Effective communication of science and climate change information to policy makers.
Abstract
CCAA recently supported the participation of 15 Kenyan journalists from print and electronic media in a half day symposium on Effective Communication of Science and Climate Change Information to Policy Makers. The event took place during the Third East African Health and Scientific Conference (EAHSC) held in Nairobi, March 25-27, 2009 and aimed to identify capacity gaps and opportunities to improve communication on these science issues between journalists, researchers and policymakers in the sub-region. This report summarises the Symposium.
The meeting highlighted the need for:
- more positive interaction between researchers, policymakers, and journalists in improving science and climate change communication;
- researchers to communicate outside the usual realm of scientific papers by involving the media at various stages of research development, using means aimed at broad audiences;
- and journalists to ensure the accuracy of their reports, and respect for intellectual property rights.
Participants recommended that journalists be trained on basic concepts and fundamentals of climate change and adaptation, and deepen their understanding of fundamentals such as the scientific method, interpreting numbers and statistics, and the significance of peer review.
Citation
22 pp.
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