Communication Studies Program for Agricultural Journalists

The IFAJ, in conjunction with the University of Illinois, is working on the development of a study program designed especially for its members and certified by this prestigious, world-renowned educational institution.

We all recognize the importance of training in our profession. We are journalists specialized in agriculture, many of us also specialize in different areas of agricultural production and, as if this were not enough, we must also have knowledge of economics, finance, foreign trade, climatology and international politics, to mention just a few topics related to our profession.

But in addition, today we are forced to train ourselves in different reporting techniques so that our message reaches our audience effectively. It is not necessary to mention the countless and dizzying changes in communication that we have experienced during the last decade…

That is why at the IFAJ we think that training is one of the benefits that we must offer our members. With this objective, and in conjunction with the Professional Development Committee, we developed an interesting proposal for Webinars so that all guilds affiliated with IFAJ – and, of course, all journalists affiliated with these guilds – can access talks with experts on topics related to the agroindustry.

But this year we went a step further and, in conjunction with the University of Illinois, we are working on a Communication Studies Program for Agricultural Journalists, especially designed for IFAJ members and certified by the University of Illinois.

The program is aimed at meeting the demand for the professional development of agricultural journalists who are members of IFAJ and, with this objective, we have distributed a survey among the Executive Delegates of each guild so that it is truly a “tailor-made” study program.

The Communication Studies Program for Agricultural Journalists will be global in nature, will be taught in different languages, and will be affordable for all our members.

During the Mid-Term Executive Delegates meeting, which will be held next March in South Africa, plans for the final Study Program will be presented and we estimate that during the last quarter of 2025 our members will be able to begin taking the Program.

Without a doubt, the Communication Studies Program for Agricultural Journalists IFAJ-University of Illinois is a great benefit for an increasingly global IFAJ in a fast-changing media environment.

Addy Rossi

IFAJ Vicepresident