In an episode of the television sitcom Seinfeld, someone asks Newman,
an obnoxious letter carrier, why so many postal workers go crazy in
the workplace.
“Because the mail never stops,” Newman snarls. In a progressively
hysterical voice, he elaborates on the inexhaustible supply of mail and
its inexorable march from sender to sendee.
Well, the news never stops either. That fact may have driven more than
one journalist crazy over the years, (though not in this newsroom, so
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Late season rainfall creates concern about Prairie crop quality
Praying for rain is being replaced with the hope that rain can stop for harvest. Rainfall in July and early August has been much greater than normal.
far as I know, ha ha hee hee.) Most of the newsies around here seem to
thrive on the variety rather than flag under the load.
In this line of work, no day is the same and there is always news
waiting to be discovered and begging to be written.
The variety inherent in agricultural news reporting was emphasized last
week when The Producer got news of awards won in the North American
Agricultural Journalists annual writing competition.
In January 2001, Calgary reporter Barbara Duckworth wrote a special
report on Great Britain’s post-BSE beef industry. The NAAJ gave first
place in the general news category to Duckworth’s report. Little did we
know then that a horrific foot-and-mouth epidemic would further wound
the industry in Britain and the European Union. The news marches on.
Last spring, the Producer published a series of features about farmers
pondering the 2001-02 crop year. Several farm families opened their
homes and their emotions to Brandon reporter Ian Bell, who won second
place in the special projects category from NAAJ.
This fall, Saskatoon reporter Karen Morrison wrote a three-part series
on farm succession planning. Once again, farm families provided their
stories and perspectives on the challenges of turning over the farm.
Morrison’s stories won second place in the NAAJ series category.
Morrison also won third in the features category for a story about an
elevator agent handling his last crop before retirement.
A WP editorial about voluntary labelling for genetically modified food
took first place in the columns/analysis category.
The awards will be formally handed out April 7-9 in Washington, D.C.,
and farm management editor D’Arce McMillan will be there. He’ll be
participating in the NAAJ’s meetings with the newsmakers in American
agriculture, including agriculture secretary Ann Veneman.
Watch for news on those meetings in an April issue of the WP. Because
the news never stops.
