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Key focus areas ahead for grocers
Online grocery shopping is becoming mainstream, according to results of a 2024 survey by VTEX, a commerce platform for business-to-consumer and business-to-business brands and retailers. VTEX surveyed 1,000 U.S. adult consumers and reported:
- 47 percent of respondents said they order 26-50 percent of their groceries online
- 60 percent prefer home delivery for their online grocery orders
This finding “underscores the importance of grocers prioritizing their digital offerings.” It suggests that brands which fail to meet these evolving consumer preferences risk losing market share to more digitally-savvy competitors.
You can read “VTEX survey reveals 69% of consumers” by open access.
Community journalists in Colombia facing hazards
“…journalists across the country face threats to their physical safety, low wages, and stigmatization by public officials,” according to a recent article in LatAm Journalism Review. This journal is published by the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas, University of Texas, Austin.
The most vulnerable are journalists outside major cities, according to author Cesar Lopez Linares, and at least three have been killed across the country this year. “Conflicts and disputes between different actors over territory or control of the population often turn journalists into targets.”
You can read “In rural and small-town Colombia, community journalists face…” by open access.
Honor for a rural television pioneer
Congratulations to Patrick Gottsch, founder of RFD-TV and The Cowboy Channel. The Texas Trail of Fame recently announced that he will be honored with a star on the Texas Trail of Fame in the historic Ft. Worth Stockyards. He joins a “distinguished group of individuals who have made significant contributions to the Western way of life.”
“Patrick’s creation of RFD-TV, the nation’s first 24-hour television network dedicated to rural America, and The Cowboy Channel, focusing on the rich traditions of Western sports, has forever changed the landscape of rural television.”
You can read the Agri-Marketing Update article – “RFD-TV founder Patrick Gottsch inducted into Texas Trail of Fame” – by open access.
Trust in science communication “at a tipping point”
We are adding to the ACDC collection a recent news summary of research from
the International Food Information Council. IFIC reports that Americans’ trust of food and nutrition science is faltering. For example:
- Less than half of Americans (38 percent) strongly trust science related to food, nutrition, and diet
- Most consumers (79 percent) perceive that recommendations about what to eat and drink change frequently
- Among consumers who say dietary recommendations seem like they are always changing, 43 percent report feeling confused about their food choices
“If this shows us anything, it is that fostering critical thinking and promoting science literacy should be top priorities.”
You can read “Trust at a tipping point” by open access.
Teaching complexity in the age of fake news
A 2019 article in portal: Libraries and the Academy described a discussion-based approach for teaching college students to identify the characteristics of ethical journalism and scholarly writing…” Author Lane Glisson used an approach of comparing fake news with credible information in a strategically planned slideshow.
“This librarian shares a lesson plan that engages students’ critical thinking skills by using a blend of humor, analysis, and a compelling visual presentation. The teaching method is contextualized by research on the distrust of the press and scientific evidence since the rise of hyper-partisan cable news, Russian troll farms, and alternative facts.”
“Breaking the spin cycle: Teaching complexity in the age of fake news” is not available in full text by open access. However, if you are interested in reading it please invite our help at acdc@library.illinois.edu
Communicator events approaching
Here are agricultural communicator event plans you may find helpful, including contact information you can use for details. We welcome suggestions or revisions for this calendar.
April 9-11, 2025
“NAMA Palooza” Conference of the National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) in Kansas City, Missouri.
April 29-May 1, 2025
Annual meeting of the Turf and Ornamental Communicators Association (TOCA) in Charleston, South Carolina.
Hungering to be fed
We close this issue of ACDC News with a German proverb about the wisdom of communicating with truth:
“Every lie needs to be fed ten more”
A friendly reminder:
ACDC is a deep and open resource for you, so please feel free to invite our help as you search for information, local to global. You are welcomed 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 Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, 510 ACES Library, 1101 S. Goodwin Avenue, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801) – or in electronic format sent to acdc@library.illinois.edu