Malawi Liverpool Wellcome (MLW)’s Journalists in Residence (JIR) initiative is unlocking reporters’ potential in health research reporting. Blantyre-based journalists who are members of the fifth JIR cohort said this during the interactive meeting held on 24 May 2022 at Moneymen Leadership Centre in Blantyre.

The meeting also marked the end of the fifth JIR cohort interactive meetings which aimed at reflecting progress made in training local reporters in health research reporting.

Nation Publication Limited’s News reporter Andrew Mtupanyama underscored that the JIR trainings revived his interest in science reporting. Mtupanyama said the advent of COVID-19 highlighted the need for journalists to craft research-based health articles to address growing speculations, misinformation, and myths.

“These trainings are relevant at this moment when various health campaigns are being blocked by myths and misinformation,” said Mtupanyama.

Capital Radio Stations’ News reporter Jane Kaonga concurred with Mtupanyama. She highlighted that the skills that she gained through the JIR project will make a huge difference in her work.

During the interactive meeting, Dr. Mphatso Phiri and Dr. Anthony Chirwa presented on Living no one Behind in Transforming Gendered Pathways against Tuberculosis (LIGHT) study and Malawi Accelerated Vaccine Researcher MARVELS study respectively.