Research ArticleRESEARCH SECTION

Public communication of soil conservation practices: A large-scale content analysis of Wisconsin’s agricultural trade publications

K. Chen and B. Shaw
Journal of Soil and Water Conservation March 2022, 77 (2) 184-197; DOI: https://doi.org/10.2489/jswc.2022.00167

References

  1. ↵
  2. ↵
    1. Arbuckle, J.G., and
    2. G. Roesch-McNally
    . 2015. Cover crop adoption in Iowa: The role of perceived practice characteristics. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 70(6):418-429. https://doi.org/10.2489/jswc.70.6.418.
    OpenUrlAbstract/FREE Full Text
  3. ↵
    1. Awojobi, E.A., and
    2. O.A. Adeokun
    . 2012. Content analysis of agricultural issues reported in two Nigerian daily newspapers. Library Philosophy and Practice 1-6.
  4. ↵
    1. Baffaut, C.,
    2. F. Ghidey,
    3. R.N. Lerch,
    4. K.S. Veum,
    5. E.J. Sadler,
    6. K.A. Sudduth, and
    7. N.R. Kitchen
    . 2020. Effects of combined conservation practices on soil and water quality in the Central Mississippi River Basin. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 75(3):340-351. https://doi.org/10.2489/jswc.75.3.340.
    OpenUrlAbstract/FREE Full Text
  5. ↵
    1. Beitelspacher, L.S.,
    2. J.D. Hansen,
    3. A.C. Johnston, and
    4. G.D. Deitz
    . 2012. Exploring consumer privacy concerns and RFID technology: The impact of fear appeals on consumer behaviors. Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice 20(2):147-160.
    OpenUrl
  6. ↵
    1. Bohr, J.
    2020. Reporting on climate change: A computational analysis of U.S. newspapers and sources of bias, 1997-2017. Global Environmental Change 61:102038.
    OpenUrl
  7. ↵
    1. Brungard, C.W.,
    2. J.L. Boettinger,
    3. M.C. Duniway,
    4. S.A. Wills, and
    5. T.C. Edwards Jr.
    . 2015. Machine learning for predicting soil classes in three semi-arid landscapes. Geoderma 239:68-83.
    OpenUrl
  8. ↵
    1. Burnett, E.,
    2. J. Holt,
    3. A. Borron, and
    4. B. Wojdynski
    . 2019. Interactive infographics’ effect on elaboration in agricultural communication. Journal of Applied Communications 103(3):4.
    OpenUrl
  9. ↵
    1. Chen, K., and
    2. D. Tomblin
    . 2021. Measuring public opinion about autonomous vehicles using data from Reddit, Public Deliberation, and Surveys. Public Opinion Quarterly 85(S1):289-322.
    OpenUrl
  10. ↵
    1. Church, S.P.,
    2. B. Bentlage,
    3. R. Weiner,
    4. N. Babin,
    5. B.R. Bulla,
    6. K. Fagan,
    7. T. Haigh,
    8. J.S. Carlton, and
    9. L.S. Prokopy
    . 2020. National print media vs. agricultural trade publications: Communicating the 2012 Midwestern US drought. Climatic Change 161:43–63.
    OpenUrl
  11. ↵
    1. Corbin, J.M., and
    2. A. Strauss
    . 1990. Grounded theory research: Procedures, canons, and evaluative criteria. Qualitative Sociology 13(1):3-21.
    OpenUrlCrossRef
  12. ↵
    1. Crawley, C.E.
    2007. Localized debates of agricultural biotechnology in community newspapers: A quantitative content analysis of media frames and sources. Science Communication 28(3):314–346.
    OpenUrlCrossRefWeb of Science
  13. ↵
  14. ↵
    1. Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection
    . 2020. Wisconsin Agricultural Statistics. https://datcp.wi.gov/Pages/Publications/WIAgStatistics.aspx.
  15. ↵
    1. Diekmann, F.,
    2. C. Loibl, and
    3. M.T. Batte
    . 2009. The economics of agricultural information: Factors affecting commercial farmers’ information strategies in Ohio. Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy 31(4):853–872.
    OpenUrlCrossRef
  16. ↵
    1. Dudo, A.,
    2. S. Dunwoody, and
    3. D.A. Scheufele
    . 2011. The emergence of nano news: Tracking thematic trends and changes in U.S. newspaper coverage of nanotechnology. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly 88(1):55–75.
    OpenUrlWeb of Science
  17. ↵
    1. Farrell, R.T.
    1977. Advice to farmers: The content of agricultural newspapers, 1860-1910. Agricultural History 51(1):209-217.
