These are challenging times for journalists. Government suppression of journalists—even in countries that have long prided themselves on press freedom—is on the rise, and many media houses are struggling financially. Adding to the challenges, generative artificial intelligence (AI) is getting better and better at impersonating journalists, creating a very tempting opportunity for publishers and broadcasters to try to replace human insight with instant computer copy.
All these threats illustrate why IFAJ membership is more important than it has ever been.
As generative AI content—increasingly skillful but also soulless—spreads, the perspective and knowledge of professional agricultural journalists and communicators becomes more important. Our audiences need to know that we understand them. We understand their businesses, their struggles, and what they need to succeed. We must, more than ever, build trusting relationships with our readers, listeners, viewers and followers. And we need to be in direct contact with our sources, quoting and observing and interpreting in ways that AI can’t.
To do that well, agricultural journalists need education like our developing program with the University of Illinois and our ever-growing webinar series. We need to share best practices, like the brilliant letter the British Guild of Agricultural Journalists sent to editors, marketers, communicators and other people who commission content, explaining why experienced agricultural journalists are far more valuable than AI-generated material. We need to help keep ourselves safe with tools like this outstanding resource list on journalist safety compiled by IFAJ’s Freedom of the Press Committee.
We need to create opportunities to bring reporters to where the stories are happening, from Congress to trade shows like the International Seed Federation’s annual conference to the Exposure-4-Development press tour. And global connections, allowing us to share insight from one journalist to another, are as important as ever.
Of course, for many of our members, danger is nothing new. And our industry, and our organization, have navigated plenty of challenges.
IFAJ was born in the still-smoldering ashes of World War II Europe, where French and German journalists united to plant the seed for what has become a global federation. Our members navigated the Cold War together, welcomed newly freed media to our ranks in the 1990s, and have taken our message of press freedom worldwide.
Together, we will celebrate IFAJ’s 70th anniversary all year long. We will learn to harness the power of AI as a reporting or researching tool while also learning to compete with computer-generated copy. We will support and strengthen guilds around the world, build our networks and steer toward the future.
Steve Werblow
IFAJ President