AFRO-NETS> Science and Health Journalism Gets Boost With Three New Facilities

[Laide Shokunbi <mracnigeria@yahoo.com>]

Science and Health Journalism Gets Boost With Three New Facilities
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February 10, 2003 Lagos, Nigeria - Director of the United Nations In-
formation Centre (UNIC), Lagos, Mr. Finjap Njinga will on Tuesday, 
February 25, 2003 unveil three facilities established to support 
journalists and improve the reporting of development issues such as 
science, health, environment, and population in the Nigerian media. 

A number of top news media managers will witness the ceremony. Coming 
under the aegis of Development Communications (DEVCOMS) Network, the 
facilities are: 

1. Media Resource and Advocacy Centre (MRAC)
2. Computer Clubhouse, and 
3. The Popline Support Center
 
All are designed to help journalists understand and better report the 
complex issues in health, environment and the applied sciences. 

Media Resource and Advocacy Centre (MRAC) - Established in 1999 as 
result of field experience and a study of media needs between 1994 
and 1999, MRAC is an operational strategy to promote health and sci-
ence journalism in Nigeria. 

The Centre provides journalists with resource materials on environ-
ment, health and medicine, science and technology, and other develop-
ment issues. It offers other services that improve scientific infor-
mation flow to journalists and, ultimately, the general public. 

?We use an integrated approach to promote public understanding of 
science,? says Akin Jimoh, Program Director, Development Communica-
tions Network.

Computer Clubhouse Established in 2002 with support from the Ford 
Foundation - The Computer Clubhouse provides resources, skills and 
creative learning environments for On-line Journalism. The Clubhouse 
conducts regular training opportunities for journalists and NGOs on 
the use of Internet resources. Sixty journalists were trained in 2002 
on Internet-Assisted Reporting on HIV/AIDS, Reproductive Health and 
Sexual Rights Issues. For youths, who patronize the Clubhouse, the 
aim is to provide them with the requisite skills to compete posi-
tively with their peers from all over the world.

Popline Support Center - POPLINE is a database on population issues 
containing more than 291,000 citations with detailed abstracts and 
in-depth indexing. It provides journalists with information on popu-
lation, family planning, reproductive health and sexual rights, and 
other related health issues. The database is made up of all types of 
publicationsjournals, monographs, and technical reports.

The database is maintained by the Population Information Programme of 
the Centre for Communication Programs, John Hopkins University, 
Bloomberg School Of Public Health, and supported by Office of Popula-
tion, United States Agency For International Development. 

The support centre facility will complement an on-going project: "Ap-
proach to Media Partnership in Reproductive Health and Rights Promo-
tion in Nigeria", supported by the Ford Foundation, Office for West 
Africa.

Date: Tuesday, February 25, 2003
Time: 10 a.m. prompt.
Venue:
Development Communications Network
26, Adebola Street, Off Adeniran Ogunsanya Street 
Surulere, Lagos, Nigeria


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Laide Shokunbi
Tel.: +234-1-7748-397
mailto:mracnigeria@yahoo.com

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