kevin Wiggins

Click here for a Printer Friendly PDF of this newsletter.

“What Hollywood can teach researchers about scientific storytelling”

Screenwriting classes and a TV production internship have boosted the science communication skills of Josh Ettinger, author of this 2020 career column in Nature. As a PhD candidate at the University of Oxford, UK, he suggested that scientists should learn from screenwriters, who are experts in creating narratives.

You can read the advice he offered from his screenwriting experience here.

When academic reports become media narratives: bridging the language gap

A viewpoint article we have added from the journal Food Policy called attention to that gap. It appeared through an examination of ethics in the practice of agricultural and applied economics. University-based agricultural and resource economists Anna Josephson and Jeffrey Michler discussed ethical issues that arise during the collection, management, and analysis of data. They also addressed ethical issues that agricultural and applied economists face as they formulate, fund, and disseminate their research.

“Bridging the ‘language gap’ between researchers and journalists is key to reducing distortions introduced when academic stories become media narratives,” the authors emphasized. They suggested “working to educate both sides of the discourse” as a way to help ensure less information is lost in translation.

You can read the article by open access here.

Environmental journalists speak out about racial equality in news organizations

“The Society of Environmental Journalists stands with journalists of color who are shedding light on systemic racism, inequities, and discrimination inside and outside of the newsroom.” This statement introduced a declaration which SEJ adopted recently.

You can read the two-page document here.

Strong potentials for academic libraries in partnering with communities

Libraries at colleges and universities are uniquely well suited to become a productive force for researcher-community partnerships, according to a 2021 research report we have added to the ACDC collection. In findings reported in the Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement, a team of researchers concluded that academic libraries can:

Offer expertise in teaching research inquiry skills
Facilitate collaborative work throughout the research process
Provide space and other material resources for research
Curate the “too-often-hidden intellectual resource of research support staff”

You can read this journal article by open access here.

How not to write about African cuisines: a guide for American food journalism

We have added to the ACDC collection a research essay with suggestions for broadening the American culinary canon. Writing in Gastronomica: The Journal for Food Studies, Naa Baako Ako-Adjei observed that despite some broadening of the American palate, Americans have shown little interest in the cuisines of Sub-Saharan Africa. Noted reason: “…limited and often stereotyped representations of African cuisines by food journalists and restaurant reviewers in newspapers and gourmet food magazines.”

“…it is important that food journalists not reinforce stereotypes about African cuisines, such as that they are undifferentiated from one another or that they are interchangeable with Southern cuisine (or Brazilian or Caribbean cuisines). Also, discussions about war and famine in restaurant reviews should no longer be axiomatic.”

You can read the essay by open access here.

Communicator events approaching

Uncertainties of the COVID-19 health issue continue to prompt flexible event planning. Here are plans of which we are aware, with contact information you can use for details.

May 20-22, 2021

“Back in the Saddle” American Horse Publications Equine Media Conference for members, in Irving, Texas. AHP is celebrating 50 years.

Information: https://www.americanhorsepubs.org/ahp-annual-conference/

June 6-9, 2021

“Connect. Create. Achieve” 2021 Institute of the Cooperative Communicators Association (CCA) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Information at: https://communicators.coop/professional-development/cca-institute

July 20-22, 2021

“Breaking New Ground.” 2021 Agri-Marketing Conference in Kansas City, Missouri.

Information: https://nama.org/agri-marketing-conference.html

June 21-23, 2021

“Elevating Voices.” Virtual conference of the Association for Communication Excellence in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Life and Human Sciences (ACE).

Information: https://aceweb.org/conference

Swedish writer wins Science Fiction Award

We close this issue of ACDC News with a second winner in the 2020 Bullwer-Lytton Fiction Contest. As mentioned last month, it is a whimsical literary competition that challenges entrants to compose opening sentences to the worst of all possible novels. The English Department at San Jose State University has sponsored it since 1982. This winning entry in the Science Fiction category caught our attention because it featured communicating about food. It came from David Hynes of Bromma, Sweden:

“You folks from outa town?” inquired waitress Ginny, shifting her wad of gum, notepad at the ready to take orders, while the slime-green, scale-covered, three-eyed members of the Dzznks family, who had traveled many a parsec from their rock planet home in the Large Magellanic Cloud, rubbering their eyes over the menu in Buck’s Diner, wondered if ‘grits” tasted just as good as they sounded.”

Best regards and wishes

ACDC News – Issue 21-03

Posted on March 10, 2021 by Kevin Wiggins

Click here for a Printer Friendly PDF of this newsletter.

