Primary Presenter: Stephanie Leonard MS, Director, Iowa FACE Program, The University of Iowa.
Additional Authors: Brandi Janssen PhD, Director, Iowa’s Center for Agricultural Safety & Health, The University of Iowa,Scott Heiberger, Communications Specialist, National Farm Medicine Center.
Learning Objectives: Attendees will be able to:
– learn how to organize and hold an interactive workshop involving journalists, farmers, safety specialists, emergency responders, law enforcement, and medical providers
– discuss needs of local and trade journalists who wish to cover agricultural safety topics
– discuss positive outcomes of the workshop from the perspective of attending journalists and participating roundtable members
Abstract: In July 2015, the Iowa Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (IOWA FACE) Program and Iowa’s Center for Agricultural Safety and Health (I-CASH) co-sponsored a journalists’ workshop entitled “Injuries and Agriculture: Telling the Story.” This 1-1/2 day event was modeled after successful journalist workshops on childhood agricultural injury that were conducted by the National Farm Medicine Center and National Children’s Center for Rural Agricultural Health and Safety.
The workshop brought together a variety of agricultural trade media, freelance, community news journalists in a roundtable discussion with farmers, law enforcement and public safety professionals, emergency medicine physicians and emergency responders, and occupational safety specialists. Discussions focused on causes of agricultural fatalities and the coverage of these “accidents” in the media, survivor experiences, and the opportunities for journalists, safety specialists, health care providers, and law enforcement to work together in developing and disseminating accurate safety and prevention messages through the media. Participants left the workshop with numerous story leads and an increased interest in farm safety. Participants’ feedback supported the continued format of holding local journalist workshops with various topic themes on agricultural health and safety.
A/V needed: LCD Projector/Laptop
Oral presentation, 30 minutes