By Ryan Tipps
In 2007, when I traveled to Norway for my honeymoon, I saw a farmer using a scythe to harvest wheat. While I had certainly seen aged scythes among the aisles of antique shops and in historic photos, I had never seen one actively used in the real world. It was a thought-provoking moment. I wondered how different that farmer’s priorities were compared to those of modern American producers, how his needs, goals, and values may break from or dovetail with my own.
The willingness to ponder someone’s experience is characteristic of how we can welcome diverse ideas into our varying forms of communication. Agriculture media should be a way to embrace new perspectives and share them with broader audiences. The Agricultural Communicators Network has taken a bold and needed step to nurture diversity in our industry, aiming to elevate new avenues of storytelling, engagement with minority or marginalized communities, and collective leadership.
After months of discussions and ACN member outreach, the Diversity Advancement Committee was formally created during the December board meeting. I have accepted the role as the inaugural committee chair.
As I wrote in an October Byline article, “Diversity behind the lens and pen contributes to the richness of a story … and as leaders in agricultural media, it’s vital that we advocate for more inclusion within our organization and through our coverage.”
This new committee is an exciting step toward broadening our understanding of agricultural issues, while strengthening the poignancy and relevancy of ag communication.
Though the committee is still in its infancy, some goals are becoming apparent: Nurture ag media’s connection to diverse individuals both inside and outside of the organization and seek out ways to promote diversity growth and discussion, particularly at flagship events like Ag Media Summit.
I anticipate the Diversity Advancement Committee will be a valuable partner to other ACN committees, such as Membership, Future Ag Communicators, and AMS Programming, while spearheading its own unique outreach efforts.
If you are interested in becoming involved in the discussions or want to help identify companies that may financially support this initiative, please email me at rtipps@agdaily.com. – Tipps is the Managing Editor of AgDaily