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Attention to Digital Technologies in the Swiss Farming Press
Media analysis can uncover changing expectations of technological innovations. This project forms part of the DigiAP project and examines frequencies of attention to digital technologies in the Swiss Farming press and identifies patterns of changing expectations of digital farming technologies.
Keywords: Master Thesis
Innovation, Digitalisation, Media Analysis, Farming Press, Expectations
Currently there seem to be great expectations of digital technologies in agriculture. Terms like “Smart Farming” and “Digital Agriculture” are all around. Is this just a fragile hype or a development resting on long-nurtured and well-weighted expectations and experiences? Innovation studies often draw on media analysis to identify changing patterns of expectations of innovations. However, there is limited research on farming technologies. Attention in trade magazines, such as the farming press, seems to follow particular patterns that are influenced by policy events, business climate and show-casing practical applications, as an example of renewable energy technologies in the UK suggests (Ehlers and Sutherland, 2016). Digital farming technologies, such as precision farming and robotic milking have been discussed and applied since many years, but only now there seems to be a hype. The MSc project will contribute to the DigiAP project and compile articles on digital technologies in Swiss farming magazines, determine temporal quantities of articles and analyse their content with the help of the framework developed by Ehlers and Sutherland (2016) that is based on Downs’ issue attention cycle (Downs, 1972) and innovation studies. It will uncover and trace the development and stability of expectations from selected technologies to evaluate the current hype.
Literature:
Downs, A., 1972. Up and down with ecology – the “issue-attention cycle”. Public Interest, 28, 38-50.
Ehlers, M.-H., Sutherland, L.-A., 2016. Patterns of attention to renewable energy in the British farming press from 1980 to 2013. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 54, 959-973. 10.1016/j.rser.2015.10.082
Currently there seem to be great expectations of digital technologies in agriculture. Terms like “Smart Farming” and “Digital Agriculture” are all around. Is this just a fragile hype or a development resting on long-nurtured and well-weighted expectations and experiences? Innovation studies often draw on media analysis to identify changing patterns of expectations of innovations. However, there is limited research on farming technologies. Attention in trade magazines, such as the farming press, seems to follow particular patterns that are influenced by policy events, business climate and show-casing practical applications, as an example of renewable energy technologies in the UK suggests (Ehlers and Sutherland, 2016). Digital farming technologies, such as precision farming and robotic milking have been discussed and applied since many years, but only now there seems to be a hype. The MSc project will contribute to the DigiAP project and compile articles on digital technologies in Swiss farming magazines, determine temporal quantities of articles and analyse their content with the help of the framework developed by Ehlers and Sutherland (2016) that is based on Downs’ issue attention cycle (Downs, 1972) and innovation studies. It will uncover and trace the development and stability of expectations from selected technologies to evaluate the current hype.
Literature: Downs, A., 1972. Up and down with ecology – the “issue-attention cycle”. Public Interest, 28, 38-50.
Ehlers, M.-H., Sutherland, L.-A., 2016. Patterns of attention to renewable energy in the British farming press from 1980 to 2013. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 54, 959-973. 10.1016/j.rser.2015.10.082
The goal of this thesis is to examine frequencies of attention to digital technologies in the Swiss Farming press and to identify patterns of changing expectations of digital farming technologies.
The goal of this thesis is to examine frequencies of attention to digital technologies in the Swiss Farming press and to identify patterns of changing expectations of digital farming technologies.