The prestigious awards recognize science journalists and research scientists who have developed creative, original work that addresses issues and advances in science, engineering, and/or medicine for the general public.
“Dini-Osman excellently constructs science stories where each minute is a purposeful contribution to breaking down societal problems in Ghana”, the selection committee said.
A total of 24 awards were announced — 12 awards for best science communication by research scientists and 12 awards for science journalists, split among six categories.
“The exemplary work that these award winners are doing to accurately and engagingly communicate about science to the public has never been more important,” said National Academy of Sciences President Marcia McNutt. “In an often complicated, murky, and distorted information environment, these superb communicators are shining a light on critical truths, facts, and evidence that people need to make informed decisions about their lives.”
“Scientists and journalists are both seekers and sharers of knowledge, but they speak what might as well be two languages — one for academics within a particular field, the other for consumers who are inundated with news,” said Wendy Schmidt, co-founder of Schmidt Futures and president and co-founder of the Schmidt Family Foundation and Schmidt Ocean Institute. “The communicators honored with these awards not only speak both languages but also bridge them, telling stories that capture the furthest reaches of human understanding in words that are clear and relevant for all audiences.”
Chosen by the selection committee from 550 entries for works published or aired in 2021 through February 2022.
Ridwan is a recipient of the 2018 Lorenzo Natali Media Prize, a prestigious global award run by the European Commission. He also won the 2021 International Center for Journalists’ Global Health Crisis Award for COVID-19 reporting. He is Ghana’s 2017 Best Reporter in Development Journalism and received the 2016 Best Journalist Award in Rural Reporting from the Ghana Journalists Association. Ridwan holds a bachelor’s degree in communication studies from the Ghana Institute of Journalism.