Africa Science Desk Pitching Workshop: Twenty journalists from Senegal and other Africans countries trained in science stories writing

The African Academy of Sciences (The AAS) in collaboration with the DELTAS Africa programme, MARCAD, held the first edition of the Africa Science Desk (ASD) Pitching Workshop, held in Dakar, Senegal from 11-12 July 2019.  The workshop was part of a series of trainings to be held in ASD countries to build the Capacity of journalist to write science stories. It brought together twenty journalists from Senegal, Kenya, Mali, Cameroon, Zimbabwe, Uganda and Côte d'Ivoire.

The participants, consisting of journalists and mentors confided that the two days activity was a great learning experience especially how to write science stories for various media houses.

The meeting also served as a pretext for the ASD to identify fundable stories from Senegalese journalists at the workshop.

‘’Those whose stories show potential will be supported by our seasoned mentors to research and write their story. And to facilitate this, those selected will receive $700 to research their story and on publication be given a pitch fee $350’’ highlighted the Head of Communications and PR The African Academy of Sciences, Juliette Mutheu-Asego, in her welcome speech.

Certificates were awarded to the participants by The African Academy of Sciences at the end of the workshop. The Africa Science Desk was established in 2017 by The AAS to build the capacity of science journalism in Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal and South Africa.  The project funds stories in The AAS strategic objectives: Environment and climate change, health and wellbeing, natural sciences, policy and governance and social sciences and humanities.  

To date, The AAS has funded 48 stories — 41 already published and 7 under review in Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa. The stories are aimed at generating stories for local or global news markets. The funding has provided opportunities for journalists in the four countries to be mentored by seasoned senior science journalists as well as win international awards. For instance, Dorcas Wangira of Citizen TV Kenya, was awarded the prestigious 2019 Michael Elliot award for Excellence in African Story telling by the International Centre for Journalists (ICFJ).