Students get a taste of real ag world

Kemp described as unprecedented the students’ experience of the ‘real world’ of agriculture reporting.

The trip to Terry Olsen’s dairy farm at Shannon and some Massey research facilities at the Palmerston North campus was organised by the students’ lecturer, Dr Cathy Strong, and Rural News reporter Peter Burke, with financial support from Westpac. 

Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy was a surprise visitor for the day, holding a news conference for the students to gain an overview of the primary sector; he also gave one-one-one interviews.  Guy told the students it was important they visited farms to understand the primary sector; and he praised the staging of the trip.

“We need to get more students like you onto farms to understand this big part of the New Zealand economy.” 

Kemp, head of the Institute of Agriculture and Environment at Massey, says it was a brilliant idea to get the Massey journalism students to see another Massey campus where science is done.

“It’s a brilliant way to use the strengths of both places and we are interested in the wider society seeing what we are doing here. The visit brought home to me how important it is that journalists don’t get scared about approaching scientists, covering science and seeing it is an everyday activity.” 

Kemp acknowledges the challenge to journalists, who effectively have to learn a topic a day. Scientists don’t expect journalists to have in-depth knowledge of science, but it’s important they have reasonable understanding of issues.

“Journalists are part of the value chain of science, getting information out, and it works the other way. Journalists often raise issues which make us scientists think about what we are doing and how we are communicating issues. 

“Scientists don’t have a problem with journalists just reporting an issue, but they get worried when a journalist is working hard – a bit like a lawyer – to get you to say something you don’t want to say.”

During the day communications managers from Federated Farmers, Horticulture NZ and DairyNZ, and Rural News reporter Peter Burke, spoke to the students, giving them background information.  

Dairy farmer Paul Olsen, Terry’s nephew, says journalism plays a big role in boosting public awareness of NZ’s agriculture sector. “It’s good to get a feel for the primary industry and see what sort of constraints and regulation we’re farming under,” he says.

More knowledge needed

Dr Cathy Strong says all journalists need to know a lot more about agriculture in New Zealand. 

“It’s such a major part of our industry and our economics. This trip enabled students to see a typical dairy farm and talk to a farmer about the issues they face on a daily basis,” she explained. 

“Having a Westpac agribusiness manager and Nathan Guy along enabled the students to get a much wider perspective on the scope and scale of the agri sector. And at Massey the students were able to meet top world-class researchers and see the great science stories there for journalists to cover.” 

For the students it was a busy day. Strong assigned them news stories and video clips on aspects of the day, requiring interviews and filming all to a tight deadline.

The students were positive about the day.  Jack Fletcher found it an invaluable experience, unprecedented in the opportunity to experience the real world of agriculture reporting. 

Tommy Livingston says the field trip made him nostalgic for his family farm. 

“It’s good to be out here in the backbones of New Zealand again, getting our feet dirty and learning about the ins and outs of farming. 

“It’s a valuable exercise to get out here, rub shoulders with some of New Zealand’s finest people, and chew the fat on where our agricultural business is going.”

Emma Taylor agreed, saying she now feels better equipped to report on the agriculture industry. 

“Personally, I didn’t know anything about farming before this,” she says

As a result of the trip, one student, Amber-Leigh Woolf, says she’s considering a career in agricultural journalism.