Scientific research The AJCS/BF equips journalists and communicators

2023-04-28 17:11:11

The Association of Science Journalists and Communicators of Burkina Faso (AJCS/BF) organized on Thursday, April 27, 2023, a workshop during which it provided journalists and communicators with basic notions related to the concepts of molecular biology, molecular genetics, biotechnology and bioinformatics.

The scientific training workshop which brought together journalists and communicators aimed to strengthen their capacities to better understand the new challenges of the convergence of science and technology towards the human person, genetic manipulation, disease concepts emerging and re-emerging and bioethics.

These themes were led by Full Professor of Molecular Biology and Molecular Genetics, Jacques Simporé and his team.

For Professor of Molecular Biology and Molecular Genetics, Jacques Simporé, the development of these converging technologies and their integration can have social, ethical and legal implications.

According to Pr Simporé, scientists in their laboratories speak a new Latin that no one understands. It is to journalists that they can entrust their discoveries so that they in turn transmit them to civil society. He said that this training will help equip media people and communicators to enable them to transmit the message that scientists want to convey.

It is for journalists and scientific communicators to be able to transmit to society, the results of research and explain to populations, the truth through the information resulting from the exploitation of certified scientific writings.

The coordinator of the Association of Science Journalists and Communicators of Burkina, Karim Namoano invited journalists to get involved in the production of scientific articles.

The coordinator of the association of journalists and scientific communicators of Burkina, Karim Namoano for his part indicated that this meeting of exchanges between journalists / communicators and researchers is initiated to address questions and problems that arise today with ” a lot of sharpness ».

“When we talk about biotechnology, artificial intelligence, genetic engineering and research on molecular biology, these are studies that are sometimes abstract for journalists”he hinted.

Through this meeting, the aim is to allow journalists to “to question scientists and these different notions in order to have answers that will guide them in the writing of their articles and in the participation in the debate on scientific research”, a explained Karim Namoano.

One of the founding members of the AJCS/BF, Boureima Sanga, underlined that the scientific journalist works to put science at the service of citizens and help the public to benefit from it. It must also analyze science from several angles (economic, sociological, political, ethical, legal, etc.), he continued.

Sanga asserted that most science journalists are great admirers of science, but they must also cultivate the “art of doubt” so that the public does not fall victim to bad, false or fraudulent research (scientific controversies).

This one-day training was also an opportunity for researchers to ensure their availability to guide journalists and guide them in the production of articles on scientific subjects that could better shed light on the information needs of citizens.

The Association of Journalists and Science Communicators of Burkina Faso was created on October 22, 2011 following the initiative of science journalists trained by the World Federation of Science Journalists (WFJS) through its SCOOP II program. The AJCS/BF has set itself the objectives, among other things, of ensuring the collection, storage, processing, dissemination and popularization of scientific and technological information (IST).

Believe Micheline OUEDRAOGO