Exploring Agricultural Print Media and Writing Careers

1. News Writing in Agricultural Communication Agriculture Communication and Leadership

2. Unit Objectives 010802-0401 Students will summarize agriculture print media. 010802-0402 Students will identify career opportunities. 010802-0403 Students will outline news writing basics. 010802-0404 Students will identify, label and use proofreader’s marks. 010802-0405 Students will identify, label and use punctuation marks. 010802-0406 Students will summarize AP style. 010802-0407 Students will explain how the Stylebook is formatted and should be used. 010802-0408 Students will write a news story.

3. Ag Print Media • First Magazines • Agricultural Museum- established in D.C., 1810 • American Agriculturist- established in N.Y., 1842 • Successful Farming- established in Iowa, 1902

4. Ag Print Media • First Journals (early 1800’s) • American Farmer • Plough Boy • New England Farmer

5. Ag Print Media • Today’s Magazines • Western Horseman • FFA New Horizons • Successful Farming • Today’s Journals • Farm Journal • Small Farmer’s Journal

6. Ag Print Media • Agricultural Print Media • Farm publications continue to be the main source of information for many agriculturists • Now, not only in print, but on line; electronic versions on the Internet

7. Issue: Control v. Paid? • Controlled Subscriptions • Magazines are “free” • How does the magazine know whom to send to? • Paid Subscriptions • Ownership and valued by reader (they pay for it!)

8. Other Ag Print Media • State Agricultural Magazines • Utah Farm Bureau News • Livestock Publications • Published by breed associations • Feature articles • Target advertisement • Political articles

9. Career Opportunities • Most jobs require a college degree in a liberal arts department • Competition is less in lower-paying, entry-level jobs in smaller markets • Usually easily able to transfer into related fields

10. Writers and Authors • Nonfiction writers gather information, select and organized the material and use the written word to convey the message • Writers revise writings • Copy writers write advertising copy for publication or broadcast, or to promote the sale of goods and services

11. Writers and Authors • Newsletter writers prepare newsletters • Writers and authors often write speeches • Often produce material for publication on the internet; must have knowledge of web sites, layout and design

12. Technical Writers • Write scientific and technical information into layman’s terms; simplify the complicated • Prepare medical reports or equipment manuals • Interpret data for general readership • May also assist in layout work

13. Editors • Chose and edit material for publication or broadcast • Revise a writer’s writings for publication • May do original writing • Oversee production of work (publications)

14. Editors • Several types of editors • Executive editor- oversees assistant editor, final say in what goes into the final publication • Assistant editor- responsible for specific portion of newspaper or magazine (e.g. weather, editorials, sports) • Assignment editor- assign reporters to stories • Copy editor- review reporter’s work for grammar, accuracy and content • Editors often have assistants

15. Freelance • A writer or photographer who sells work to magazines, newspapers, or Web sites without a long-term commitment to any of them.

16. Freelance • Four distinct types of freelance markets exist • Magazine • Newspaper • Internet • Advertising markets

17. Freelance • Have rights to work, usually lease work to publications but sometimes sell outright. • First-time usage rights means the publisher get to use the work for the first time and for specific length of time. • Unlimited usage means the publisher can use the work as many times as they would like within a given amount of time. • Exclusive rights means the publisher purchase the work indefinitely and can use it however they would like to

18. Freelance • The job of selling articles and photos is very competitive as the agriculture market is small and specific.

19. Working Conditions • Work in private offices, cubicles, or open offices • Some travel for research and interviews, others use phone calls and research in libraries and on the internet • 35-40 hours a week, excluding overtime for deadlines

20. Working Conditions • Freelance writers have a more flexible schedule, but must be strict in their scheduling and work to please the client • Back pain, exhaustion and strained eyes are some physical discomforts • Expanding job market • Earn anywhere from $20,000-80,000 depending on the position

21. Working Conditions • Related jobs include • Announcers • Interpreters and translators • News analysts • Reporters and correspondents • Public relations specialists

22. News Writing Basics • Spelling • Correctly spelled words add to your work • Misspelled words cause doubt and loss of credibility • Spell check can’t catch everything, so always proofread (e.g. to vs. too; two vs. tow)

23. News Writing Basics • Grammar • Poor grammar can again cause doubt and loss of credibility • Follow the rules from your English teachers • Make sure you are using words correctly (e.g. affect vs. effect; their vs. there vs. they’re) “The difference between the right word and the nearly right word is the same as that between lightning and the lightning bug.” Mark Twain

24. Writing for an Audience • Consider who you are writing for • Most articles are written on a junior high reading level • Writing at a lower level is easier and writing at a higher level takes practice • Use short sentences and short paragraphs

25. ABC’s of Journalism • A-Accuracy • B-Brevity • C-Clarity

26. ABC’s of Journalism • Accuracy- 100% correct; always check, double check, and check again; if work is not accurate, you lose credibility • Brevity- direct and concise; get point across as soon as possible for those who are just glancing to find information; don’t waste the reader’s time

27. ABC’s of Journalism • Clarity- makes sense; can the reader understand the ideas you are attempting to communicate? • Stick to the facts. Unless writing an opinion piece, keep your opinion to yourself.

