How to do mass media publicity for a neglected disease. Lessons from Tsetse and Trypanosomiasis in Kenya

Abstract

The prioritization of neglected diseases in the policy making framework requires heightened advocacy [WHO, 2006]. Mass media positive publicity is among approaches that can be used to achieve this. This paper discusses practical use of mass media to do publicity and advocacy for a neglected disease and its vector. It uniquely presents online links to the analyzed newspaper and television news and opinion articles on tsetse and Trypanosomiasis. The paper shares entry points into mass media advocacy from a lessons learned perspective and notes the importance of understanding how the mass media works in order to achieve advocacy of neglected diseases using sleeping sickness as a case study.

Besieged from all sides: impediments to science journalism in a developing country and their global implications

“…Second, like those in our study, journalists of the Global South encounter a troublesome working relationship with scientists, often facing the shortage of local scholars who are willing to talk publicly on new science developments [Alhuntushi & Lugo-Ocando, 2020;Khan, 2017]. This might be because local scientists lack relevant and up-to-date expertise, or they hold grudges against being misrepresented in the news [Joubert, 2007;Michael & Binta, 2013;Olet & Othieno, 2015], or they do not regard public communication as a professional duty [Ndlovu, Joubert & Boshoff, 2016;Zhao et al, 2014]. The few who are conscious and capable of doing public communication as a social responsibility are too busy to participate in news spaces [Congjuico, 2016;Ndlovu et al, 2016].…”

Science journalism for development in the Global South: A systematic literature review of issues and challenges

“…Researchers, therefore, have called for journalists in the South to focus more on researching local stories, linking local events to global knowledge, and humanizing their storylines (Mazzonetto 2005;Olet and Othieno 2015). That, however, remains wishful, as science journalism in the developing world still has a long way to professionalism, due to a range of socio-political and professional impediments that we examine in the next sections.…”