Our program seeks to forge stronger connections between scientists and journalists, ensuring the public benefits from accurate, engaging science stories

Science reporting is a critical bridge between the research community and the public, playing a vital role in communicating groundbreaking discoveries, fostering evidence-based decision-making, and building essential trust in the scientific process. While well-established in nations like the U.S. with dedicated outlets such as Scientific American, science journalism in Kenya remains underdeveloped and marginalised within mainstream media. This gap is primarily driven by three key challenges in science communication: many journalists lack specialised training in interpreting complex studies, newsrooms often deprioritise science stories in favour of political or economic coverage, and historically strained relationships between scientists and the media hinder collaboration.

To address this, our project proposes to create a Platform for journalists and researchers to co-create compelling science stories. This initiative is designed to directly tackle these barriers by creating a synergistic platform for Kenyan journalists and early-career researchers. The program will facilitate collaboration, empowering these key stakeholders to co-develop accurate, compelling, and accessible science feature articles. The ultimate goal is to enhance the capacity of local science reporters and ensure these co-produced stories achieve publication in prominent Kenyan media outlets, thereby significantly improving the public’s access to and understanding of crucial scientific developments.

Acknowledgement: this project is supported by a grant from UCS https://www.ucsc.edu/ through their Science Communication Program (SciCom), in collaboration with Schmidt Sciences https://www.schmidtsciences.org/.