| Inspiring Leading-edge Communications through Practical Training By Joanne Falk The world of communications is filled with reporters, photographers, writers, spokespeople, columnists, editors, and others working in various mediums. Committing to any one of these jobs requires dedication, training and hard work. But can you imagine tackling all of these roles at once? Well, nine students at the University of Guelph have chosen to do just that. We are the first group to enroll in the Graduate-level Diploma program in Agricultural Communications. This distance education program is the first of its kind in North America, and we're learning more than we ever could have imagined from a team of world-class instructors. Despite concerns about the investment of time and energy, when combined with our full-time jobs, we knew the return on our investment would be significant. Although we each work in different areas of the agricultural sector (three of us are famers, three are involved in business and marketing and three are professional communicators), we are all driven by a common goal - to more effectively communicate with our audience. This program is designed to help us achieve that goal. Our 16-month journey began in September 2007, when we met for the first time and were put to work right away by our lead instructor and the program's academic coordinator, Owen Roberts. As a long-time agricultural communications instructor and administrator at the University of Guelph, Owen was instrumental in designing and implementing the program, with guidance from his academic, communication and journalism colleagues in Canada and abroad, in the agri-food sector and elsewhere. Our initial task was to pitch a story to Ed Cassavoy, senior news editor at the The Toronto Star, who joined us in Guelph for part of the one-week residential session that kicked off the program. Trying to convince him, in a 30-second proposal, to print an agricultural story in an urban newspaper was a big challenge. His feedback was candid, creative and crucial to our understanding of the way messages are positioned to reach target audiences. What we say or, more importantly, how we say it changes depending on whether we're focusing on industry organizations, government agencies, special interest groups or consumers. Environmental and health concerns are becoming more important than ever to the public, and agricultural communicators need to be mindful of whether or not our messages are meaningful to those we're trying to reach. This was made clear again during a session in which Ed taught us writing for the Web. Next on the list was the realm of the professional photographer, and we couldn't have asked for a better instructor than Kyle Rodriguez for day two of our residency. I have a much greater appreciation for the skill involved in taking a print-worthy photo after spending time with Kyle on a photojournalism field trip to Canada's Outdoor Farm Show. Approaching strangers and asking permission to photograph their activities at the show was a daunting task, but also a significant confidence-building exercise. With no rest for the weary, on our third day of residency we entered the blogging world. In an on-campus computer lab, we created our own blogs and committed to posting at least twice a week for the duration of the program. Chuck Zimmerman of ZimmComm New Media in the United States is a premiere blogger, working with a long list of international clients, including Pioneer Hi-Bred Ltd., Fleishman-Hillard and Farm Credit Canada, to promote interest in agricultural issues and events. His guidance in designing and launching our sites was the key to our success as bloggers. We may have been skeptics at the start, but I think we all appreciate the power of the Internet for communications, and see the value in being able to express opinions or report on issues in real time. Although there are always topics to write about, we are challenged with keeping things fresh and finding new angles for our stories. In addition to hands-on training with experts in various mediums, the online portion of the program focuses on different types of writing, including news releases, columns, op-ed pieces and ghost-writing. We've interviewed industry stakeholders for profiles and news stories, and faced the challenge of capturing their thoughts and creating objective, yet interesting, pieces. As well, we've had the chance to review the work of classmates, allowing us a glimpse into the life of an editor, meeting deadlines, ensuring quality and providing valuable feedback. Ethics in agricultural communications is a key component of the program and, although we haven't reached this study area yet, I am really happy that it is included. The importance of maintaining a high standard for ourselves and our work should always be first and foremost in our minds. In a broader sense, the program is teaching us to think in new ways, to view things from different perspectives, and to turn communication challenges into opportunities. I can't think of a better way for communication professionals to hone their skills, and strengthen their ability to convey the issues and opportunities in agriculture to a broader audience. Joanne Falk is director of communications for the George Morris Centre, Canada's independent agri-food think tank. Her blog is http://agwords.wordpress.com/. Deadline for 2008-2009 Guelph Program is April 30 The deadline for applying for the next Agricultural Communications Diploma Program at the University of Guelph is April 30. For more information, visit www.agcommunications.ca. "Americans, and others outside of Canada, are most welcome in the program," says Owen Roberts, academic coordinator of the diploma program and long-time member of AAEA. In fact, the program has a strong U.S. component. Two of the four instructors are Americans, Drs. Ricky Telg and Tracy Irani from the University of Florida. Dr. Kris Boone, head of agricultural communications at Kansas State University (and an AAEA member), is on Guelph's advisory committee. And Roberts himself is halfway through a doctoral program in agricultural education and communication, offered jointly through Texas A&M and Texas Tech. "There is indeed a strong cross-border influence in this program," says Roberts. Structurally, the Guelph program has three, one-week residency requirements, during the 16-month program. "We had only scheduled two originally, but after the first session last September, the students were anxious to get back together again," says Roberts. "So, we're putting on another at the end of March." If you have more questions, contact Roberts at: Celebrate National Ag Day! Celebrate National Agriculture Day on March 20, 2008, and support the row crop farmers, fruit and vegetable producers, food scientists, livestock ranchers, equipment manufacturers and others who will take our country's agriculture industry into the future. National Agriculture Day is organized by the Agriculture Council of America (ACA). ACA is a nonprofit organization composed of leaders in the agricultural, food and fiber community, dedicating its efforts to increasing the public's awareness of agriculture's role in modern society. For more information visit www.agday.org, call (913) 491-1895, or e-mail info@agday.org. Meister Media Worldwide Realigns Meister Media Worldwide announced a structural reorganization in management to more effectively leverage its strengths and capitalize on growth opportunities: Michael L. DeLuca, becomes Vice President of Sales and Integrated Marketing, with management responsibility across Meister's business teams, including Cotton, CropLife, Fruit and Vegetable, Ornamental and Latin America. DeLuca was formerly handling digital media developments for Meister and before that held roles at Advanstar and Priceline. Joe Monahan takes on the role of Director, XChange events, and also Group Publisher for Meister's Fruit and Vegetable Group, with media brands including American Fruit Grower, American Vegetable Grower, Florida Grower and two live events: Indian River Citrus Show and Florida Ag Expo. Jim Sulecki becomes Director of E-media for Meister Media Worldwide, overseeing the company's 15 regular e-newsletters, some 21 Web sites, and other new digital ventures. Sulecki formerly directed activities for Cotton and CropLife media groups at Meister. Stewart Doan Joins Agri-Pulse Veteran journalist and broadcaster Stewart Doan has joined the Agri-Pulse editorial team. He will contribute to the e-newsletter as well as provide audio coverage for the Web site. Click here for more background: http://www.agri-pulse.com/uploaded/020608.pdf Top Producer Seminar Sets Record A record number of the nation's most profitable farmers got a view of Ag's New Sizzle at Top Producer's annual seminar in January. The 521 participants discussed and were challenged on topics ranging from commodity marketing to business planning, as well as investment opportunities in the agricultural industry. "Ag's New Sizzle was our theme for this year's conference, and the new sizzle was evident in the number and the professionalism of producers at the event," said Greg Vincent, editor of Top Producer and the architect of this year's event. "It was clear they want to get a handle on the hot opportunities the farm economy provides them, but they also want help managing the greater risks in these unprecedented times." A recap of the event and many of the presentations are available on the Top Producer Web site at www.toproducer.com |