Leslie Ann Simon, Texas Tech University
J. Tanner Robertson, Texas Tech University
David L. Doerfert, Texas Tech University
One of the most persistent trends in American society has been an insistence on citizens’ rights to be informed and to participate in all areas that affect their quality of life, personal health and welfare. Correct communication on the risks and benefits involved with existing and emerging agricultural biotechnologies will be essential in the production, processing and marketing of agricultural products. There has been speculation that the study of risk communications should be included in the curriculum of agricultural communications. A preassessment of need was conducted to determine if a potential need for the inclusion of risk communications in university-level agricultural communications curriculum existed. A preassessment establishes the boundaries for a needs assessment, collecting initial data, determining whether or not to conduct further needs assessment activities. Based on the existing agricultural communication and risk communications literature, the researcher recommended conducting a full needs assessment that determined (1) the importance of risk communications theory and practices to agricultural communicator success, (2) the ability of agricultural communicators to currently apply risk communications theory and practices and (3) at what level of post-secondary education (bachelor’s or master’s) risk communication instruction should occur.