ACDC News – Issue 08-09

Posted on by Nicholas Ferraz de Oliveira

Record-breaking campaign celebrates food that Britain produces .  A news report we have added to the ACDC collection describes results of the national British Food Fortnight campaign that took place September 22-October 7, 2007.  The report gives details about this sixth annual “Buy British” campaign that reached and involved an unprecedented audience.

  • Thousands of food festivals, promotions, exhibits and other events took place.
  • Media coverage included BBC News, Radio 2, ITV, QVC, every national newspaper and publications covering “an enormous breadth of interest groups.”
  • The “Buy British” message was seen or heard more than 300 million times.
  • The BFF website received 5.8 million hits and was visited by 340,000 people.
  • A volunteer network of 9,000 chefs helped schools teach children how to cook.
  • Hundreds of schools organized visits to farms and toured local butchers and greengrocers.
  • Food service organizations put British food on thousands of menus in pubs, restaurants and hospitals.

Title: British Food Fortnight

Related article posted at: www.britishfoodfortnight.co.uk/media-area/press-statements/biggest-ever-national-celebration-of-british-food

Facing the risky side of rural journalism. The International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) recently reported how some journalists covering rural affairs were swept up in danger and conflict during 2007.  This report was based on research we provided through the IFAJ/ACDC partnership for professional development.

You can monitor the experiences of 12 journalists who were killed, arrested, assaulted or otherwise harassed in their efforts to cover rural affairs in nine countries.

Title: Rural coverage risky (again) in 2007

Posted at: http://www.ifaj.org/news/Web%20feature_Journalistdeaths.pdf

“I believe the song is pretty much the same.” In the previous issue of ACDC News we noted a question on the minds of some retired U. S. communicators. They had been invited to consider speaking at a conference of the Association for Communication Excellence in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Life and Human Sciences (ACE) during June. “Have technologies and processes changed so greatly that insights of earlier years now hold little value?” they wondered.  Here are two reactions:

  • “I think that while technology changes, the heart of communicating to the various audiences we reach does not.”  (Joanne Littlefield)
  • “As a bystander from the many years of participating in and watching Agricultural Communication content and methods, I believe the song is pretty much the same.  The technology used to communicate the messages isn’t the message.  The content may be organized somewhat differently, but the sources and users are still much the same.”  (Bill Tedrick)

Your thoughts also are welcomed.  Send them to us at docctr@library.uiuc.edu . (Note: a panel of ACE retirees is scheduled to speak during June at the ACE conference.)

Passing of a pioneer .  We join others in recognizing the life and contributions of William B. Ward who died April 27 at the age of 90. During 26 years as head of what is now the Department of Communication at Cornell University, he provided national and international leadership in education, scholarship and program development in journalism and communication related to agriculture. The unit he led became one of the largest and most emulated of its kind. His book, Reporting Agriculture , was among the early and influential references for professional education in this field.  International experience during his career included service in the Philippines, Argentina, India, Nigeria, Syria, Indonesia, Guatemala and Honduras.

You can learn more about his career at: www.legacy.com/theithacajournal/obituaries.asp?Page=Lifestory&PersonId=108658677

“Acclaimed photo was faked.” That headline from the European Journalism Centre alerted readers to this cautionary tale about ethics in digital natural resource photography:

“An award-winning photograph of a herd of endangered Tibetan antelopes apparently undisturbed by a passing train on the controversial Qinghai-Tibet railway has been exposed as a fake. The image was widely hailed in China as a symbol of harmonious co-existence between man and nature and strong testimony against any adverse effect of the new railway on the animals.”

Title: Acclaimed photo was faked

You can view the report and photo at: http://www.ejc.net/media_news/acclaimed_photo_was_faked

When food consumers fear agro-terrorism. Growing consumer interest in local rather than imported foods is often related to concerns about agro-terrorism, according to research by a team of Rutgers University economists. Their findings revealed that one-third of the consumers they surveyed said the threat of agroterrorism had caused them to think locally when it comes to their produce purchases.  Findings also suggested some specific attributes common among consumers who show such a preference.

Posted at http://dafre.rutgers.edu/documents/ramu/agroterrorism.pdf

Communicator activities approaching

June 10-13, 2008
“Talk to the hand.”  ACE ’08 conference of the Association for Communication Excellence in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Life and Human Sciences, in Traverse City, Michigan.  Information: www.ace08.com
June 19-21, 2008
“Break from the gate in 2008.”  Seminar of American Horse Publications in Saratoga Springs, New York.
June 21-24, 2008
“Hook, line and sinker: restock your communications tackle box.”  Annual Institute of the Cooperative Communicators Association (CCA) in Portland, Maine.
July 14, 2008
“Meeting information and knowledge needs of farmers in Africa through e-Agriculture.”  Seminar of the African Chapter of the International Association of Agricultural Information Specialists (IAALD) in Lusaka, Zambia.
June 23-27, 2008
“Bridges to the future.”  Tenth conference of the Public Communication of Science and Technology (PCST) Network and the Swedish Research Council to be held in Sweden and Denmark. Information: www.vr.se/pcst
July 26-30, 2008
“10th anniversary Ag Media Summit.”  Joint meeting of American Agricultural Editors’ Association (AAEA), Livestock Publications Council (LPC), ABM Agri-Council, Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow (ACT) and Ag Relations Council (ARC).

Insights from the lexophiles (lovers of words). We close this issue of ACDC News with some eye-opening insights that involve food, agriculture and communications.  The contributor of them may wish to remain anonymous. With our apologies:

  • Bakers trade bread recipes on a knead to know basis.
  • He had a photographic memory which was never developed.
  • A boiled egg is hard to beat.
  • A chicken crossing the road – poultry in motion

Can you add to this sad collection?  Send them to us at docctr@library.uiuc.edu .

Best regards and good searching . Please pass along your reactions, suggestions and ideas for the Agricultural Communications Documentation Center. 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 Com Documentation Center, 510 LIAC, 1101 S. Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801) or in electronic format sent to docctr@library.uiuc.edu .

When you see interesting items you cannot find locally or online , get in touch with us. We will help you gain access.