Agricultural Journalist
OFO No:
What is an Agricultural Journalist?
An Agricultural Journalist covers all the events, articles of interest and stories which are relevant to farmers and others in their area.
They gather news by observing, interviewing and researching relevant topics/events. They could write articles for newspapers and magazines or supply material to television and other broadcasting companies.
Topics they may cover would be:
- Agricultural fairs and livestock shows
- New technology and methods
- Articles on fertilisers, seeds, irrigation etc
- Relevant mechanical news
- Disease outbreaks
- Weather reports and patterns
- Farming statistics
- Labour issues
- Social and political news which would affect the farmers
- Upcoming community meetings
- Import and export information
- Up to date social pages of farmers – weddings, deaths, births etc
Agricultural Journalists might be required to take photographs as well as the reporting and writing.
A career in journalism requires travelling to events, meeting people and a variety of different experiences. This requires the ability to communicate effectively, a love for writing and the ability to work under pressure.
What does an Agricultural Journalist do?
- keeps their eyes and ears alert at all times for a good story
- takes notes
- takes photographs
- interviews relevant people
- researches and verifying data
- travels
- writes articles
Are you … ?
- alert?
- a person who likes writing?
- computer literate?
- able to work a camera?
- interested in the news?
- a person with a broad general knowledge?
- passionate about farming and the farming communities?
- inquisitive?
- confident?
How do I become an Agricultural Journalist?
Obviously a background in agriculture and/or journalism would be an added advantage. Having both would be a bonus.
You can do a Bachelors of Journalism at most universities. At some Universities of Technology you can study journalism too.
Minimum requirements: These differ from one institution to another. Check your institution of choice for theirs. Here is a rough guideline: English Level 1 is required.
Recommended subjects: History and Geography
TRAINING:
- CLICK HERE to check for a training institution near you to see what they offer.
- Make sure you understand their entry requirements for each course.
- To avoid scams, make sure your institution is registered with the Department of Higher Education.
- CLICK HERE to check accredited Private Higher Education Institutions.
