Why We Aim To Attract Diverse Storytellers To Agricultural Media and ACN
By Ryan Tipps, AGDAILY.com Agriculture and Rural Lifestyle Managing Editor
One of the first things we are taught as journalists is to see the world through the eyes of our subjects. We question experts to understand the big picture of a situation; we talk to witnesses to get the details; and we interview loved ones and stakeholders to find the underlying meaning of a story and to convey empathy. We value these perspectives for their well-rounded contributions toward our understanding.
Diversity behind the lens and pen contributes to the richness of a story as well, and as leaders in agricultural media, it’s vital that we advocate for more inclusion within our organization and through our coverage.
Diverse storytellers are especially needed to help explore and communicate the complex landscape around our industry. Different points of reference allow for development of diverse and layered viewpoints that reflect the reality of the nation’s shrinking yet committed collective of farmers and ranchers, as well as consumers, neighbors, farmworkers, food industry professionals, and other stakeholders.
These voices need cultivation, and the Agricultural Communicators Network (ACN) is the logical group to prep the land and plant the seeds.
The first step proposed by the ACN Future Ag Communicators Committee is to proactively connect with enthusiastic young people from minority or marginalized communities to introduce them to agricultural journalism/communications as a profession. We aim to show how they can become a voice for agriculture through a multitude of media outlets and as ACN members — and how valuable their voices are to our publications and profession.
For several years, diversity issues across America have been commonplace in the news cycle. The experiences of Black, Brown, Asian, Indigenous, LGBTQ, and other minority groups give context to some of the most important stories across a multitude of industries, including agriculture. On the Future Ag Communicators Committee, we are tasked with supporting young journalists and being the welcome point for the new generation.
And we recognize the benefits of greater outreach.
Reporting and first-person writing in AGDAILY have shown time and again (and again and again) that young minorities interested in food and farming policy and communication feel rudderless in their career pursuits. This feeling is amplified when few people with their background have been down the paths they strive to travel.
One young woman who became a leader in FFA said: “As an Afro-Latina woman, my life was forever changed by agriculture. I grew up with the idea that people of color like me can’t thrive in this industry. Looking back at my story, I realized that it is possible.”
Another young woman who graduated from Southern University, a historically Black institution, wrote about what it was like to be among people she connected with: “To be young and experiencing vastly different emotions and levels of support was confusing. I walked the halls with Black women and men with PhDs in plant science and DVMs. Yet, during my internships, I would not see anyone who looked like me for months. I would spend time at Southern University feeling so supported and would go to conferences where I was constantly second-guessing how I talked, dressed, or wore my hair.”
We have an opportunity as leaders in agricultural media to create a welcoming environment for all and build a stable foundation for the future. The interest of these young people is clearly out there. Their skills, talent, and energy are abundant, yet reaching them may not be as straightforward as connecting with a land-grant school’s agricultural communications program. It will take active outreach to adjacent programs and beyond, and we are looking for people across the Ag Communicators Network to help.
Those looking to get involved can take on an active role in the conversation or help identify companies willing to financially support outreach to build diversity among ag communicators through research, education, outreach, incentives (such as scholarships) and more. Please email Ryan Tipps at [email protected] if you would like to join the conversation.
Successfully attracting diverse communicators to our ranks will not only increase our understanding of agricultural issues and help lead vital discussions, but it will strengthen ag media as a whole, potentially grow ACN’s membership, reflect growing diversity in American agriculture, and open doors that many young people never thought they would be able to walk through. – Contributing to this article are:
Courtney Leeper Girgis, Rooted Communications; Steve Werblow, Steve Werblow Communications; Martha Mintz, Corral Creek Communications