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Visiting agricultural journalist from Ireland
How pleased we were in ACDC to help host an agricultural journalist and media researcher from Ireland last month. Claire Mc Cormack joined us during October 16-27. She was the first visiting agricultural journalist in a new, global agricultural communications initiative at the University of Illinois. A news release about her visit explained:
“Mc Cormack is a researcher in media work and agriculture at the School of Agriculture and Food Science at University College Dublin. She is currently completing her Ph.D., having received a 2021 Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship Award from the Irish Research Council.”
You can learn more about her career interests and activities here.
“SEIZED … but not silenced”
A feisty community newspaper in east-central Kansas used that headline in response to being raided on August 11 by local police. Officers carried computers, phones and other reporting materials from the offices of the Marion County Record in the town of about 2,000 residents. They also raided the homes of the editor-publisher and one of the city council members. This raid – and subsequent return of seized property – got international attention. It touched on the sensitive issue of press freedom and protection under the First Amendment.
You can read a variety of news reports about the raid by entering “Marion County Record” in your favorite search engine.
Gaps in Arctic media reporting about mercury
We are adding to the ACDC collection a 2019 article in Polar Research about media coverage of mercury contamination in the Canadian Arctic. Authors analyzed 14 newspapers in the Canadian North and South.
Results indicated:
- Few indigenous residents were cited as information sources
- Articles often failed to describe mercury to the reader
- Many did not provide direction to support self-efficacy
You can read the article by open access here.
How national cultures align with climate change policies
Results of a new international study suggest that “individualistic countries are characterized by greater climate change policy performance.” Also, researcher Trung V. Vu reported in the Journal of Economics and Development that such cultures involve relatively greater female political representation.
You can read the article here.
Views and use of vitamin D supplementation among community-dwelling adults in the UK
A 2023 article in PLOS ONE revealed need and desire of more information about use of vitamin D among community-dwelling adults in the United Kingdom. Results showed:
• Three-fourths of the respondents were aware of vitamin D
• About one-half were taking supplements
• They were willing to pay for supplements, supporting a self-care agenda
• Intake of vitamin D supplements declined significantly with advancing age
• They accepted food fortification, but were uncertain about how to balance food intake with supplementation
You can read the article by open access here.
Communicator events approaching
Here are event plans you may find helpful, with contact information you can use for details. We welcome suggestions or revisions for this calendar.
November 17, 2023
Agricultural Writers SA Awards, Capetown, South Africa.
Information: https://www.agriculturalwriterssa.co.za/event/agricultural-writers-sa-awards-evening/
January 24-25, 2024
Professional Development Workshop of the Cooperative Communicators Association (CCA) in Montgomery, Alabama.
Information: https://communicators.coop/professional-development/workshops
April 22-25, 2024
Conference of the Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education (AIAEE) at the University of Florida, Gainesville.
Information: https://www.aiaee.org/2024-Conference
April 24-26, 2024
“Bright Horizons.” Conference of the National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) in Kansas City, Missouri. Information: https://www.nama.org/2024_amc.html
April 29-May 1, 2024
Annual meeting of the Turf and Ornamental Communicators Association (TOCA) in Las Vegas, Nevada. Information: https://www.toca.org/toca-events
An insight about speaking
We close this November issue of ACDC News with a German proverb:
“Speaking comes by nature, silence by understanding”
Best regards and wishes
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 welcome 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, 510 ACES Library, 1101 S. Goodwin Avenue, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801) – or in electronic format sent to acdc@library.illinois.edu