By Elizabeth PUNSU
The Development Director at the British High Commission, Richard Sardar, has called on journalists to leverage their platforms to simplify and communicate scientific breakthroughs, ensuring they drive growth, create impact and counter misinformation.
According to him, there appears to be a gap between what scientists know and understand and how that information reaches the public and decision-makers. This gap, he noted, hinders the adoption of scientific findings by relevant authorities to support the country’s development.
He lamented that this gap could impede growth, as it creates a vacuum where misinformation can thrive, undermining the hard work of scientists.
“We don’t often read scientific papers or attend academic symposiums, and most journalists and the public don’t either. There is a significant barrier between what scientists know and understand and how that information reaches those who can use it—decision-makers, activists, teachers, and the general public. This barrier creates a vacuum where accurate information should be, and when that vacuum exists, misinformation rushes in. If good information is not provided, it will inevitably be filled with bad information,” he highlighted.
Therefore, in an attempt to curb misinformation about scientific findings and to bring the real facts to persons involved, including teachers, decision-makers, and the general public, the British High Commission, in collaboration with the Ministry for Environment, Science, and Technology (MEST) and the Responsible Artificial Intelligence Lab (RAIL) of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), has held a five-day workshop for journalists across the country on science and technology reporting as part of the Ghana-UK Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) Strategy.
Giving his opening remarks at the training, Mr. Sardar highlighted the important role journalists play in ensuring misinformation on scientific findings does not become rife.
He mentioned that this training would give journalists the needed technical knowledge to fill the vacuum between scientists and the general public, who are the consumers of their work.
“Your task is not just reporting on the breakthroughs but translating the significance, impact, and growth of jobs, society, culture—everything,” Mr. Sardar said.
The Project Lead for Responsible Artificial Intelligence Lab (RAIL) and Dean of the Quality Assurance and Plannjng Officer, KNUST, Prof. Jerry John Kponyo, also in his opening remarks at the workshop, expressed commitment to conducting science and technology research to boost national development.
To sustain this, Prof. Kponyo, mentioned of plans to mount a Scienece Technology and Innovation (ST&I) reportage as a short course at KNUST for both journalists and Scientists.
“To address this pressing need of building skills and capacity in science, technology, and innovation reporting, the University seeks to mount the workshop as a short course. And that basically borders on sustainability so that at the end of the day, we are assured that not only journalists are going through this course, but the scientists themselves also have the opportunity to know how to report,” Prof. Kponyo added.
