Communicating research through the media

CONTACT - joanne.carpenter@panos.org.uk

PANOS IS A GLOBAL NETWORK OF INSTITUES WHICH

PROMOTE THE ROLE OF COMMUNICATION IN

ACHIEVING EQUITABLE DEVELOPMENT.

RELAY WORKS WITH JOURNALISTS AND RESEARCHERS

IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES TO BROADEN DEBATE ON

AROUND THE FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF

ACADEMIC RESEARCH.

The Panos Programme

To strengthen the role of media in effective communication of development research Relay aims to:

• communicate research findings and recommendations to wider audiences

• stimulate civil society debate and action around them

• ensure accountability to those most affected by the issues raised by research

• generate debate which can impact on policy

Programme Activities

1. Build capacity of southern journalists to use research as the basis for stories:

- ice-breaker workshops for media and researchers;

- training on producing research-based journalism

- journalistic commissions and fellowships;

- background information and publications for journalists on key research topics

(research themes covered: land and conflict, sustainable livelihoods, SRH, climate change)

2. Produce high-quality media coverage based on research:

- Panos fellowships to produce high quality print and radio features for reproduction and training purposes

- In-country media content fund – commissions local journalists to produce research-based media content

3. Build capacity of selected researchers and research institutions to work with the media to communicate research

(e.g. production of guides for researchers, establishing working groups involving media and researchers around key research studies)

Rationale for this project - Panos’ basic logic:

The Media are:

- a channel for information

- a watchdog

- a forum for widening debate

- shapers of public opinion

- provide context for policy making

But there are many threats to the media’s capacity to fulfil ‘public interest’ role…

• Media freedom is essential, it is improving but still needs fighting for

• Liberalised media commercial; market pressures and competition for audience squeeze serious journalism

• Limited resources – economic, skills, access to information

• Lack of professional status, professional organisations etc. in media sector

So:

• Media in developing countries need support to fulfil their public interest function

• Benefits for researchers

- can reach publics in developing countries

- feedback from audiences can invigorate research agendas

- influence policy-making processes (i.e. policy influencing isn’t linear, need to get into the kitchen and become part of the policy soup-making which involves getting out there)

- increased legitimacy and accountability

• Benefits for media

- more engaging/credible content

- increased opportunities to cover issues of real importance to their audience (especially where research is participatory)

- more confidence in covering complex development issues

The success of the Relay programme is judged by the following indicators:

Media coverage

produced

- Quality assessment – is information accurate,

are a range of voices included?

- Content analysis – matches Panos’ criteria

-Numbers reached: take-up, audience

estimates

Media capacity built Editor’s attitudes

Journalists’ capacity and attitudes

Research institutions’

links and capacity

Links to media organisations

Attitudes towards journalists

Evidence of communication strategies