I recently spent some time with Mike Wilson, USA-based president of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists, who told me he's optimistic about the state of specialized publications such as farm media. Mike, executive editor of Farm Futures, noted how ag journalists seem to be keeping their jobs, while their daily media counterparts struggle with cutbacks. Mike was also an early blogger, and it seems online journalists like him are likewise upbeat (albeit cautiously) about the future, according to this fascinating survey of online journalists.
OWEN ROBERTS
Owen Roberts is an agricultural journalist and communications instructor based in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. He is a trustee on the Global Foundation for Agricultural Journalism and an associate editor (communications) for the Journal of Agromedicine. Previously, Owen was president of the International Forum for Agricultural Journalists, an agricultural communications faculty member at the University of Illinois, and research communications director at the University of Guelph. His programs and research papers have been recognized through awards from the Journal of Applied Communications, the National Agri-Marketing Association, the Association for Communications Excellence and the Canadian Farm Writers' Federation.