By Jimoh Babatunde
Professor Mohmmad Ishiyaku, Executive Director of the Agricultural Research Institute at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, has asked scientists to seek clarity when communicating about their research.
Professor Ishiyaku said this at the opening of a three-day media training workshop that was recently held at the Agricultural Research Institute, Samaru, Zaria.
He said clear communication will ensure that research products do not end up on the shelves, but easily gain public acceptance.
He noted that as researchers strive for clarity, interacting with the media is not that easy, so scientists must practice and be patient to master how best to interact with the media to make an impact.
“You have to be a journalist momentarily and be the defendant, in addition to seeing yourself as someone who is accountable to the public, because the journalist tries to show the public in his own way the best he can.
“So you have to make sure you persuade him convincingly to present it to the public in his own light,” he said.
He pointed out that it is necessary to anticipate or anticipate what the journalist wants to say and respond in clear and unambiguous terms, to avoid being misinterpreted.
“Researchers must be accountable to the public, as their research is not for the private good and public consumption.
“Therefore, you must learn to suppress and divorce your emotions from your work by presenting the facts of the research findings for the public to appreciate,” hr noted.
Professor Rabiu Adamu, Principal Investigator of the TELA maize project, said that the technologies used by the project were relatively new to the Nigerian landscape, so it was important that the media understood and reported on them effectively.
Technology is fast growing by the day