Agricultural Communications News and Information

What we do

Print News
Keeping the public aware of the research, Extension and teaching efforts of the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture and Cooperative Extension Service is vital to our success. Our professional writers work with UK College of Agriculture and Extension professionals to produce timely and accurate news stories and features. Weekly print stories are distributed to newspapers across the Commonwealth, as well as to local, regional and national trade publications. You can read weekly news on our news releases web site.

If you have an idea for a news story, please contact Aimee Nielson, Terri McLean or Carol Spence for Central and Eastern Kentucky stories; or Laura Skillman at Princeton for Western Kentucky stories.

Television News
Sometimes an event is well-suited to television coverage. Visual elements help tell the story and are an effective way of relaying the news. Our television producers are experienced in packaging news stories for state and national media. Monthly television news stories are a common sight on stations in Lexington, Paducah, Bowling Green, Hazard, and several cable outlets around the state. Nationally, stories are aired on AgDay, U.S. Farm Report, and RFD-TV. Contact Jeff Franklin if you have a story idea.

Radio Programs
Radio is an effective way to reach a large number of people throughout Kentucky. Our section offers Extension specialists a chance to record timely, informational radio programs and public service announcements. Bob DeMattina and our student interns use state-of-the-art equipment to produce radio programs that are aired by stations across the Commonwealth as well as nationally on the Web at RadioSource.net. This web site combines information from more than 15 universities in the U.S. Programs also are available in Spanish. You may listen to all of these programs on our radio web site.

Agent Exclusives
Cooperative Extension agents often are requested to provide a column for their local newspapers. Our section has a writer dedicated to providing weekly content exclusively to agents specifically for their newspaper columns. Subject matter covers agriculture and natural resources, 4-H-youth development, and family and consumer sciences. Contact Laura Skillman if you have an idea for content or if you are not currently receiving exclusives in your county Extension office.

Extension Today: On The Air
Each month, we produce a television program that includes stories and items of interest from around Kentucky. Extension Today: On the Air may be viewed on the web, by satellite, at area staff meetings and on some cable outlets. Contact Jeff Franklin for more information or for content ideas.

Media Training
Our experience working with print, television and radio news organizations gives us insights into how mass media can help you deliver your message to special audiences. We can share with you ideas and strategies for working in a mutually-beneficial way with local newspapers and broadcast stations. We offer media training to College of Agriculture faculty and staff, Cooperative Extension specialists, and periodically to select non-profit or governmental groups. Please let us know if you’d like to schedule training or if you have general questions about media.

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