The International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) has elected its first woman president, and first Presidium member from South America. Lena Johansson from Sweden, IFAJ vice-president since 2016, was unanimously elected as president, succeeding Owen Roberts of Canada who stepped down at the end of the two-term limit. Johansson has been an agricultural journalist for 30 years and is currently …
IFAJ Presents Annual Awards
The Delegate Assembly of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) held online this week presented annual Star awards for excellence. Gil Gullickson received the 2020 AgTech Reporting Award for “Yours, Mine and Ours,” a feature article on outcome-based pricing for commodities that he wrote for Successful Farming. Veteran radio presenter Damien O’Reilly was awarded the 2020 International Federation of …
IFAJ-Alltech Ag Journalism Leadership Award Winner
Congratulations to Joseph Opoku Gakpo of Ghana who is the recipient of the second IFAJ–Alltech International Award for Leadership in Agricultural Journalism. The award was presented virtually today during the Alltech ONE Virtual Experience by Alltech CEO Mark Lyons and IFAJ president Owen Roberts. Opoku Gakpo, a radio, TV and online journalist, was selected from nominations submitted by IFAJ guilds …
World Press Freedom Day
May 3rd was World Press Freedom Day. This year’s theme is Journalism Without Fear or Favour. Here in the U.S.A. most people take the press for granted. Well, generally. Lately with state of political discourse being so divided it is unfortunate that the press have come under increasing fire for their reporting, which in my mind has become less about …
ZimmCast 643 – COVID-19 Impacts on Ag Communications
Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. This week’s program is part one of at least two that feature conversations with the leadership of agricultural media and marketing associations. This week I’m sharing conversations with Jenny Pickett of the National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA), Tom Brand with the National Association of Farm Broadcasting, and Hugh Maynard of the International Federation of Agricultural …
IFAJ 2020 Congress Cancelled
The International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) 2020 Congress scheduled for June 24-28 in Denmark has been cancelled due to coronavirus. The decision also applies to the pre-congress in Copenhagen/Zealand and the two post-congresses on Funen and the Faroe Islands. Everyone who has signed up will get a full refund, and so will all sponsors. We are naturally very sorry …
IFAJ Congress 2020 Website Live
The website for the 2020 International Federation of Agricultural Journalists Congress, is now live. The host country is Denmark. Registration will open at the end of January. The theme is: “Farming today for the society of tomorrow.” The Congress dates are 24 June – 28 Jun, 2020 with the location being Vingsted, Vingsted Skovvej. The issue that is becoming increasingly …
John Deere Supports Ag Journalists Worldwide
John Deere was among companies attending the 2019 Ag Media Summit and International Federation of Ag Journalists conference in Minneapolis. “John Deere definitely sees a value for us to support ag journalists worldwide, and so with the international folks here, as well, this year, it’s just important for us to be here and to talk to them about what’s going …
IFAJ Congress Hears from Reporters Without Borders
Here in the United States we tend to take freedom of the press for granted, since it is specifically guaranteed in the First Amendment. But it’s not so free in many other countries. The 2019 IFAJ Congress last week featured a presentation from Daphne Pellegrino with Reporters Without Borders, more properly known internationally as Reporters Sans Frontieres or RSF, which …
IFAJ in the USA
Some members of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) are continuing their U.S. journey today with tours in California, South Dakota and Minnesota, but most are on their way back to their home countries after the 2019 IFAJ Congress officially concluded Tuesday evening. The international gathering was held in conjunction with the annual Ag Media Summit this year in …