Media's role in agriculture
Alberta Wheat Commission sponsored 2023 Nuffield scholar Craig Lester researching the media’s effect on consumers’ perception of the industry
Consumers are demanding more transparency in how their food is produced, now more than ever before.
As the hunger for more information grows in consumers, there is an ever-increasing need for the industry, all the way from the farmer to food retailers, to share their story. But how do we share this important information and ensure the messages being shared across traditional media and new media are factual? And how do we know the right consumers are receiving this information?
Farmers and the agri-food industry continue to be leaders on a lot of issues consumers have deemed important for years. However, as we have seen, the stories of their work in media and on social media are not always factual or are taken out of context. This situation makes it confusing for consumers to not only understand agriculture but ask informed questions about practices.
According to the 2022 Edelman Trust Barometer report, only 52 per cent of Canadians trusted media, down from 58 per cent in 2020.
The barometer is an annual trust and credibility survey carried out in 28 countries, including Canada.
The situation on social media is even worse.
Public trust in social media platforms was a lowly 27 per cent, down five from the year before making it the most distrusted information source in the world. At the same time, a large number of consumers continue to receive information about the food they eat from social media platforms.
There are only a few avenues consumers can get information on their food. Meaning, it is more important than ever to make sure the information that the message from the agriculture industry provides to media is consistent, easy to broadcast, and gets to the right consumers.
According to the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity’s 2022 report, farmers remain the most trusted part of the food system, but how much will the declining trust in messaging from media erode into that trust in future years?
My Nuffield study: Media’s role in Agriculture and the effect it has on consumers’ perception of the industry, will look to reverse this trend and build confidence by answering the following questions:
- How can you ensure the information is reliable, credible, and factual?
- How does the industry deal with misinformation in different parts of the globe?
- What effect does media messaging have on the ag sector’s ability to promote its practices as environmentally sustainable and as a safe, reliable source of food?
My travel plans over the next two years include some incredible destinations worldwide: Dubai, Japan, U.S., England, Ireland, Germany, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Brazil.
On my travels, I will be speaking and connecting with journalists, agriculture companies, institutions, farmers, and organizations in the industry about their communications strategies and the steps taken to ensure the proper distribution of their messaging.
With my 20-plus years of experience as a broadcast journalist and cattle producer and an extensive background in volunteering and promoting agricultural organizations, I will use my skills to research the delivery of different messages and initiatives and their impact.
After thoroughly examining how media and social media have shaped public perception of agriculture in different parts of the world, I’ll share my findings with journalists, ag communicators, and post-secondary institutions in Canada to build strategies to combat misinformation. The goal is to make it easier to access in-depth information on controversial topics.
With so many communication channels currently available, and the spread of misinformation so pronounced, it’s clear farmers and agricultural companies face an uphill battle. Building engagement with consumers is paramount to continuing to grow a healthy industry.
I will be sharing every step of my Nuffield journey at ruralrootscanada.com, and social platforms through articles, podcasts and videos. These stories will include the people I meet and learn from along the way.
Thank you again, Nuffield Canada and the Alberta Wheat Commission, for making this dream possible.