by Shilpi Tripathi.

Young faculty and researchers at the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) come from some of the best universities globally, bringing with them world-class research tools and training. Their work is usually meticulously researched and carefully crafted, often based on especially collected data. There are many opportunities to present their work at internal seminars, conferences and media interactions, and each is a powerful way of building confidence and being able to engage in serious policy discussions based on their work but there are challenges as well.  Going beyond academic audiences to serious but easily accessible discussions with policymakers, the media and the public is not a skill taught in graduate schools and involves much “learning by doing”.

At a July 2014 Think Tank Initiative-funded Media Workshop held at NCAER, a group of young NCAER researchers learnt strategic and tactical skills to build meaningful bridges with the media so that they can more effectively communicate the implications of their work to policymakers and the larger public in easily understandable ways.  Organised as a part of the Policy Engagement Programme of TTI and taught by a media expert, this workshop was a great experience in structured learning for the young NCAER scholars on how they could leverage their knowledge by more effectively fielding questions from the media and honing their speaker and thought-leader skills.

 

NCAER Workshop: Building strategic media partnerships