PANOS Institute Southern Africa (PSAf) urges research institutions to share findings with the media

The PANOS Institute Southern Africa (PSAf) has urged all research institutions conducting research aimed at finding the best way of reducing poverty among the poor and the vulnerable to share their research findings with the media.

PSAf Media Development and ICTs Regional Manager, Elias Banda, says PSAf is saddened that important research findings are gathering dusts in many offices because the researchers have not shared their research findings with policy makers and the community media.

Mr. Banda says PSAf believes that sharing the research results with the community media provides new information for debates and discussions on how the poor can be assisted and adds to the much needed evidence that governments in the SADC region have always asked for.

He says Research findings have the potential to change the way Governments have been administering state funds and could change many policies affecting the poor and the marginalized.

Mr banda says PSAf believes that many of the research findings on poverty reduction, Health and HIV, Environment and Climate Change and general community development can add value to the many community media discussions taking place in many of our newspapers and radio stations.

He says Research on critical national development issues needs to go beyond research institutions and reach the wider public in poor and disadvantaged communities - the very people who are most likely to be affected by policies based on research findings.

Mr banda says Community media are looking for information and data to enrich their media content development and the availability of research findings can be the much needed expert information that the media has been looking for.

He says improved interaction between the media and researchers, including scientists, can bring about the much needed community advancement as both groups are desirous of a better and improved community.

Mr. Banda says PSAf has been bringing together researchers, scientists and the media, through its Communicating Research Project so that the barriers between scientists, researchers and the media can be removed and both groups can get familiar with the needs of each group.