Guest Post: Getting Research into the Media

[Note: As mentioned last week, the AuthorAID workshop in Rwanda included a lecture by journalist Pius Sawa. Below is a guest post from Pius. It includes a link to advice he provided on presenting research through the popular media. Thank you, Pius! –Barbara]

Collaboration between researchers and the media is a new ground that is yet to be common, especially in Africa. Like scientific journals, the popular media need to play an important role by publishing research findings.

Research information in the popular media can reach a wide audience and help influence decisions by policy makers. On the other side, scientists need to understand how their work can reach the media and attract attention.

It is evident that developing countries will depend on scientific research in order to develop and achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Training scientists is quite expensive in Africa and other developing countries. But on a sad note, many scientists are on a one-way traffic migrating to where there are good salaries.

However, if their research can be published in the local newspapers, presented by radio stations and TV stations, and posted online, governments will not lose it all.

Here I have compiled some guidelines to scientists on how they should relate with the media. These guidelines are from a presentation I made at the AuthorAID workshop in Rwanda on 24 February 2009.