    OpenUrl
  18. ↵
    1. Feldman, L.,
    2. P.S. Hart, and
    3. T. Milosevic
    . 2017. Polarizing news? Representations of threat and efficacy in leading US newspapers’ coverage of climate change. Public Understanding of Science 26(4):481–497.
    OpenUrl
  19. ↵
    1. Gloy, B.A.,
    2. J.T. Akridge, and
    3. L.D. Whipker
    . 2000. Sources of information for commercial farms: Usefulness of media and personal sources. The International Food and Agribusiness Management Review 3(2):245-260.
    OpenUrl
  20. ↵
    1. Grimmer, J., and
    2. B.M. Stewart
    . 2013. Text as data: The promise and pitfalls of automatic content analysis methods for political texts. Political Analysis 21(3):267-297.
    OpenUrlCrossRef
  21. ↵
    1. Guo, L.,
    2. C.J. Vargo,
    3. Z. Pan,
    4. W. Ding, and
    5. P. Ishwar
    . 2016. Big social data analytics in journalism and mass communication: Comparing dictionary-based text analysis and unsupervised topic modeling. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly 93(2):332-359.
    OpenUrl
  22. ↵
    1. Houser, M.,
    2. S.T. Marquart-Pyatt,
    3. R.C.H. Denny,
    4. A. Reimer, and
    5. D. Stuart
    . 2019. Farmers, information, and nutrient management in the US Midwest. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 74(3):269-280. https://doi.org/10.2489/jswc.74.3.269.
    OpenUrlAbstract/FREE Full Text
  23. ↵
    1. J.L. Hatfield and
    2. T.J. Sauer
    1. Kaspar, T.C., and
    2. J.W. Singer
    . 2011. The use of cover crops to manage soil. In Soil Management: Building a Stable Base for Agriculture, eds. J.L. Hatfield and T.J. Sauer. Madison, WI: American Society of Agronomy and Soil Science Society of America.
  24. ↵
    1. Kim, N.,
    2. M.C. Zabaloy,
    3. K. Guan, and
    4. M.B. Villamil
    . 2019. Do cover crops benefit soil microbiome? A meta-analysis of current research. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 142:107701.
    OpenUrl
  25. ↵
    1. Kladivko, E.J.,
    2. T.C. Kaspar,
    3. D.B. Jaynes,
    4. R.W. Malone,
    5. J. Singer,
    6. X.K. Morin, and
    7. T. Searchinger
    . 2014. Cover crops in the upper Midwestern United States: Potential adoption and reduction of nitrate leaching in the Mississippi River Basin. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 69(4):279–291. https://doi.org/10.2489/jswc.69.4.279.
    OpenUrlAbstract/FREE Full Text
  26. ↵
    1. Korsching, P.F., and
    2. T.J. Hoban
    . 2008. Relationships between information sources and farmers’ conservation perceptions and behavior. Society and Natural Resources 3:1-10.
    OpenUrl
  27. ↵
    1. Kosior, K.
    2017. Agricultural education and extension in the age of big data. Paper presented at the European Seminar on Extension and Education, Chania, Greece, July 4-7, 2017.
  28. ↵
    1. Lichtenberg, E., and
    2. R. Zimmerman
    . 1999. Information and farmers’ attitudes about pesticides, water quality and related environmental effects. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 73(3):227-236.
    OpenUrl
  29. ↵
    1. Loizzo, J.,
    2. A. Borron,
    3. A. Gee, and
    4. P.A. Ertmer
    . 2016. Teaching convergence in 21st century undergraduate agricultural communication: A pilot study of backpack multimedia kits in a blended, project-based learning course. Journal of Applied Communications 100(2):9.
    OpenUrl
  30. ↵
    1. Lubell, M.,
    2. M. Niles, and
    3. M. Hoffman
    . 2014. Extension 3.0: Managing agricultural knowledge systems in the network age. Society & Natural Resources 27(10):1089-1103.
    OpenUrl
  31. ↵
    1. Mase, A.S,
    2. N.L. Babin,
    3. L.S. Prokopy, and
    4. K.D. Genskow
    . 2015. Trust in sources of soil and water quality information: Implications for environmental outreach and education. JAWRA: Journal of the American Water Resources Association 51(6):1656–1666. https://doi.org/10.1111/1752-1688.12349.
    OpenUrl
  32. ↵
    1. J. Bryant, and
