AAEA, The Ag Communicators Network, is holding a webinar right now titled, “Staying Credible in a “Fake News” World.”

The webinar has a panel including veteran ag journalists Chris Clayton, DTN/Progressive Farmer, Willie Vogt, Penton Agriculture, and Betsy Freese, Meredith AgriMedia. They’ll discuss how ag journalists and communicators can advocate for trust in the media, writing for rural America, and how “fake news” impacts the ag industry. The webinar is being moderated by Jenni Latzke, High Plains Journal.

I’m listening in because this whole issue of “fake news” is becoming extreme thanks to social media and how it is being produced as well as how it is influencing people who are very easily duped. How many of you know people who quote comedy shows as if it is news much less true? Opinion is now news.

I love social media. It has been very good to me and my business but at the same time, it has a dark side that is showing up more and more in my opinion.

These journalists are providing the audience of the webinar with really good thoughts and ideas. This includes how to make sure you’re doing your job as an editor properly to be credible and also cautioning news consumers to be cognizant of where their information is coming from.

Thank you AAEA for putting on this program.

Post Update:

You can watch the webinar at this link.