The Future of Agricultural Newspapers

As I decided on my research paper topic for this class, I found I had a hard time deciding what I would like to do. It's not that there's a lack of subjects to talk about in the editing world, but it's finding what interests you. I decided to follow my passion for agriculture. Back home, my dad will always get the AgriNews publication, along with Farm Week, Prairie Farmer, among many others. When I get a chance to sit down and read them, I find myself thinking about what we discuss in lecture (which I guess is the point). In one of my agricultural communications classes, we discussed the future of agricultural publications and what role they will play in the future with farmers. The main area of concern, however, was with radio in the agricultural communities. My father, however, tunes in daily to our local agricultural station to catch the markets and get caught up on what's going on with issues that could affect him.

As I narrow down my focus of research, I would like to explore the future of agricultural publications. It would be interesting to interview editors to see what they think about the issue, if there is any concern. I would like to have a better understanding of the current state of the agricultural communications world, as I will be entering it soon. I find this topic very interesting, and as a farm girl, nothing makes me feel more at home than kicking back and reading my AgriNews.

Profanity's role in a paper

I found lecture this week very interesting as we discussed word choice of editors - especially when it comes to profanity. How far is too far? This question is even harder to answer in this society, because more words and actions are "socially" accepted today than ever before. Does this mean the newspaper should follow the trend in how society is communicating?

My thought is no. A newspaper should serve as an example of proper grammar and writing without any distasteful content. In my opinion, a newspaper should something a family can enjoy without having to worry about an R-rated movie or even a suggestive commercial come on during dinner time. Although it may seem our society is changing more and more, there are still plenty of people who believe in using "clean cut" language.

I understand when an editor chooses to use a profanity word to get a point across, depending on which word it is. As we discussed in lecture, it all depends on the context of the word, which makes everything a lot harder when making a decision. However, I believe newspapers should avoid using profanity at all costs. This is not to solely avoid conflict or disagreement among the readers; it is to give the people a newspaper they can enjoy without suggestive comments or profanity. Call me old-fashioned, but I would never want my newspaper to be one of "those" media sources many think of.

Why I will never say a photographer "snapped" a photograph

I am in JOUR 425 this semester, and one of our projects is to take a picture. That task seems simple enough, right? Well, that's what I thought going into this project. However, this picture had to be newsworthy - something that could possibly go on a front page. It had to tell a story, rather than show what something looked like.

I started out on my mission to get a photograph (I should have started sooner). I stopped in at Bevier Cafe and took a few pictures of the staff working. I got a great picture(at least what I thought was) of the Chef working. However, this picture was simply the Chef chopping up vegetables. People could see he was working in a kitchen, but it did not tell a story. Yes, it was a "pretty" picture, as the bright green lettuce contrasted very nicely with his black and white apron. But it was not a newsworthy photo.

I never realized how difficult it is to take a great picture for a newspaper. I recently heard somebody talk about "snapping" off some photos. Immediately, I thought to myself..."snapping pictures?!" After completing this assignment, I see it more as capturing a moment that tells a story. It can take as little as a half an hour or as long as an entire day to take a great photograph. Patience is of essence.

Therefore, from this point on, I have so much more respect for photographers. It truly is an art that takes practice, time and patience. Hopefully I can find these attributes to get a good grade on my re-do photo assignment!