Journalists and sources have been encouraged to utilise social media platforms to disseminate stories that are not covered on mainstream media.
Media Council of Kenya (MCK) Mombasa Regional Coordinator Maureen Mudi says the current trends in the media space demands that journalists and news sources embrace technology.
“We no longer have to wait for stories to be published or aired the next day due to complexities in news collection and dissemination processes. We have all we need at the touch of a button”, she said at an online meeting hosted by the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI)-Wellcome Trust.
Ms Mudi said the Council has been training journalists on production of local content, an area that is often neglected as media houses compete for national stories.
“Stations that dedicate time to local content creation have a niche that can potentially grow audiences and improve on revenue”, said Ms Mudi.
Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI)-Wellcome Trust Media Engagement Coordinator Roselyne Namayi, praised the work of the Council and the Media for Environment, Science, Health and Agriculture (MESHA) in empowering journalists to effectively report on science matters.
“We are working towards the researchers communications tool kit and engaging the public on issues genomics to open up how we disseminate our information”, Ms Namayi noted.
Star Newspaper journalist John Muchangi commended collaborations between the media and scientists, saying it contributes to professional coverage of science.
KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Head of Engagement Noni Mumba noted that the perspective of journalists sharing about research makes KEMRI-Wellcome Trust better understand the news making processes and gives priority to issues that matter.
MESHA’s Daniel Aghan mentioned that his organisation was ready to partner with like-minded organisations to work towards content generation, adding that journalists need to expand their horizon in order to boost their productivity.
“There can be no shortage of stories. We have our publications that are always ready to have science stories. Journalists should be more aggressive and share stories”, said Mr Aghan.
The meeting brought together local and international science journalists and other stakeholders under the Media Advisory Group (MAG) on genomics of diseases.