Some 2 million farms cover 900 million acres throughout the United States, and for many these farms are what come to mind when the word agriculture is used. However, the U.S. agricultural sector extends beyond farm production to include such industries as fishing, forestry, and food production. Agricultural journalism refers to a specialized media system and network of communication professionals that provides news, information, and commercial messages to the agricultural industry and other audiences. Gaining a deeper awareness of the origin and current status of agricultural journalism not only provides perspective on a crucial and diverse industry but also offers a rich historical context in which to better understand mainstream American journalism and consider some of its contemporary challenges. This entry traces agricultural journalism in the ...