07.09.15.
Scientists urged to do more to engage the public
Sifelani Tsiko recently in Pretoria, South Africa
Scientists in the SADC region can do a better job of communicating their work to the public if they
engage actively with the media, a renowned South African journalism scholar says.
University of the Witwatersrand journalism lecturer, Prof Lesley Cowling told participants recently at a
two-day workshop on science communication that scientists in the region are often ill-equipped to deal
with the media hampering efforts to engage with the public.
"Scientists are finding themselves ill-prepared to engage with the media for various reasons and this is a
huge barrier to engaging with the public,” she says.
“Scientists in the region need to do more to have their voices heard and for them to improve public
understanding science-related issues.”
For effective communication to take place, Prof Cowling says, scientists must engage with the media to
improve the quality and quantity of science news reaching the public.
Assuring Agricultural and Food Safety of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in Southern Africa
(GMASSURE) organized the workshop aimed at improving media coverage and public understanding of
science by engaging the scientific community and journalists in a dialogue.
The workshop also aimed to educate scientists on how to effectively communicate biotechnology and
GMOs in general and their research findings to the public.
“Because you teach science, it doesn’t follow that you also know how to communicate,” says Prof Idah
Sithole-Niang, a University of Zimbabwe biochemist.
“Scientist still hate and fear the media and we need to remove these barriers to communication and
engage with the media more actively.
“Workshops such as this one, make you even a better communicator who can confidently engage with
the media.”
Interactions between scientists and journalists, she says, are key in removing barriers that have
prevented the public from understanding science.
“Scientists should not run away from reporters,” Prof Sithole-Niang says. “They should engage with the
media and make sure issues are reported properly in a manner that does not cause frustration on both
sides.
“We can restore trust and confidence in public communication if we engage the media by responding to
issues promptly and timeously.”
She says scientists within the Sadc region need to raise their voices and visibility in order to reach the
general public.
“Scientists need to get out their labs and tackle common fears among the public,” says Ella Nyakunu,
GMASSURE project manager.
“We need to educate the public about good science vs bad science….its important to get good science
across and promote it so that people can make informed choices.”
However, journalists say scientists needed to fully understand how the media operate to build trust and
confidence.
“Scientists, first and foremost need to understand how we as reporters work,” says Alex Eliseev, a radio
journalist with the Eye Witness News.
“Reporters’ work is quite delicate and involves distilling issues to a human level. For instance, we have
to unlock issues in 30 or 40 seconds for a radio feature.
“They absorb huge amounts of information, process it and get the nuggets of gold to inform people in
the most simplest of ways. The news agenda moves so fast, so furious and its about catching the
moment.”
To cultivate reporters’ trust, Eliseev says, scientists must appreciate that journalists work under tight
deadlines.
“Scientists must understand our constraints, concerns, and limitations. If you don’t catch the moment
there will be 20 new stories,” he says.
“As reporters we have to get ready for that moment….the nature of the beast demands that we work at
a fast pace. One is jogging (the scientist), one is sprinting (reporters).”
Other journalists say it is frustrating when scientists fail to respond instantly in stories that are urgent
and require immediate comment.
“I’m frustrated and saddened when scientists refuse to comment on a breaking news item that requires
immediate attention,” says a South African-based reporter.
“We have tight deadlines and they are so many competing issues for the media. A delayed response will
not help science communication to improve.”
Others say “scientists are arrogant!” and “tend to want to respond at their own pleasure,” while
scientists accuse journalists of being “shoddy and for distorting the facts.”
Prof Cowling says the best way forward is for scientists and journalists to start understanding and
validating one another’s professional cultures.
“We need to build strong partnerships and accommodate one another. I would even venture to suggest
that scientists are in a good position to facilitate media engagement if they want public understanding
of scientific issues,” she says.
A case in point, is the controversial GMO issue in southern Africa which is still riddled with
misconceptions and fears.
“Debate on GMOS in most Sadc countries occurred without much input from scientists,” Prof Cowling
says. “It was just a free for all debate without people giving out the true facts.
“This makes it very problematic and its difficult for politicians to make informed decisions. The crisis
precipitated the acceptance of GM food aid and the whole debate never really became a proper
scientific debate.
“Public debate plays a big role in influencing public policies. Issues were never properly heard, it was
never properly resolved.”
The journalism scholar encouraged scientists to develop their communications skills so that they can
build confidence to put themselves in front of an audience, a reporter or a camera.
"In expanding their skills and expertise to better improve science communication, scientists can benefit
from a mutually supportive working relationship with the media to enhance public engagement and
communication," Prof Cowling says.
“Science is often difficult for non-experts to piece together. To help engage audiences and the media,
scientists need to use anecdotes, metaphors and analogies to communicate complex ideas and put
uncertainties in context with what's known about science.”
But what does it actually mean for scientists to engage actively with the media?
Journalism scholars at the workshop say scientists must move beyond just publishing ground-breaking
paper in atop journal, waiting for the university press office to write a press release and for the media to
contact them or wait for phone calls and e-mails asking for interviews.
Some of the ideas about engagement for scientists that came directly out of the science communication
training and interactions with reporters included:
-Scientists must join Twitter and other social media platforms to ensure their online presence
-Scientists must participate in the online conversations, in blogs, article comments and in social media.
- Attend workshops on outreach and communication, and network with other science communicators
“Science communication is changing fast and scientists should be a part of that discourse,” says Anina
Mumm, a media consultant with ScienceLink.
“You must develop a reputation as a scientist who is interested in communication and is an effective
communicator. Get to know your university communication team and who your local science reporters
are.”
She says it’s really important for scientists to understand the constraints that media operate under.
“Journalists have very quick turnaround times (maybe seconds and minutes) compared with scientists
who have work that may need to published say in one year in a review,” Mumm says.
“Journalists often have a much better sense of what message will be of interest and the best way to
communicate that in an accessible way and it is worth listening to them in this regard.”
Says Prof Cowling: “While I don’t believe that journalists are immune to bias or agenda, I think that we
ultimately share more in common than is often portrayed when it comes to desired outcomes of science
reporting.
“I do think that the more we can familiarize ourselves with one another’s perspectives, the better
communication will ultimately be.
“We are all looking for stories with a point that matters to readers, that makes a connection to their
lives and interests."
All participants agreed that whereas the media can play a critical role in Africa’s socio-economic
development, the greatest impediment to the development of science, technology and innovation
sector in Africa, is the communication gap that exists amongst the major actors and players both within
and outside the sector.
Despite the gaps, participants further agree that science reporting, usually put on the periphery of
mainstream media, has an important role to play in creating awareness about various scientific and
technological activities, particularly home-grown innovations that advance African solutions for African
problems.
Sifelani Tsiko, is senior writer with the Southern Times and Herald in Zimbabwe. Credit
Southern Times