Media experts propose action plan to improve agriculture coverage

Media experts from across the region have come up with a plan of action aimed at improving the coverage of agriculture and development issues.{{more}}

The plan was developed at the end of a recent two day workshop for media experts. The forum was part of a broader agenda that looked at issues affecting agricultural development in the region, including the role of the media, during the Caribbean Week of Agriculture (CWA) which was held in Grenada.

A number of regional journalists joined Caribbean and international policy makers in discussing a wide range of issues, including a common understanding of the challenges facing agriculture, rural development and related sectors, with emphasis on data collecting.

Local media expert Theresa Daniel, one of the presenters at the forum, addressed the topic: “The Common Ground: Science, Farming and Journalism”, and spoke to what she considered deficits in agricultural journalism and forwarded a number of suggestions she believes can help to address them. These include establishment of a regional clearing house for agriculture and science issues, farmer journalism initiatives and exchanges.

In his presentation, President of the ACM Wesley Gibing, reporting on a survey conducted for the same, observed that explicit coverage of food and agriculture issues occupy low priority on the news agenda; that reporters’ knowledge of the issue is inadequate, and that they can improve through heavy to moderate training and instruction in this area. He is suggesting, among other interventions, development of a training manual along the lines of previous ACM publications for use as a training tool.

Other presentations also came from Barbadian journalist Julius Gittens and Caribbean Coordinator of the Communication for Sustainable Development Initiative (CSDI) FAO/CARIMAC, Dr Maria Potts, among other regional experts.

The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) and the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) partnered with the ACM in organising the event.