Functions of the CGIAR Media Unit

Background

In the CGIAR’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its presence and public profile among Members, partners and other stakeholders, it established a system-wide Media Unit hosted by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) at the Institute’s headquarters in Nairobi.

The goal of the Media Unit is to highlight for farmers, policy makers and others the achievements and impacts of research for development and thus to promote wider adoption of successful technologies. The Media Unit is also committed to strengthening media coverage of African agricultural issues.

Objectives

1. Promote and publicize the CGIAR's research-for-development outcomes, focusing particularly on activities in Africa.
2. Build effective working relations with national and international journalists and media organizations, while strengthening the CGIAR's credibility as a reliable source of pertinent, newsworthy agricultural research information.
3. Strengthen the capacity of Centers supported by the CGIAR to deal with the media and make the most of their interactions with journalists
4. Enhance the capacity of science writers/journalists in Africa in order to increase and improve the quality of stories on agricultural issues.

General Activities

1. Help Centers identify, develop and promote newsworthy stories to national, regional and international media.
2. Pursue proactive media outreach and networking to build a reliable network of journalists interested in agriculture, research and development issues.
3. Prepare media materials, including press kits with press releases, fact sheets and backgrounders, etc., to aid accurate reporting/coverage of CGIAR research.
4. Organize media events (such as press conferences, press trips and photo opportunities) to facilitate journalists' direct access to information from scientists and beneficiaries in research projects.
5. Organize and support media and related training for researchers and other Center staff to increase the effectiveness and impact of their interactions with journalists.
6. Organize workshops for journalists to create awareness of CGIAR activities and to foster lasting relationships between scientists and journalists.
7. Organize, facilitate and/or help identify relevant training opportunities for science journalists in Africa.