Communicating Research

COMMUNICATING RESEARCH

Emeritus Professor Michael Cherry

Dates: 29 July to 29 September (Mondays) 
Time: 17:30 to 18:30 
Course fee: R5 000 full fee: Staff and students: R4 500 Maximum: 30 participants  

Platform: Microsoft Teams  

The course offers an introduction to communicating research in the media. Participants will learn about ways of communicating information about research in the media, using different formats (news articles, opinion articles, reviews, obituaries, profiles, press releases etc). The focus will be on written media media outlets (online and in print), with some reference to radio, television and alternative media (podcasts, videoclips etc). Participants should finish the course with an understanding of the different formats discussed and their utility. Participants will have the opportunity to complete and discuss writing assignments covering these formats. 

The programme will be run virtually as a ten-session programme spread over a period of two months to allow for analysis and reflection between sessions. 

Session 1 Writing for an audience and telling a tale 

Session 2 The news article 

Session 3 The feature article 

Session 4 The op-ed (opinion) article 

Session 5 The book review 

Session 6 The obituary 

Session 7 The press release 

Session 8 Radio and television 

Session 9 The profile 

Session 10 Alternative media (tweets, podcasts, video clips) – guest lecturer 

 

The course will benefit: 

• postgraduate students and academics, who wish to communicate their findings 

• journalists and editors who wish to develop skills in research communication 

• media officers for research organizations or tertiary education institutions 

• anyone else who is interested in communicating about research and scholarship. 

 

OPTIONAL READING 

Blum, D & Knudson, M.A Field Guide for Science Writers.1997. Oxford University Press. 

Dawkins, R. (ed.). 2008. The Oxford Book of Modern Science Writing. Oxford University Press. 

 

For more information about registration and payment contact, Bronwyn Geldenhuys at Bronwyn.geldenhuys@uct.ac.za