Media urged to demystify scientific jargon in climate change reportage

The media has been asked to grow their knowledge in climate change so as to inform the public from a point of knowledge.
A Senior Research and Policy Analyst at the African Institute for Development Policy (AFIDEP) Dr. Bernard Onyango says the world is at a cross roads on the impacts of climate change and “the media at the moment the best placed to drive informative debate on the state of climate on the globe.”

Speaking during a media training on Climate Change and Health held in Naivasha, Dr. Onyango said that objective and evidence based reportage on climate change will help to drive the agenda towards more resilient communities that can adapt to the vagaries of climate as well participate in targeted mitigation measures and achieve the targets set out in the Paris Agreement.

Dr. Onyango who announced an award for the best and informative climate change and health story, noted that such an award will be part of efforts aimed building capacity among journalists in the country and to develop a culture of evidence based reportage in the media so as to generate a greater understanding of cross-sectoral policy solutions that address the health impacts caused by climate change.

“Evidence based reportage will help to build the evidence base for policy packages that address health impacts of climate change and provide evidence for decision-makers in Kenya,” he said and added that, “this will inform policy measures around health priorities that align with climate change.”

He noted that evidence based and objective reporting “will also inform critical indicators for both climate vulnerability and climate resilience in the health sector currently lacking at the country level.”

A Research and Policy Associate at AFIDEP Alphayo Lutta said studies currently are showing the glaring link between the rise in temperatures and the geographical spread of vector borne diseases especially the anopheles mosquito that spreads malaria.

He urged the media to be the link between research that offers solutions to societal challenges and the public by unpacking information for use by both the public and policy planners.

A communications expert at AFIDEP Ann Waithaka appealed to the media to help in demystifying scientific concepts for better understanding by the public noting that the art of storytelling is meant to create the link between the researchers or producers of scientific knowledge and the public.

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