Environmental freelancing during COVID-19

Several timely themes emerged from an international panel webinar about this subject, as reported in the August 12 e-newsletter of the Society of Environmental Journalists (SEJ):

Finding stories
Staying afloat
Professional development
Pitching stories
Protecting your health
The future of freelancing

You can read the news summary by Karen Schaefer here.

“Agriculture’s new name game”

A 2018 editorial in CropLife magazine noted how names are changing as “many sectors of the ag business have been engaged in a series of mergers, consolidations, and outright buy-ups. “ Editor Eric Sfiligoj mentioned several examples of names changed and names dropped. He concluded: “As always, only time will tell how long-standing any of these new names end up being.”

You can read this editorial by open access here.

Lessons on rural development communication from the writings of Mahatma Gandhi

Four recommendations emerged from researcher Pratima Mutyala’s search for such lessons. She used literature review and comparative analysis to reveal conceptual links between contemporary literature on participatory communication and Indian freedom fight leader Mahatma Gandhi’s writings about rural development. Findings reported in a 2019 issue of the Journal for Development Communication emphasized these ingredients for development efforts:

Participatory orientation of beneficiaries
Thorough research into the development issue in the context of a given community
Involvement of local people at every stage of the project
Orientation for development officers and volunteers

You can read the article by online open access here.

Fresh signs of sparse media reporting about farm safety

A 2020 article in the Journal of Agromedicine featured evidence in Canada that preventive messages are rare in media reporting of farm injuries – and have decreased over time. The team of public health researchers used 2010-2017 information in a database maintained by the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA). It gathers publicly available news media reports of agricultural injuries and fatalities.

This analysis identified 856 relevant articles during the period, only 6.3% of which included a preventive message. Fewer than 3% contained what was considered a strong preventive message that provided appropriate advice, information for services, or prevention strategies. A prior study (based on 2007-2009 CASA data) had found that 24% of identified articles included a preventive message, with 10% of them considered strong.

You can read the abstract with terms and conditions for full-text access at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1059924X.2020.1720881. Or confer with us at acdc@library.illinois.edu

Environmental journalists speak out about racial equality in news organizations

You can read the two-page document here.

Communicator events approaching

Uncertainties of the COVID-19 health issue continue to prompt flexible event planning. Here are plans of which we are aware, with contact information you can use for details.

April 12-15, 2021

“Mediterranean Agriculture, Food and Environment.” Annual conference of the Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education (AIAEE) in Thessaloniki, Greece.

Information: https://aiaee2021.wordpress.com/

May 20-22, 2021

“Back in the Saddle” American Horse Publications Equine Media Conference for members, in Irving, Texas. AHP is celebrating 50 years.

Information: https://www.americanhorsepubs.org/ahp-annual-conference/

June 6-9, 2021

“Meet up in Milwaukee” 2021 Institute of the Cooperative Communicators Association in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Information at: https://communicators.coop/professional-development/cca-institute

June 21-23, 2021

“Elevating Voices.” Virtual conference of the Association for Communication Excellence in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Life and Human Sciences (ACE)

Information: https://aceweb.org/Conference

Writing entry related to food earns 2020 Grand Prize

We close this issue of ACDC News with the Grand Prize entry in the 2020 Bullwer-Lytton Fiction Contest. You may recall the contest as we monitor it regularly. It is a whimsical literary competition that challenges entrants to compose opening sentences to the worst of all possible novels. The English Department at San Jose State University has sponsored it since 1982. This Grand Prize entry catches our eye because it involves communicating about food. Congratulations to winning author Lisa Kluber of San Francisco, California:

“Her Dear John missive flapped unambiguously in the windy breeze, hanging like a pizza menu on the doorknob of my mind.”

Best regards and wishes

ACDC News – Issue 21-02

Posted on February 12, 2021 by Kevin Wiggins

Click here for a Printer Friendly PDF of this newsletter.

Hearty welcome to Eric Morgan

On January 2, Dr. Eric Morgan became a faculty member in the Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communications (ALEC) Program at the University of Illinois. He will work with colleagues in advancing the agricultural communications curriculum (undergraduate and graduate), teaching courses, and helping students and professionals communicate effectively and grow in their careers.

Eric joins from New Mexico State University where he led the Department of Communication Studies. His research and teaching interests center on intercultural, environmental, and science communication. His doctoral dissertation at the University of Massachusetts involved communication about the environment in the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts and he has received the Tarla Rae Peterson Book Award in Environmental Communication as co-editor of Environmental Communication Pedagogy and Practice. His teaching honors include the Donald C. Roush Award for Teaching Excellence at New Mexico State University and national recognition for expanding opportunities for students to gain intercultural communication experience abroad.

