PROMOTING the national importance of farming – as well as tackling misinformation – has led to the creation of the UK’s first ever courses in agricultural communications.
Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) will teach students on its new online micro-credentials courses how to tailor their messages for different audiences and to track their impact, including how to get the most out of social media.
Among other disciplines, the courses will teach students how to write press releases, create crisis communications strategies and develop integrated marketing plans.
Course lecturer Dr Jeff Miller, a tenured professor of agricultural communications at the University of Arkansas, said: “One of the keys to strengthening the agriculture industry in the UK lies in communicating about its national importance and about the industry’s commitment to improving both the economic and environmental aspects of producing food.”
Agriculture programme leader Craig Davidson added: “The demands on the industry are always changing and becoming more complex. There’s also a lot of misinformation out there so understanding audiences and looking ahead is more important than ever before.”
There are no entry requirements and can be taken in any order and at the learner’s own pace, with modules including agriculture communications and journalism and integrated marketing communications in agriculture.
