Arctic Hub promotes collaboration between journalists and researchers

Journalists and researchers doing group work at a high table, Rachael Lorna Johnstone, Kassaluk Kristensen, Aviâja Kilime, journalists, researchers, Arctic Hub, dissemination, science, Greenland

Too much research in Greenland never reaches the local population. Therefore, researchers and journalists will now collaborate to get more knowledge out to the Greenlandic citizens.

 

By Nicoline Larsen, Lise Brix and Anders Høeg Lammers

 

This week, local researchers and journalists in Nuuk met for a joint workshop. The purpose was to find a solution to the challenge that too little of the research conducted in Greenland reaches those it is all about. Namely, the population.

 

At the workshop, which was arranged by Arctic Hub and Videnskab.dk, the researchers learned how to present their research in a more understandable, exciting, and relatable way to the general population. At the same time, the journalists were given tools to become better at discovering new and essential Greenlandic research.

 

Common interest in spreading knowledge

“It’s been a long time since I learned so much in a day and a half,” says Rachael Lorna Johnstone, a law professor at Ilisimatusarfik. “Researchers and journalists need to understand each other’s methods a little better. What I personally take with me from the workshop is: simplify, simplify, simplify.”

 

The researchers and journalists also talked about how they solve the challenges that sometimes arise between them. Because even though they have different prerequisites and workflows, they also agreed they had a common interest. Namely to bring more knowledge out to the Greenlandic population.

 

“What I personally take with me from the workshop is: simplify, simplify, simplify,” Rachael Lorna Johnstone

 

“There was no barrier between us because we all had the same interest,” says Aviâja Kilime, a journalist at KNR. Kassaaluk Kristensen, a journalist at Sermitisiaq.AG, experienced the same. “It was a really good opportunity for bridge building. There will be more openness and willingness to cooperate when we meet this way.”

 

Mutual declaration of intent

The workshop ended with the researchers present and the journalists writing a mutual declaration of intent. Here, the researchers undertook, among other things, to speak a simple and easy-to-understand language. In return, the journalists promised to give the researchers time to prepare for interviews to get better answers.

 

“I am thrilled that there was such a great willingness to cooperate from both sides. The very purpose of Arctic Hub is to spread research to the local community. Therefore we are super happy that the project has succeeded, and both researchers and journalists have received it so well,” says Anna-Sofie Skjervedal, head of secretariat at Arctic Hub.

 

Read more about the workshop at Sermitsiaq.AG