Course description
Agricultural Communications I (EDRD 3050)
Fall 2011
School of Environmental Design and Rural Development, Ontario Agricultural College
Class meets Mondays, 7-10 p.m. in Mackinnon 031
Instructor: Prof. Owen Roberts owen@uoguelph.ca
519-824-4120 Ext. 58278
Room 437E University Centre
Office hours: By appointment
Communicating internally
Class announcements will be posted on the email listserv AGCOMNET. Class members are subscribed through their uoguelph.ca email accounts, the University of Guelph’s officially recognized email system. Check your uoguelph.ca email daily for official University of Guelph announcements. To use agcomnet, type agcomnet@listserv.uoguelph.ca in the “to” field, type in your message, send, and all your classmates (as well as your professor) receive your message.
What is agricultural communications?
As a field of teaching, research and practice, agricultural communications seeks to support and improve human interaction and decision making related to agriculture, broadly defined. With special traditions and strengths in journalism and mass communications, it partners with other social sciences, including school-based interests of agricultural education and non-formal education endeavours, such as extension services. Communication interests range across all levels, settings and means of communicating – intrapersonal, interpersonal, group and mass. Agricultural interests include all subject areas related to the complex global enterprises of food, feed, fibre, bio-based energy, genomics, natural resources management and rural development. Agricultural dimensions also span all participants in, and stages of, the food enterprise of societies, from agricultural research, policies, finance and production to food safety and security, consumption, nutrition and health and human well-being. The concept of agricultural knowledge management serves as the framework for an integrated, comprehensive research agenda in agricultural communications.
(source: First edition, National Research Agenda, Agricultural Education and Communication , page 9)
(http://www.aaaeonline.org/files/researchagenda_shortlores.pdf)
View the revised National Research Agenda here.
About Agricultural Communications I (EDRD 3050)
This course focuses on developing an understanding and ability to apply practical and effective agricultural communication techniques through regular writing exercises and related activities, such as public speaking. Special emphasis is given to issues important to the agri-food sector, as communicated in general interest media and farm publications, which students will be expected to read throughout the semester.
Course content and delivery will reflect the realities of the agricultural news and communication business – one reality being that priorities change. Students will carry out timely assignments, particularly citizen journalism and speech preparation for the Canadian Young Speakers for Agriculture (http://www.cysa-joca.ca/english/) competition and writing a news story based on the Guelph Wellington Taste Real local food program.
Course format and student evaluation
This course has three assignments and an exam.
Assignment 1 — Speech writing and delivery (25 per cent)
Assignment 2 — Local food story (20 per cent)
Assignment 3 — Citizen journalism (30 per cent)
Exam (25 per cent)
Total — 100 per cent
* * *
Course evaluation will be online.
* * *
Assignments
Assignment 1 — Speech writing and delivery (25 per cent). Students will work independently on a speech 5-7 minutes in length. Students with the top six speeches in the class will be offered the opportunity to take part in the Canadian Young Speakers for Agriculture competition at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto.
Students will choose from the following five topics, which are established by the Canadian Young Speakers for Agriculture organizing committee:
- Dynamic careers in agriculture and agri-food beyond the farm gate
- Does “value-added” really add to the bottom line?
- How the role of women in agriculture has changed in the past 50 years
- The top five facts people should know about Canadian agriculture
- Farm succession: Who is the next generation of Canadian farmers, and how will they succeed?
Marking scheme:
Content – 15 per cent
Delivery – 10 per cent
See rules (including thanking and introducing requirements) at http://www.cysa-joca.ca/english/rules.php
Assignment 2 — Local food producer and processor news story (20 per cent). Students will write, in journalistic style, a 300-word news story on a local food producer and processor or retailer working together. Story will involve members of the Guelph Wellington Taste Real local food program. Students will choose a topic from a list provided by program coordinator.
Marking scheme:
Content – 10 per cent
Style – 10 per cent
Assignment 3 — Citizen journalism (30 per cent). Students will use the blogging platform WordPress (access at www.wordpress.com) to create a blog designed to promote discussion on agricultural topics. Students are to approach this assignment as citizen journalists, and regard the blogs as a medium for raising relevant agri-food news and issues. Six 250-word entries – one per week, starting October 23, 2011 – are required. Use Canadian Press style for entries.
