SHINING A LIGHT ON AGRICULTURAL WRITERS SOUTH AFRICA

By Sylvester Raraza

Email: SylvesterRaraza@gmail.com

Twitter: @Sylvester_tut

The Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) in partnership with Agricultural Writers South Africa, hosted a workshop at TUT’s Department of Journalism – Soshanguve North Campus. Agricultural Writers South Africa is a non-profit organization (npo) that promotes the public image and standards of agriculture journalism in South Africa. The NPO was established in 1977 and it is a member and associate of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ).

Liza Bolmann, Chairperson Agricultural Writers SA

Agricultural Writers South Africa, as an organization, represents agriculture journalists who work for agriculture magazines, newspapers, radio and television. It also allows qualified members to extend membership to people who are agriculture journalism friendly, meaning, people who want to grow the sphere of agriculture journalism, people who invest in the growth of activities that are associated with agriculture journalism and agriculture in general.

Agriculture Writers South Africa is an NPO for journalists, by journalists and it is run by journalists in the agricultural sector. Some of its main objectives are to promote better understanding of the role of agriculture in communities and in the economy, to maintain and keep close contact with other organisations that serve the agricultural industry, to take appropriate action to safeguard the profession of agriculture journalism and to establish and maintain contact with agriculture journalists in other countries.

Linda Botha, Deputy Chairperson Agricultural Writers SA

The aim of the workshop hosted by TUT in partnership with Agricultural Writers South Africa, was to educate and inform journalism students at the institution about the work of the NPO, career prospects in agriculture journalism, misconceptions about agriculture journalism and farming, to offer membership of Agricultural Writers SA to students and to do an overall presentation about agriculture, farming and discussing where the agriculture sector is going here in South Africa and around the world.

Agriculture Writers South Africa has more one-hundred (100) members. It also hosts award ceremonies, to honour agriculture journalists and scientists who conduct research that grows and empowers the agriculture industry. During the presentation, the Chairperson pointed out that agriculture journalists in the sector are not many, and that young people seem not to be interested in agriculture journalism because it is deemed boring or uninteresting. They are trying to change that.

Picture: Charl van Rooyen via Agricultural Writers SA

LISTEN (podcast episode) Discussing Agriculture Journalism | Agricultural Writers SA | Youth in Farming + More

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