MEDIA AND SOCIAL NETWORKING

THE IMPORTANCE OF TELLING OUR STORIESDAN MACON

FLYING MULE FARM

FEBRUARY 28, 2014

OVERVIEW

• WHY SHOULD WE TELL OUR STORIES?

• TALKING TO THE MEDIA – SOME BASIC PRINCIPLES

• SOCIAL NETWORKING AND BLOGGING

• WHERE TO START

• FARMER-RANCHER DROUGHT FORUM

• STAY POSITIVE AND WORK TOGETHER!

WHY SHOULD WE TELL OUR STORIES?

• PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW WHAT IT TAKES TO PUT FOOD ON THEIR TABLES – FROM THE PEOPLE THAT GROW THE FOOD!

• THOUGHTFUL DEBATE ABOUT WATER REQUIRES US TO SHARE THE IMPACTS OF THE DROUGHT.

• IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN – WE NEED TO LEAVE A RECORD OF HOW WE DEALT WITH THIS DROUGHT.

• IT’S THERAPEUTIC!

TALKING TO THE MEDIA – BASIC PRINCIPLESNEVER ARGUE WITH SOMEONE WHO BUYS INK BY THE GALLON!

• ALWAYS ASK TO CALL THE REPORTER BACK – TAKE TIME TO PREPARE YOURSELF, EVEN IF IT’S JUST 5 MINUTES.

• DECIDE WHAT YOU WANT THE AUDIENCE TO KNOW. HAVE 2-3 KEY POINTS YOU WANT TO COVER.

• TELL YOUR PERSONAL STORY! TALK ABOUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON YOUR RANCH. PEOPLE FORGET FACTS AND FIGURES, BUT THEY’LL REMEMBER YOUR STORY.

• AVOID INDUSTRY JARGON. YOU’RE A FARMER OR RANCHER, NOT A “PRODUCER.” USE WORDS LIKE BIRTHING RATHER THAN LAMBING OR CALVING.

• THINK ABOUT HOW THE ISSUE IMPACTS THE REPORTER’S AUDIENCE – AND INCLUDE THAT IMPACT IN YOUR TALKING POINTS.

• MOST INTERVIEWERS WILL FINISH BY ASKING IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO SAY. IF YOU COVERED EVERYTHING, USE THIS TIME TO REINFORCE A KEY POINT.

Most importantly – t

ell your story!

SOCIAL NETWORKING

• WHAT THE HECK DOES THIS MEAN?!

• FACEBOOK, TWITTER, BLOGGING, YOUTUBE, WEBSITES, ETC.

• ULTIMATELY, THESE ARE ALL TOOLS FOR SHARING YOUR STORY – AND THE STORY OF YOUR FARM OR RANCH – WITH THE BROADER COMMUNITY

• USE THESE TOOLS TO BUILD COMMUNITY! OUR NEIGHBORS LONG TO FEEL CONNECTED WITH SOMETHING AUTHENTIC!

SOCIAL NETWORKING

• BASIC GUIDELINES - FACEBOOK

• YOU CAN CHOOSE HOW MUCH (OR HOW LITTLE) TO SHARE ON FACEBOOK

• CREATE A FARM OR RANCH PAGE THAT IS SEPARATE FROM YOUR PERSONAL ACCOUNT

• INVITE PARTICIPATION - ASK PEOPLE TO SHARE THEIR OWN PHOTOS, RECIPES, ETC. RELATED TO YOUR FARM OR RANCH

• YOU CAN CONTROL WHO POSTS – INAPPROPRIATE POSTS (AND THEIR AUTHORS) CAN BE BLOCKED

BLOGGING AND VIDEO BLOGGING

• BLOGGING IS A CHANCE FOR YOU TO BE THE REPORTER – TELL YOUR OWN STORY IN YOUR OWN WORDS AND/OR PHOTOS!

• I STARTED THE FOOTHILL AGRARIAN BLOG 2009

• BUILDING AUDIENCE – LINK TO FACEBOOK, YOUR BUSINESS WEBSITE, YOUR MAILING LIST, ETC.

BLOGGING AND VIDEO BLOGGING

• BLOGGING DOESN’T HAVE TO INVOLVE WRITING!

• VIDEO BLOGS CAN BE VIDEO OR COLLECTIONS OF PHOTOS WITH OR WITHOUT AUDIO.

• CAN BE POSTED ON YOUTUBE, FACEBOOK OR OTHER SITES.

• HOLLY’S “PASSION FOR THE LAND” PROJECT IS A GREAT EXAMPLE!

JUST A NOTE ABOUT AUDIENCE…

• GIVE SOME THOUGHT TO WHO YOUR AUDIENCE IS (AND ADJUST YOUR MESSAGES ACCORDINGLY):

• GENERAL PUBLIC

• OTHER FARMERS AND RANCHERS

• YOUR FAMILY

• OTHERS?

• I THINK IT’S JUST AS IMPORTANT TO TELL STORIES ABOUT THIS DROUGHT SO THAT OUR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN HAVE A RECORD OF HOW IT IMPACTED THEIR FAMILIES!

WHERE TO START

• CARRY A CAMERA AT ALL TIMES!

• PICTURES REALLY ARE WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS!

• DOCUMENT CHANGE (FROM MONTH-TO-MONTH AND YEAR-TO-YEAR)

• IF YOU’RE GOING TO MAKE A VIDEO, WRITE DOWN WHAT YOU WANT TO SAY! IT WILL HELP KEEP YOU FOCUSED!

• CARRY A RECORDING DEVICE. RECORD THOUGHTS OR OBSERVATIONS AS THEY OCCUR TO YOU. MOST CELL PHONES HAVE THIS FUNCTION!

• WRITE REGULARLY – WHETHER IT’S A HANDWRITTEN JOURNAL OR A PUBLIC BLOG, RECORD WHAT’S HAPPENING ON YOUR FARM OR RANCH. SOMEDAY, YOUR KIDS WILL THANK YOU!!!

FARMER-RANCHER DROUGHT FORUM

• A “CLOSED” FACEBOOK “GROUP”

• PARTICIPATION LIMITED TO FARMERS, RANCHERS AND THOSE WHO WORK WITH US

• DESIGNED TO BE A SPACE TO STIMULATE DISCUSSION ABOUT THE DROUGHT

• A PLACE TO COMMISERATE!

• IF YOU’D LIKE TO JOIN, LET ME KNOW!

IN RANCHERS’ VOICES – STORIES FROM THE DROUGHT

• DEVELOPING A SYSTEM FOR CAPTURING STORIES ABOUT THE DROUGHT FROM RANCHERS THROUGHOUT CALIFORNIA

• UC DAVIS, UCCE, CSU CHICO, CAL POLY, OTHER PARTNERS?

• MULTIPLE FORMATS – AUDIO, VIDEO, WRITTEN WORD, ETC.

• STAY TUNED!

WORKING TOGETHER

• SOME OF US HAVE BEEN THROUGH DROUGHTS BEFORE – OTHERS HAVE NOT

• CRITICAL TO SHARE OUR EXPERIENCES AND ASK FOR HELP!

• SOME OF US ARE COMFORTABLE WITH SOCIAL MEDIA – OTHERS ARE NOT!

• LET’S HELP EACH OTHER TELL OUR STORIES!

“One cannot be pessimistic about the West. This is the native home of hope. When it fully learns that

cooperation, not rugged individualism, is the quality that most characterizes and preserves it, then it will have achieved itself and outlived its origins. Then it has a

chance to create a society to match its scenery.”

Wallace Stegner, The Sound of Mountain Water