“I am very excited that Dr. Morgan is joining our team,” reports ALEC Director David Rosch. “He possesses multiple decades of experience as a scholar of communication, which will provide great complementary with the rest of our faculty and allow us to teach an ever-broader range of courses to students than we have in the past.”

“Why general artificial intelligence will not be realized”

University of Bergen (Norway) researcher Ragnar Fjelland published an article of that title in a 2020 issue of Humanities and Social Sciences Communications. It focuses on the distinction between artificial narrow intelligence (ANI) and artificial general intelligence (AGI).

“…although development of artificial intelligence for specific purposes has been impressive, we have not come much closer to developing artificial general intelligence,” Fjelland observed. Nor does he expect it.

You can read this article by open access here.

Recent data on views of food consumers about plant alternatives to animal meat

A 2020 survey among adult U.S. consumers identified their views about the healthfulness and labeling of plant alternatives to animal meat. Among the findings:

After comparing nutrition information, more respondents said the plant alternative is healthier than ground beef
Vitamin and mineral information was most influential for those who said the plant alternative is more healthy
Sodium content was most influential for those who said ground beef is more healthy
40% said a burger made from plants is healthier than one made from ground beef
66% identified themselves as omnivores

You can read the 43-page report from the International Food Information Council here.

Learning to listen from the margins: toward justice for marginalized women farmers

Findings reported during early 2020 in Communication Theory emphasized communicative justice through voluntary village-level associations of cooperating women farmers from low-income households. Researchers Mohan Dutta and Jagadish Thaker moved beyond diffusion theory and the long-dominant “patriarchal construction of development as a catalyst for economic growth.” They presented results of a culture-centered collaboration in a village in Andhra Pradesh, India. The participating women conceived, designed, and delivered their development effort, based on their knowledge of sustainable agricultural practices in their lived experiences. They managed:

agricultural resources (land, seed bank, and an alternative public distribution system) and
communicative infrastructures (community radio programming, advocacy, interventions)

Considerations and experiences reported in this article may be relevant and useful in any culture. You can read “Sustainability, ecology, and agriculture in women farmers’ voices” online by open access.

Greater potentials for partnerships of science and graphic arts

A pilot project testing collaboration between scientists and graphic designers “paid off in terms of powerfully communicated graphic art and scientists’ clearer conceptualization of their own work.” Authors of this 2019 article in Communications Biology described their project and offered recommendations. They concluded that the benefits of scientist-artist collaborations far outweigh their costs of time and effort.

“They will reach audiences that research literature never will. As such, they are a tremendous asset in a time when the increased politicization of complex scientific issues, such as the future of food and nutrition security, necessitates the communication of science to society in ways that are accessible and engaging.”

You can read the article here.

“Food delivery apps deliver, but at what cost?”

Panelists in a recent session of the Produce Marketing Association addressed the pros and cons of restaurant food delivery apps such as Grubhub, DoorDash and Postmates. We have added a news report about it from a July 22 issue of The Packer.

You can read the article here.

Communicator events approaching

Uncertainties of the COVID-19 health issue continue to prompt flexible event planning. Here are plans of which we are aware, with contact information you can use for details.

April 12-15, 2021

“Mediterranean Agriculture, Food and Environment.” Annual conference of the Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education (AIAEE) in Thessaloniki, Greece.

Information: https://aiaee2021.wordpress.com/

May 20-22, 2021

“Back in the Saddle” American Horse Publications Equine Media Conference for members, in Irving, Texas. AHP celebrating 50 years.

Information: https://www.americanhorsepubs.org/ahp-annual-conference/

June 21-23, 2021

“Elevating Voices.” Virtual conference of the Association for Communication Excellence in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Life and Human Sciences (ACE)

Information: https://aceweb.org/Conference

A global moral insight for small-town living

We close this issue of ACDC News with an observation from Will Rogers:

“All people smile in the same language.”

Best regards and wishes for your year ahead

ACDC is a resource for you, so please 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 and valuable international 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 acdc@library.illinois.edu

ACDC News – Issue 21-01

Posted on January 8, 2021 by Kevin Wiggins

Click here for a Printer Friendly PDF of this newsletter.

Hearty welcome to Owen Roberts

On December 1, Dr. Owen Roberts became a faculty member in the Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communications (ALEC) Program at the University of Illinois. He will be working with colleagues in advancing the agricultural communications curriculum (undergraduate and graduate), teaching courses, and helping students and professionals communicate effectively and grow in their careers.