28. W5 + H = The Basics • Who? is involved, the subject of the story, those people important to the story • What? happened to make this a story • Where? did the story take place • When? did the story take place • Why? did this happen • How? did this happen

29. Inverted Pyramid • Presents all vital information in the opening so that readers can decide for themselves if they want to read the whole article • Following paragraphs present supporting in-depth information • Information flows well Handout

30. Using Quotes • All punctuation for the quote should be inside the quotation marks • e.g. “Put punctuation inside the quotation marks,” said the professor • Each quote from a new speaker gets a new paragraph • e.g. “Why do I have to add a new paragraph?” asked James. • “Because there is a new speaker,” answered Mike

31. Using Quotes • Don’t attribute a single quote more than once • e.g. “A single quote should not be attributed more than once,” said Lindsay. “Attributing it twice would be incorrect.” • When continuing a quote from one speaker into another paragraph, don’t use closing quotation marks after the first paragraph. • e.g. “Don’t close the quotations,” she said, “when the quote continues into a new paragraph. • “It is a new paragraph because it is a new subject, but still one quote.”

32. Parts of News • News Determinants – set of criteria used to decide if news is fit to write and print • News Components – what the subject of the article is governed by

33. Parts of News • News Determinants • Timeliness – the freshness of a story • Proximity – term that describes where the story took place and who it affects • Importance – picking stories based on the importance to the listening or reading audience • Policy – focusing on pertinent subjects, rejecting stories that do not fit editorial goals

34. Parts of News • News Components • Conflict – struggles faced by people • Unusualness – anything out of the ordinary • Progress – self explanatory, moving forward in a pursuit • Human Interest – connect emotionally with the reader or listener

35. Editing Editing is a way to fix your work and make it better. • The goal is to make things clearer and more concise. • Put away the piece you have written, allowing yourself time to distance yourself from the work before looking at it with fresh eyes. • Editing is possibly the most important aspect in writing

36. Editing • Redundant phrases – don’t repeat yourself over and over again. Say it once and say it clearly. • Clichés – should be avoided; they are overused. • Colloquialisms – local jargon, written works should be understood by readers everywhere, not just locally.

37. Editing • Unnecessary phrases – sentences that start with “there are” or “there is” are weak and should be revised • Passive sentences – use active verbs. • Inaccurate facts – check, double check and check again. • You may have initially gotten the facts correct in your research but written them incorrectly

38. Ethics “Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anybody expects of you.” -Harriet Ward Beecher Derived from “ethos” meaning “the character of disposition of a community, group, person, etc.”

39. Ethics • The science of human duty; • The body of rules of duty drawn from this science; • A particular system of principles and rules concerning duty, whether true or false; • Rules of practice in respect to ethics

40. Ethical Considerations • As a journalist, your job is to tell the facts; • Don’t inject personal feeling into your work • Respect others’ opinions – • You may not always agree with a person you are interviewing; • Cover all sides of the issue fairly • Treat other people as you would like to be treated – the golden rule

41. Ethical Considerations • Always strive for truth and accuracy – • With accuracy comes truth; • With truth comes integrity • Maintain your integrity – • Always do the right thing

42. Ethical Questions for a Journalist • Why am I concerned about this story, photo or graphic? • What is the news? What good would publication do? • Is the information complete and accurate to the best of my knowledge? • Am I missing an important point of view?

43. Ethical Questions for a Journalist • What does my reader need to know? • How would I feel if the story or photo were about me or a member of my family? • What are the likely consequences of publication? • What advantages or disadvantages may result? • What are my alternatives? • Will I be able to clearly and honestly explain my decision to anyone who challenges it?

44. Plagiarism • A piece of writing that is copied from another source that is presented as the writer’s own • Illegal • Can cost you your reputation • Always cite and attribute information

45. Proofreaders’ Marks Handout

46. Punctuation Marks • Apostrophe – possessives ( ’ ) • Brackets – cannot be transmitted over news wire ( [] ) • Colon – introduce lists, tabulations, texts, etc, can be used to express emphasis ( : )

47. Punctuation Marks • Comma – separate elements in a series ( , ) • Dash – abrupt change, series within a phrase, attribution, datelines ( - )

48. Punctuation Marks • Ellipsis – used to indicate the deletion of one or more words, also indicates a hesitation or pause ( … ) • Exclamation point – emphatic expression, surprise, or other strong emotion (do not over use) ( ! )

49. Punctuation Marks • Hyphen – used as a joiner, used to avoid ambiguity or to form a single idea from two or more words ( - ) • Parentheses – jarring to the reader, sometimes do not appear in news print so there is danger that the reader may misinterpret the information intended to be inside the parentheses, generally used around logos ( ( ) )

50. Punctuation Marks • Periods – end of a declarative sentence, a mildly imperative sentence, some rhetorical questions and of an indirect question (. ) • Question mark – end of a direct question ( ? ) • Quotation marks – dialogue or conversation, direct quotations ( “ ” )