By Andi Anderson
The Illinois Farm Bureau (IFB) and the Illinois Press Association (IPA) have joined forces to improve agricultural news coverage across Illinois.
This new collaborative effort will distribute agriculture-focused content to over 400 newspapers across the state, enhancing public access to stories about farming and food production.
Jeff Rogers, Director of the Illinois Press Foundation, expressed his excitement over the collaboration. He noted that many newspapers struggle to provide agriculture coverage due to limited resources, despite agriculture’s essential role in Illinois’s economy.
“I’m thrilled that Illinois Farm Bureau and the Illinois Press Association are teaming up to make this coverage easier and more accessible,” Rogers said.
The new service will work similarly to Capitol News Illinois (CNI), which covers state government news. Stories produced by IFB and IPA journalists will be distributed via email, ensuring editors and publishers have quick access to current agricultural news.
Some stories will be collaborative efforts between both organizations’ journalists, while others will come from IFB or IPA’s individual teams.
This partnership also provides a unique opportunity for Illinois reporters to connect directly with IFB experts and local farmers, making it easier to localize stories for different regions across the state.
DeAnne Bloomberg, IFB’s Director of Issues Management, noted that local reporters could reach out to IFB for connections to county Farm Bureau managers, agribusiness experts, and local farmers.
With content distribution set to begin soon, Rogers encourages editors interested in specific agricultural stories to reach out for coverage requests.
The Illinois Farm Bureau, a member of the American Farm Bureau Federation, has a membership of over 378,000 and represents three out of four Illinois farmers.
The Illinois Press Association, founded in 1865, is one of the largest state newspaper associations in the country, supporting daily and weekly newspapers across Illinois.
This partnership is set to enhance the state’s agricultural reporting, keeping Illinois communities informed about one of their most vital industries.
Photo Credit: illinois-farm-bureau
Categories: Illinois, General