Media training for air quality researchers

Pretoria, July 2026 | Founder’s client: Health Policy Watch

Ahead of the 4th Africa Clean Air Forum, Chetan ran a media training workshop organised by Health Policy Watch. About 25 air quality experts took part: researchers, scientists and civil society representatives from more than 10 countries across three continents.

The workshop asked two questions. Is your work having an impact? Is your communication?

It had two parts. In the first, each participant wrote a media story from their own work, and the group voted for the best. This mirrors a newsroom pitch, where a story must first win over your colleagues and your manager. The winning headline combined impact with measurable change.

In the second, teams shot a vertical video, and again the group picked the best. Most people now watch news video online, yet few participants had made a video about their work before. The exercise was short, but it showed the building blocks of telling a complex story on video.

Both exercises teach how to find a hook and why the first seconds of a video matter. A scientist sets the context first, then lists findings and caveats. An audience wants the headline first.

The participants are accomplished professionals. The training challenges them on essentially one question: why should a viewer give your story another minute?

Climate stories are worthwhile, and our training helps make them watchable.