Yes, Credible Journalists Exist
Most ag trade journalists are hard-working and sincerely dedicated to helping farmers.
The U.S. media’s credibility started coming under fire a few decades ago, back when I was a newspaper reporter. It pains me to say this, but it’s a credibility crisis that’s likely to get worse.
Here’s what the Pew Research Center said in a February 2021 report: “Misinformation will be rampant: Digital propaganda is unstoppable, and the rapidly expanding weaponization of cloud-based technologies divides the public, deteriorates social cohesion and threatens rational deliberation and evidence-based policymaking.”
In this information age, how do we decide what to believe?
We’d be remiss if we didn’t note that our industry has an enhanced opportunity to score credible news through our ag trade media.
In my current and previous roles, I worked in or with ag media, and the vast majority of ag trade journalists work harder than they should for less pay than they deserve because they share a passion for ag. They are in it for our farmers.
Take, for example, Brian Winnekins, named 2020 Farm Broadcaster of the Year by the National Association of Farm Broadcasting. Asked why — on top of running WRDN in Durand, Wisconsin, and providing seven hours of farm news each day — he decided in 2019 to create opportunities to support mental health in our farm community, he answered simply and humbly. “Talking to our farm listeners, we saw a need,” he said. Then he shrugged. “We know these people, and we want to support them.”
That’s somebody we can trust. And he’s just one of many working at our ag radio stations and publications to better our industry.
Here’s what the Pew Research Center said in a February 2021 report: “Misinformation will be rampant: Digital propaganda is unstoppable, and the rapidly expanding weaponization of cloud-based technologies divides the public, deteriorates social cohesion and threatens rational deliberation and evidence-based policymaking.”
That was on the worst-case side. No response was listed in “the hopes.”The vast majority of ag trade journalists work harder than they should for less pay than they deserve because they share a passion for ag. They are in it for our farmers.
In this information age, how do we decide what to believe?
We’d be remiss if we didn’t note that our industry has an enhanced opportunity to score credible news through our ag trade media.
In my current and previous roles, I worked in or with ag media, and the vast majority of ag trade journalists work harder than they should for less pay than they deserve because they share a passion for ag. They are in it for our farmers.
Take, for example, Brian Winnekins, named 2020 Farm Broadcaster of the Year by the National Association of Farm Broadcasting. Asked why — on top of running WRDN in Durand, Wisconsin, and providing seven hours of farm news each day — he decided in 2019 to create opportunities to support mental health in our farm community, he answered simply and humbly. “Talking to our farm listeners, we saw a need,” he said. Then he shrugged. “We know these people, and we want to support them.”
That’s somebody we can trust. And he’s just one of many working at our ag radio stations and publications to better our industry.
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