    2. M.B. Oliver
    1. McCombs, M.E., and
    2. A. Reynolds
    . 2009. How the news shapes our civic agenda. In Media Effects: Advances in Theory and Research, eds. J. Bryant, and M.B. Oliver. New York: Routledge.
  33. ↵
    1. Meyers, C., and
    2. K. Abrams
    . 2010. Feeding the debate: A qualitative framing analysis of organizational food news media coverage. Journal of Applied Communication 94(3-4). https://doi.org/10.4148/1051-0834.1190.
  34. ↵
    1. Mogili, U.R., and
    2. B.B.V.L. Deepak
    . 2018. Review on application of drone systems in precision agriculture. Procedia Computer Science 133:502-509.
    OpenUrl
  35. ↵
    1. Mohammad, S., and
    2. P. Turney
    . 2013. Crowdsourcing a word-emotion association lexicon. Computational Intelligence 29(3):436-465.
    OpenUrl
  36. ↵
    1. Morgan, A.C., and
    2. K.J. Rucker
    . 2013. Competencies needed by agricultural communication undergraduates: An academic perspective. Journal of Applied Communications 97(1):50-66.
    OpenUrl
  37. ↵
    1. Mulla, D.J.
    2013. Twenty-five years of remote sensing in precision agriculture: Key advances and remaining knowledge gaps. Biosystems Engineering 114(4):358-371.
    OpenUrlCrossRef
  38. ↵
    1. Napier, T.L., and
    2. D.E. Brown
    . 1993. Factors affecting attitudes toward groundwater pollution among Ohio farmers. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 48(5):432–439.
    OpenUrlAbstract/FREE Full Text
  39. ↵
    1. Nearing, M.A.,
    2. Y. Xie,
    3. B. Liu, and
    4. Y. Ye
    . 2017. Natural and anthropogenic rates of soil erosion. International Soil and Water Conservation Research 5:77–84.
    OpenUrl
  40. ↵
    1. Ngathou, I.N.,
    2. J.O. Bukenya, and
    3. D.M. Chembezi
    . 2006. Managing agricultural risk: Examining information sources preferred by limited resource farmers. Journal of Extension 44(6):6FEA2.
    OpenUrl
  41. ↵
    1. Nisbet, M.C.,
    2. D. Brossard, and
    3. A. Kroepsch
    . 2003. Framing science: The stem cell controversy in an age of press/politics. Harvard International Journal of Press/Politics 8(2):36–70.
    OpenUrlCrossRefWeb of Science
  42. ↵
    1. Okorie, N., and
    2. T. Oyedepo
    . 2011. Newspaper reportage and its effect towards promoting agricultural development in Nigeria. Journal of Media and Communication Studies 3(2):27-32.
    OpenUrl
  43. ↵
    1. Oladele, O.I., and
    2. C. Boago
    . 2011. Content analysis of agricultural news in Botswana newspapers. Journal of Human Ecology 36(3):173-177.
    OpenUrl
  44. ↵
    1. Olowu, T.A.
    1990. Reportage of agricultural news in Nigerian newspapers. Journalism Quarterly 67(1):195-200.
    OpenUrl
  45. ↵
    1. Prokopy, L.S.,
    2. K. Floress,
    3. J.G. Arbuckle,
    4. S.P. Church,
    5. F. Eanes,
    6. Y. Gao,
    7. B.M. Gramig,
    8. P. Ranjan, and
    9. A.S. Singh
    . 2019. Adoption of agricultural conservation practices in the United States: Evidence from 35 years of quantitative literature. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 74(5):520-534. https://doi.org/10.2489/jswc.74.5.520.
    OpenUrlAbstract/FREE Full Text
  46. ↵
    1. Radler, B.,
    2. B. Shaw, and
    3. T. Gorby
    . 2020. Using choice-based conjoint analysis for creating effective outreach messages to promote oak management. Journal of Forestry 118(4):419-432. https://doi.org/10.1093/jofore/fvaa018.
    OpenUrl
  47. ↵
    1. Ramsey, S.M.,
    2. J.S. Bergtold,
    3. E. Canales, and
    4. J.R. Williams
    . 2019. Effects of farmers’ yield perceptions on conservation practice adoption in Kansas. Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics 44(2):380-403.
    OpenUrl
  48. ↵
    1. Reimer, A.,
    2. A. Thompson,
    3. L.S. Prokopy,
    4. J.G. Arbuckle,
    5. K. Genskow,
    6. D. Jackson-Smith,
    7. G. Lynne,
    8. L. McCann,
    9. L.W. Morton, and
    10. P. Nowak
