Prospect of Agricultural Journalism

M Zahidul Haque

M ZAHIDUL HAQUE
JOURNALISM is a broad discipline which provides people with information they need to take decisions on various issues of their lives, communities and governance system. There are many branches of journalism, such as agricultural journalism, health journalism, development journalism, etc. All the segments of Journalism work on the principle of ‘Objectivity’ because they report facts and serve the audiences with true stories. Of course in public opinion section of newspapers and in talk shows on broadcast media, the objectivity is relaxed up to a certain extent as opinion/views are usually expressed by individual experts/general audience as a part of freedom of expression.
However, nowadays both print and broadcast media often takes side over an issue according to their respective policies.
Agricultural Journalism tells stories and cover events on issues related to agriculture based on scientific facts and knowledge. It transmits necessary agricultural information to the farmers through newspapers, magazines, radio and television plus other digital platforms. It helps expedite educational procedure of agricultural extension towards ensuring sustainable agricultural development.
Agricultural Journalism offers instructions on writing, editing, basic design, photography, publications production, radio and internet communications and public relations. Public Relations is an important segment of journalism as well as agricultural Journalism discipline which teaches a student how to maintain media relations, do product publicity, presenting different audio-visual materials publicizing organization’s products and protecting organization’s image outside.
After graduation, an Agricultural Journalist works as an agricultural reporter, radio-TV presenter, editor, public relations officer, farm broadcaster, etc. A modern-day function of an agricultural journalist is to design and maintain a website of the organization from where the members of the public seek and collect information pertaining to the company’s products and organization’s status and services.
In Bangladesh like elsewhere in the world, almost all the public and private sector organizations and companies have their own public relations departments that employ agricultural journalism graduates as communicators like editors, reporters, and public relations managers. These personnel work together for the growth and development of the company/organization.
Now, Agricultural Journalism is being taught as a subject in different higher agricultural education institutions. In many universities of the world, Bachelor, Masters even PhD degrees are offered under the department of journalism, agricultural communications, and agricultural journalism. In most universities, a student willing to pursue a post-graduate agricultural journalism course needs to have a Bachelor Degree in agricultural science. As agriculture is a complex science, a basic degree in agriculture is essential to get higher education in agricultural journalism. The Texas A and M University of the United States of America offers Agricultural Journalism courses while a number of Agricultural Universities in India have been offering courses on agricultural journalism.
Agricultural Universities in Bangladesh has yet to start the agricultural journalism program. Meanwhile recognizing the significance of agricultural journalism in agricultural development plus stakeholders’ demand, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka has taken an initiative to introduce the Agricultural Journalism program at the post-graduate level, the process of which is on.
(The writer is a Professor at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka)