Ten memos on collaboration between journalists and researchers in the Nile basin.
1. What unites is more important than what divides the two professions: both aim at representing the world.
“We acknowledge that there are many differences in dynamics in the works of journalists and scientists. This includes- time taken to produce content, audience, specificity, etc. But if we keep on focusing on the differences, we will not make any progress. Why not focus on the aspects that unite us?”- Emanuele
2. For an accurate representation, data and sources are key.
“ We need to think about the data and the sources. We need to think about representation.”
3. For an accurate representation, data and sources are key.
Journalists need training on science, while scientists need training in science communication.
4. Our understanding of water and rivers is shaped by popular culture (education, religion, cinema, songs, poems,…)
What we realised is that our understanding on water and the environment is not only shaped by media but also by popular culture (education, religion, cinema, songs, poems,…)etc
5. Facts and emotions cannot be separated. Which emotions do we want to elicit with our facts?
6. Our representations of a river like the Nile are often caught in the “nation trap”
7. Creativity happens at the margins of big debates and mainstream narratives.
Most narratives are nationalistic and controlled by political class.
It is important to acknowledge this and cultivate the discourse.
8. Both journalism and research can be rather extractive practices: the need for accountability and participation.
How can we involve the local community? How can we let them tell their narratives?
9. The importance of consuming together the stories that we produce to acknowledge the existence of different perspectives
10. The importance of relations: communication, community, commons.
We want to improve our communications. Through communication, we can indeed improve our community. A community that acknowledges different perspectives through conversations that are dialogic making us more aware of our perspectives as well as those of others
For example, through the photo voice, we will be able to tell how we can involve the community in telling their narratives about the environment
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