Owen brings to this effort his experience as president of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) and 30-plus years of honored communications and journalism experience at the University of Guelph. Located near Toronto in Ontario, it is Canada’s leading agricultural university. His professional connections range broadly from the Association of Communication Excellence (ACE) and AAEA –The Ag Communicators Network in the U. S. to agricultural journalist organizations throughout the world. As well, he strengthens the worldwide mission of the Agricultural Communications Documentation Center. His University of Illinois e-mail address is oroberts@illinois.edu.

“We in ALEC are tremendously excited to have Dr. Roberts join our team,” reports Director David Rosch. “Our Illinois students will be well served by the breadth of his professional experiences and perspectives in agricultural communications.”

COVID-19 has “brought the restaurant to your home. And that’s here to stay.”

This message greeted participants in “Foodservice: delivered,” a recent virtual conference of the Produce Marketing Association. The four panelists emphasized that once the foodservice industry re-emerges from the coronavirus shutdowns, it will be changed forever. They offered examples and advice about how the industry can make sure the change is for the better.

“Think of ways to serve,” an executive chef urged, for example. “When we think about what it means to be in hospitality, it means to serve. This is a call to action.”

You can read the 2020 news article in The Packer by open access here. We are actively adding documents about the communications aspects of COVID-19, globally.

Mutual influence – best for communicating about nature

In communicating with others, our influence on them affects how much we are influenced by them. A research team from Germany and the United Kingdom reported evidence of this tendency in a recent issue of Nature Communications.

Using an experimental perceptual task, they found that participants took more advice from the partner who took more advice from them. “…we showed that reciprocity is both a dynamic process and is abolished when people believed they interacted with a computer. Reciprocal social influence is a signaling medium for human-to-human communication that goes beyond aggregation of evidence for decision improvement.”

You can read this journal article by open access here.

What every ag and food communicator should know

Lyle E. Orwig summed up four decades of learning last month as he retired from Charleston|Orwig (now C.O.nxt), a communication agency he founded, Hartland, Wisconsin. His career adventures took him from what associates described as “the farm fields of Illinois to the most influential circles within food and agriculture.”

You can read 12 top takeaways from Lyle’s distinguished career here.

How behavioral sciences can promote health, safety and self-governance in today’s risky online ecosystem

Major web platforms “have deep knowledge of users’ behavior, whereas users know little about how their data is collected, how it is exploited for commercial or political purposes, or how it and the data of others are used to shape their online experience.” A four-nation research team offered that perspective in a 2020 article in Nature Human Behavior. They identified untapped technological cues and competencies needed to help promote truth, autonomy, and democratic discourse.

You can read the article by open access here.

Communicator events approaching

Uncertainties of the COVID-19 health issue continue to prompt flexible event planning. Here are plans of which we are aware, with contact information you can use for details.

January 22, 2021

Deadline for research papers for presentation at the 2021 ACE Conference (held virtually) June 21-22. Contact: Research Director Garrett Steede at gsteede@umn.edu

February 2-3, 2021 (online/virtual symposium rescheduled from on-site)

National Agricultural Communications Symposium (NACS) will feature (1) research or professional papers and (2) research and innovative ideas posters.

Information about papers: Dr. Shuyant Qu at squ@iastate.edu Information about posters: Annie Specht at specht.21@osu.edu

February 12, 2021

a)Deadline for research proposals to the Research and Academic Programs Learning Community for presentation at the 2021 ACE Conference (held virtually) June 21-22. Contact: Vice Chair Laura Fischer at laura.fischer@ttu.edu

b)Deadline for posters. Contact: Secretary Shannon Norris at norriss@nmsu.edu

c)Deadline for theses and dissertations. Contact: Vice Chair Laura Fischer at laura.fischer@ttu.edu

April 12-15, 2021

“Mediterranean Agriculture, Food and Environment.” Annual conference of the Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education (AIAEE) in Thessaloniki, Greece.

Information: https://aiaee2021.wordpress.com/

Sixteen hints on how to be your own weather prophet

We close this issue of ACDC News with some weather wisdom from a century ago. The “Reflections Farm and Food History” website of Farms.com features 16 hints published in a 1919 issue of The Farmer’s Advocate. They were attributed to the New York Sun. Here are a couple samples:

“A foggy morning is usually the forerunner of a clear afternoon.”
“A ring around the moon means a storm is coming soon.”

You can read the 14 others here.

Best regards and wishes for your year ahead

ACDC is a resource for you, so please 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 and valuable international 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 acdc@library.illinois.edu