MEDIA IN SHAPING THE IMAGE OF POLISH AGRICULTURE FROM THE FARMERS’ PERSPPECTIVE

Abstract

The research aimed to verify farmers’ views on the impact of content presented in various types of media on the image of Polish agriculture. The 147 responses obtained show that the surveyed farmers negatively assess the impact of traditional media on the image of Polish agriculture. Content presented via social media was positively received. How the media present aspects of agricultural activity and the farmer’s profession in contact with retail customers turned out to be more critical for farmers running smaller farms (36% of respondents rated this issue as necessary). Respondents recognized the importance of presence in social media, but the most frequently mentioned was gaining customers’ trust (73%). Social media presence was more important for farmers operating on smaller farms – those where retail sales were more common. The growing awareness of the needs of modern consumers is indicated by the high percentage of respondents noting that building relationships with customers requires reliable information about product features (53%), concern for the state of the natural environment (46%) and animal welfare (37%).