Agri Media
Media's part in agricultural development
Communication for agriculture is not seen as a major priority at either national or international level and the role of the media as an effective player in agricultural and rural development is undervalued. The views of different group of persons related to media are presented here.
Journalists Job: The media is critical in helping farmers access the information they need and transmitting their concerns. Recently, the mainstream media personnel made it very clear they are about breaking news, they are not about partnering with, nor facilitating the agricultural sector. The journalist's job is to find and tell good stories; but if people don't understand that distinction they will never be satisfied with journalists work.
Why the available information is not being circulated? Because the media does not know that this information exists and the farmers don't have the tools to access it. The essential role of the media is to create opportunities for farmers to express themselves directly on the air.
One of the major challenges is resource constraint. The journalists are not specific enough: they do not know rural issues and are not close to the farmers. It would be effective to train more reporters in local areas because it is a big constraint for reporters that they cannot travel to certain places.