Elsewhere, others point to a growing interest among young African journalists to report on science. Also, the public and policymakers are increasingly recognizing the importance of science and telecommunication in fostering development.
Meanwhile, there are more opportunities for training in science journalism. Observers say these have resulted in significant advances in the quality of reporting, improving researchers’ trust in journalists.
Much of the praise for the spread of science journalism across Africa and the Middle East goes to the Canada-based World Federation of Science Journalists. Since 2006, it has trained close to 100 reporters from over 30 countries.
The vehicle is a free long-distance mentoring program, called Science Journalism Cooperation, or SjCOOP, in which experienced journalists tutor beginners via online courses in English, French and Arabic.
Maxwell Awumah is a journalist with the Ghana News Agency. He graduated with distinction from the second phase of the program at a ceremony held in Amman, Jordan in October.
"My competence," he said, "has been enhanced in science reporting, and I’m now well positioned to be able to see and sniff science from afar. It has given me the leverage to critique issues and set the right agenda, to follow policymakers and scientists so that in the end, we bring accelerated development in Africa."
SjCOOP alumni like Maxwell are increasingly impacting their colleagues in newsrooms across the continent and successfully thrusting science to the forefront of news shows.
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2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25