Reporting Environmental Biotechnology

From Toxic Waters to Profitable Ponds; or
Bugs into the Battle

A Workshop on Environmental Biotechnology for Journalists and Scientists

The South African Agency for Science & Technology Advancement (SAASTA) in conjunction with the Public Understanding of Biotechnology (PUB) programme is holding a series of Media Round Tables and training workshops to raise awareness about the often-controversial issues surrounding biotechnology, its potentials, risks, and ethical and environmental implications.

Though biotechnology has been recognised by governments and world bodies as a necessary part of the vision for Sustainable Development, and an important instrument in dealing with global issues such as food security, public health and environmental sustainability, two-thirds of South Africans have never heard of the term “genetically modified foods”, and journalists often lack the knowledge necessary to interrogate policy decisions or engage in healthy, balanced and factual debates about research priorities, latest biotechnological developments and their applications.

Yet, biotechnology has a potentially high socio-economic, environmental, cultural and political impact. Or, in the words of US computer expert Bill Joy, GNR technologies (gene, nano, robotics) can cure our earth but they also can turn out to be more destructive than all the weapons on earth.

To ensure a broad and better understanding of this complex topic among journalists, journalism training consultancy frayintermedia will host a one-day workshop on the topic of environmental biotechnology, entitled From Toxic Waters to Profitable Ponds; or Bugs into the Battle.

The workshop will be conducted in partnership with the Rhodes Institute for Environmental Biotechnology (EBRU) and the Rhodes School of Journalism and Media Studies. It aims to sensitise and empower journalists and future communicators to undertake accurate, balanced and interrogative reporting on biotechnological issues in general and on environmental biotechnology in particular, while offering scientists training in how to get their message across without compromising on the scientific essence.

Participants will have an opportunity to visit the Rhodes Environmental Experimental Field Station and to question local experts, community leaders and scientists on biotechnological issues of local relevance. Reporters are expected to draft one story on environmental biology at the workshop and should be able to gather enough material to cover a number of locally relevant angles.

The workshop will take place on Tuesday, August 4th 2009 at Rhodes University, Journalism and Media Studies Department, Grahamstown, Eastern Cape.

Space is limited and community journalists will be given preference.

Click here for reporter’s resources – articles, posters and more.

Click here for the workshop programme.

For more information please contact:
Debby Kramer
Tel: 011 341 0767
Fax: 011 325 2631
Email: dkramer@frayintermedia.com