Presentation by Alex Abutu, AfricaSTI Delivered at the B4FA Media Dialogue Workshop, Accra, Ghana - September 2012 www.b4fa.org

1. Science and Agricultural Journalism
Alex Abutu
Editor,
African Science Technology and Innovation News
www.africasti.com

2. Why Science?

3. • “Why we use scientific methods to evaluate things is that
human beings are extremely susceptible to prejudice, group
think, placebo effects, confirmation bias and a whole host of
other factors. This means that some of the things which we
strongly believe to be true, are in fact not! Scientific
investigation attempts to overcome some of these effects to
get a more objective view of an issue. A key tenet of the
scientific method is that results must be reproducible given
the same conditions. If a finding cannot be reproduced, it is
not scientifically proven,” Kirsty Newman

4. The scientific process
• Science is not magic
• You ask a question
• Construct hypothesis
• Test hypothesis
• Analyse the data
• Communicate the result to your peers then
the public.

5. Why agric?

6. How to find a story
• Sources of information and inspiration
• News conferences
• Press releases
• Peer reviewed Journals
• Research institutes, etc

7. Is it a story?

8. Sources of information
• A good science story depend to a large extent
who or what the source is, so it is very
important that the source of our information
be credible and possibly an authority in the
field.

9. Sources:

10. Who do you trust?
• Not all sources are equally valid
• Science and “balance”
• Research vs opinion
• Published work
• Where and who by?
• Peer review

11. Interviewing a scientist

12. Interviewing a scientist
• Scientists’ reactions to journalists
• How to get the best from scientists
• Building a relationship
• How do you write the story for your reader to
understand?
• Translating science-speak without dumbing
down

13. Interviewing a lobbyist
• Relationships with lobbyists
• How to get the truth from a lobbyist
• Investigative interviewing techniques

14. How do scientists react to the
media?
• What do scientists think of us?
• Misquote, misrepresentation, inability to
understand common scientific jargon
• What can you do about that?
• Befriend them, Win their trust, cross check
copy, make them understand you a journalist
• Building the relationship?

15. How do journalists react to
scientists?
• How do you typically react to scientists?
• Mr think he knows everything, Jargon man,
• What can you do about that?
• Try to understand him, read more about his work
• What can scientists do?
• Be more accessible, be willing to explain
• How can you help them achieve this

16. Selling it to your
editor/producer
• Why should this be published?
• Impact on society, economy, health, etc
• Selling the story to your editor
• Must be well written, draw out
benefits/implications of the discovery as it
relate to food security, vision 202020 etc

17. Where to publish

18. Finally

19. * NGOs/Lobbyists have an
agenda
* You are not a scientist
* Science is not about opinion

20. Thank You!
Midaasi !!
Mi da bo shi !!!
Alex Abutu
Editor,
African Science Technology
and Innovation News
www.africasti.com
+23468701960