UKZN Collaborates with The Conversation Africa to Host Writing Workshop

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UKZN in partnership with The Conversation Africa, an independent source of news and analysis from the academic and research community, hosted a workshop on writing for popular media for academics, and post-doctoral and PhD candidates.

The workshop aimed to help researchers understand how to refine the way they communicate their research findings to non-academic audiences to promote broader societal engagement and impact. It included a session on how to pitch and publish on the platform.

In her welcome address, Ms Xoliswa Zulu, Director for University Relations noted that research needs to be accessible and easily understood in order for it to be meaningful and relevant. ‘The media seeks comment and opinion from academics on topical matters; healthcare providers, research institutions, and individual scientists have all discovered that using the media wisely is an effective tool in educating and informing the public.

Zulu added: ‘It is important for academics to gain the ability to write for lay audiences as an increasing number of journals now publish non-technical summaries of peer-reviewed articles as part of their commitment to keeping the public informed.’

Strategic Partnerships Manager at The Conversation Africa Ms Pfungwa Nyamukachi explained that the platform is dedicated to publishing academics and scientists’ work in an accessible format in order to bridge the gap between academia and society.

The criteria for publication on this unique platform are: (1) an academic who has been teaching for five years or longer; (2) a post-doctoral candidate attached to an accredited institution; and (3) a PhD student who is far along in their research. The PhD student would need to co-author with their supervisor or an expert in the field.

Nyamukachi highlighted that The Conversation Africa services the whole continent and is also part of a global network called The Conversation. Its motto is “academic rigour meets journalist flair”; thus, academics are expected to write analytical articles that centre on their research, which are published under a Creative Commons Licence - allowing other media platforms to republish their work.

The research themes include: arts and culture; business and economics; education; the environment and energy; health and medicine; politics; and science and technology. Editors are assigned to each theme and work with academics to edit the article’s language and angle. ‘Only when you are happy with your edits and approve your article do we publish it, which makes this a safe place to start your science communication journey,’ said Nyamukachi.

She shared some of the benefits of publishing with The Conversation Africa which include global reach and the ability to track this through an analytical dashboard, as well as networking and research collaboration.

Dr Candice Bailey Strategic Initiatives Editor at The Conversation Africa unpacked the types of articles on the platform, namely: news analysis; research; book reviews; podcasts; explainers; Q&As; academic interviews; and curious kids. Academics should pitch their article by explaining their research idea, their findings, its importance and/or why they think the story matters. The point of the pitch is narrowing down the angle.

Bailey offered some pointers on writing for the media which include a journalistic approach that encompasses the why, what, who, when, where and how of a subject. She encouraged academics to avoid jargon and acronyms, an overly formal tone, the tendency to write academic essays, rhetorical questions and long sentences. They should stick to the angle of the story, uncover the hook and what’s new, and meet deadlines.

In an interactive session academics received feedback from Bailey on mock pitches they had submitted prior to the workshop.

Nyamukachi closed the session by encouraging academics to consider the feedback received and refine their pitches before submission. She added that, ‘As The Conversation Africa, we are aware that you hold the knowledge and insights, and we want to work with you.’

She thanked UKZN for partially funding the platform, academics for attending and the Corporate Relations Division for making the event possible.

Words: Hlengiwe Khwela

Photographs: Supplied