    . 2014. People, place, behavior, and context: A research agenda for expanding our understanding of what motivates farmers’ conservation behaviors. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 69(2):57A-61A. https://doi.org/10.2489/jswc.69.2.57A.
    OpenUrlFREE Full Text
  49. ↵
    1. Schnepf, M., and
    2. C. Cox
    , eds. 2006. Environmental Benefits of Conservation on Cropland: The Status of Our Knowledge. Ankeny, Iowa: Soil and Water Conservation Society.
  50. ↵
    1. Spaeth-Bauer, C.
    2020. Six young farmers vie for Wisconsin Outstanding Young Farmer award. Wisconsin State Farmer, January 15, 2020. https://www.wisfarmer.com/story/news/2020/01/15/six-young-farmers-vie-wisconsin-outstanding-young-farmer-award/2846556001/.
  51. ↵
    1. Stuart, D.,
    2. R.C.H. Denny,
    3. M. Houser,
    4. A.P. Reimer, and
    5. S. Marquart-Pyatt
    . 2018. Farmer selection of sources of information for nitrogen management in the US Midwest: Implications for environmental programs. Land Use Policy 70(January 1, 2018):289–97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2017.10.047.
    OpenUrl
  52. ↵
    1. Trilling, D., and
    2. J.G. Jonkman
    . 2018. Scaling up content analysis. Communication Methods and Measures 12(2-3):158-174.
    OpenUrl
  53. ↵
    1. Tucker, M., and
    2. T.L. Napier
    . 2002. Preferred sources and channels of soil and water conservation information among farmers in three midwestern US watersheds. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 92(2–3):297-313.
    OpenUrl
  54. ↵
    1. Uri, N.D.
    2000. Perceptions on the use of no-till farming in production agriculture in the United States: an analysis of survey results. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 77(3):263-266.
    OpenUrl
  55. ↵
    1. Vogt, W.
    2014. Group to promote open data standard. Wallaces Farmer, March 12, 2014. https://www.farmprogress.com/story-group-promote-open-data-standard-13-109852.
  56. ↵
    1. Wallander, S.,
    2. D. Smith,
    3. M. Bowman, and
    4. R. Claassen
    . 2021. Cover crop trends, programs, and practices in the United States. Economic Information Bulletin EIB-222. Washington, DC: USDA Economic Research Service.
  57. ↵
    1. Wang,
    2. T.,
    3. J. Hailong,
    4. B.B. Kasu,
    5. J. Jacquet, and
    6. S. Kumar
    . 2019. Soil conservation practice adoption in the Northern Great Plains: Economic versus stewardship motivations. Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics 44(2):404–421.
    OpenUrl
  58. ↵
    1. Wang, N.,
    2. N. Zhang, and
    3. M. Wang
    . 2006. Wireless sensors in agriculture and food industry—Recent development and future perspective. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture 50(1):1-14.
    OpenUrl
  59. ↵
    1. Webster, F.,
    2. K. Rice, and
    3. A. Sud
    . 2020. A critical content analysis of media reporting on opioids: The social construction of an epidemic. Social Science & Medicine 244:112642. DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2019.112642
    OpenUrlCrossRef
  60. ↵
    1. Wendorf Muhamad, J., and
    2. F. Yang
    . 2017. Framing autism: A content analysis of five major news frames in US-based newspapers. Journal of Health Communication 22(3):190-197.
    OpenUrl
  61. ↵
    1. Wisconsin Agriculturist
    . 2012. There is no one-size-fits-all system for cover crops. https://www.farmprogress.com/story-size-fits-system-cover-crops-14-57631.
  62. ↵
    1. Yusuf, S.F.G.,
    2. K. Krul, and
    3. G. Marufu
    . 2016. Representation of agricultural issues in South African newspapers: A content analysis. Journal of Communication 7(2):287-295.
    OpenUrl
Back to top

In this issue

Print
Download PDF
Article Alerts
Email Article
Citation Tools
Request Permissions
Public communication of soil conservation practices: A large-scale content analysis of Wisconsin’s agricultural trade publications
K. Chen, B. Shaw
Journal of Soil and Water Conservation Mar 2022, 77 (2) 184-197; DOI: 10.2489/jswc.2022.00167
Reddit logo Twitter logo Facebook logo Mendeley logo

Jump to section

Keywords