Self-Percieved change in attitude and perception of media and media interiviews of Texas cotton producers

American agriculture provides food and fiber for people around the globe (National Agriculture Statistics Service, 2002). Texas produces roughly 4.5 million bales of cotton per year and is the leading cotton producing state (Cotton Counts, n.d). The mass media is the public’s primary source for information about agriculture. (Vestal, 2002, p. 134). Information published by mass media is not always accurate (Vestal & Briers, 2000; Norris & Phillips, 2003).

This study sought to find out how the perception and knowledge of a mass media of Texas cotton producers will be affected by a one day media training workshop. This study used a one shot case study design and a post then pre instrument to examine the effects of a media training workshop on the attitude, perception and understanding of media and the media interview process of Texas agricultural producers. The six specific objectives were: 1) Determine the workshop participant attitude and perception of the media prior to the workshop; 2) Determine the workshop participant attitude and perception of the media after the workshop; 3) Determine the workshop participant understanding of the interview process prior to the workshop; 4) Determine the workshop participant understanding of the interview process after the workshop; 5) Determine the workshop participant understanding of news value before the workshop; 6) Determine the workshop participant understanding of news value after the workshop.

The results showed that the workshop was effective at positively increasing agricultural producers’ attitude and perception of the media, understanding of the interview process and understanding of news value.