The Resource and Environmental Policy Research Centre, Environment for Development (REPRC-EfD) Nigeria, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) says the media will play vital role in preventing environmental damage in the society.
Dr. Nnaemeka Chukwuone, the Director, REPRC-EfD UNN said this in remark on Friday in Nsukka during a one day workshop organised for journalists by the centre tagged “Effective Communication of Environmental Research to the Public” .
He said the centre was established to advance interdisciplinary research, capacity building and policy advocacy on substantial environment.
The Director, who was represented by Prof Innocent Ifelunini, Deputy Director of the centre said the REPRC-EfD) recognised the vital role of journalists in writing news stories that would prevent environmental damage.
“We consider media as vital partner because even when we make giant stride in research work, it will not have much impact on the public without involving the media that will disseminate the information so that it will go viral.
“The media is very imperative in escalating the evidence based result of our research findings, that’s why we organised this workshop because the centre considers the media as critical and active partner in progress,” he said.
The director disclosed that the centre had been involved in so many research activities that have produced formidable results nationally and internationally.
According to him, this is because the centre has always involved relivant government agencies, stakeholders and policy makers right from the beginning of its research so as to achieve required and formidable result.
Prof Luke Anorue, from the Department of Mass Communication UNN while presenting a paper titled: “Interpreting Environmental Research for Public Communication,” emphasized the importantance of effective communication to targeted audience in order to achieve the desired result.
Anorue who is Admin Officer of REPC-EFD, said that environmental research output must be interpreted and communicated to policy makers and the public in a simple language that each target audience would understand without difficulty.
According to the Admin Manager of the centre, environmental research drives global change as
communication converts knowledge to action while
the public acts on what they understand.
Speaking, on the topic: “Environmental Challenges in Nigeria and the Role of REPRC-EfD Nigeria in Providing Evidence-based Solutions,” Dr Chzoba Oranu, a Research Fellow at REPRC-EFD alleged there have been poor media reports and coverage on environment degradation in the country
“Journalists as public ‘gate keepers’, are expected to communicate effectively findings on management of environmental challenges to general public for sustainable development.
“Journalists should not wait until disaster happens before reporting, they should be proactive in order to prevent environmental damage in the society.
” The media are expected to always do a report that will educate and sensitise the public on environment, research findings, government policies and environmental management,” she said.
Also speaking, Mr Inya Egwu, the Communication Officer, REPRC-EfD Nigeria and the Acting Public Relations Officer of UNN, in his presentation titled; “Data Journalism and the use of Infographics in Environmental reporting,” urged journalists to use more of data analysis to tell their news stories.
Egwu explained that date journalism involved gathering and analysing large datasets to find hidden trends, explain complex issues, and present findings through visualisations using infographics, charts, tables, interactive maps among others.
This approach according to Egwu relied on empirical and verifiable evidence to produce news stories that would be objective, revealing and that could hardly be disputed because the news item is loaded with facts and figures.
Our Correspondent reports that, the workshop was attended by journalists from different media organisations in the country.