Due dates (all due by 6 p.m.):
1. Sunday, October 23
2. Sunday, October 30
3. Sunday, November 6
4. Sunday, November 13
5. Sunday, November 20
6. Sunday, November 27
Marking scheme:
Content – 30 per cent (six entries, five per cent each) based on newsworthiness, originality, spelling and grammar.
Post your entry anytime during the week. Please note: deadline is 6 p.m. on the date the postings are due. Late entries will not be marked.
Each blog entry should be three paragraphs. Each paragraph should be 80-90 words long. Follow this format:
- first paragraph: introduce the issue, address the “what”
- second paragraph: explain what’s new with the issue (this is the news, the objective part, the “so what”)
- third paragraph: your opinion about the issue (this is your commentary, the subjective part, the “now what”)
You are being marked solely on content, but you are welcome to increase interest and readership by enhancing your blog with visuals (photos, graphics, videos, etc.).
* * *
Recommended reading and viewing
1. The Globe and Mail (www.theglobeandmail.com)
2. The Toronto Star (www.thestar.ca)
3. Ontario Farmer (www.ontariofarmer.com)
4. Better Farming (http://www.betterfarming.com/homepage)
5. Guelph Mercury (www.guelphmercury.com)
6. CBC radio and television (www.cbc.ca)
Fundamental writing help:
Writing Services at U of G Library (http://www.lib.uoguelph.ca/assistance/writing_services//)
Suggested resources
General:
1. Canadian Press Stylebook (http://www.thecanadianpress.com/books.aspx?id=182)
2. Oxford Concise Dictionary (www.askoxford.com)
3. Online Writing Laboratory at Purdue University (http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/)
Speeches:
1. Learn from the best: Tips from Toastmasters.
http://www.toastmasters.org/MainMenuCategories/FreeResources/NeedHelpGivingaSpeech/TipsTechniques/10TipsforPublicSpeaking.aspx
2. A no-nonsense approach to giving a speech.
http://www.wittcom.com/how_to_give_a_speech.htm
3. Public speaking tips from MIT’s undergraduate research opportunities program.
http://web.mit.edu/urop/resources/speaking.html
Citizen journalism:
1. A primer on citizen journalism from Wikipedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_journalism
2. An excellent column on the merits of blogging versus column writing.
http://blogs.chicagotribune.com/news_columnists_ezorn/2007/01/i_feel_so_lazy_.html
3. An agonizingly lengthy YouTube tutorial on WordPress by an independent blogger:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWYi4_COZMU&feature=related
4. What makes a good blog?
http://www.43folders.com/2008/08/19/good-blogs
5. Assessing your blog traffic
- log in to wordpress
- locate the bar at the top and click on ‘my dashboard’
- scroll down the page a bit and on the right hand side there should be a box titled ‘stats’ and in it a graph
- move your mouse over the circles on the graph to see how many views you’re getting
* * *
When the course concludes, students will be able to:
1. Write and deliver a 5-7 minute speech on an important agricultural topic.
2. Write a 300-word news story.
3. Create a blog and engage in citizen journalism on relevant agricultural issues and topics.
4. Demonstrate an understanding of Canadian Press style.
| Schedule of activities | |||
| 1 | September 12 | Course introduction | |
| 2 | September 19 |
Public speaking workshop |
|
| 3 | September 26 | Rehearsal:In-class speak-offs for Canadian Young Speakers for Agriculture competition | |
| 4 | October 3 | In-class speak-offs for Canadian Young Speakers for Agriculture competition | |
| 5 | October 10 | Thanksgiving (no class) | |
| 6 | October 17 | Begin blogging this week; Guest lecture on local food communications |
|
| 7 | October 24 | Blogging review | |
| 8 | October 30 |
Local food profile – lead due | |
| 9 | November 7 |
Local food story – first draft due | |
| 10 | November 14 |
Meet individually with instructor to review first draft | |
| 11 | November 20 (Sunday) |
Local food story – second draft due | |
| 12 | November 27 (Sunday) |
Local food story – final draft due | |
| 13 | December 2 | Make-up class for Thanksgiving holiday | |
| December 15 | Exam 7-9 p.m. | ||
