Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Programme’s Communications and Public Engagement Department has opened the Journalists in Residence (JIR) trainings for the 2023-2025  cohort.

During the induction meeting, MLW’s Communications and Media Engagement Coordinator Luke Manja said the JIR training initiative accords media professionals an opportunity to master and perfect the art of Communication, particularly in the field of health research reporting.

“The JIR training programme will be what you will make it to be, what and how you benefit from it depends on your individual effort, and the effort and passion you invest will determine what and how much you will reap. I encourage you to make the best use of this opportunity in sharpening your health research reporting skills,” Manja said.

One of the facilitators for the JIR training Frank Kapesa underscored the need for changing the coverage  and presentation of science topics in domestic media to make science content equally attractive.

Among other topics, Kapesa shared with the JIR trainees the basics of Science Journalism and the common mistakes in Science Journalism in local media.

One of the new JIR members from Kulinji Online Vyalema Kaluluma Phiri said being part of the training programme will ease his coverage of complex health issues, which is a dream come true.

“The JIR will provide me an opportunity for in-depth interaction and understanding of science and health topics thereby communicating research findings to the populace.  In the long run, this will bridge the existing gap between the research community and the public,” Kaluluma said.

The JIR members also had an opportunity to tour the construction of the Clinical Research Excellence and Training Open Resources (CREATOR) building that envisioned to upscale MLW’s both research and operations works.