Videos and podcasts for delivering agricultural extension: achieving credibility, relevance, legitimacy and accessibility
Charlotte-Anne Chivers, Katie Bliss, Auvikki de Boon, Lydia Lishman, Juliette Schillings, Rachel Smith, David Christian Rose
Abstract
Purpose To explore the perceived credibility, relevance, legitimacy and accessibility of videos and podcasts in farm extension.Methods A two-phase mixed methods approach consisting of a pre-COVID online survey of farmers (n = 221), farmer telephone interviews (n = 60) and in-person focus groups of farmers (n = 4) followed by an analysis of how viewers interact with Agricology videos and podcasts, a further online survey (n = 141) and online farmer focus groups (n = 4) during the COVID-19 pandemic.Findings If they are to be perceived as effective extension methods, videos should be short, concise, practical, advert-free and visualise how to implement a practice. Podcasts can be longer, more detailed, and allow multitasking. Both should use farmer-friendly language, be easily accessible, high quality, non-biased, and be created by someone whom farmers respect.Practical implications Helps policy-makers and extensionists understand the potential of videos and podcasts and the trade-offs in using them with other forms of extension. The findings are also of use to global advisory services seeking to offer hybridised advice as a result of the ongoing COVID pandemic.Theoretical implications Elucidates the trade-offs of using videos and podcasts when face-to-face extension is not possible and develops the CRELE framework.Originality Discusses the role of podcasts in farm extension and re-evaluates the role of videos when face-to-face extension is impossible.