On the occasion of World Refugee Day, The Facebook Journalism Project and ICFJ’s International Journalists’ Network (IJNet) have launched a media toolkit for Reporting on Refugee Communities in both Arabic and English. This comprehensive toolkit will act as a resource for journalists covering refugee stories by identifying ways to avoid stereotypical narratives.
The media toolkit offers six resources to help journalists generate professional coverage of humanitarian crises, providing advice for editorial decision making, tools for conducting risk assessments, ethical guidance, and information on mental health.
Leading media and humanitarian experts trained 120 journalists from the Middle East and North Africa on how to better cover refugees -- a highly vulnerable group -- and how to do so amid the constraints the pandemic presents. After the month-long virtual training, 34 participants received reporting grants and mentorship from award-winning journalism experts to produce in-depth stories from the region on refugees and other displaced people.
Before pursuing their stories, the journalists received training on how to protect themselves and their sources during the pandemic. Trainers also coached participants on how to engage refugees in their storytelling, produce more compelling multimedia content, and verify information even with limited on-the-ground access. In addition, the training included information on freedom of movement in the time of COVID-19 and how the pandemic has impeded access to healthcare and other resources for refugees.
Before pursuing their stories, the journalists received training on how to protect themselves and their sources during the pandemic. Trainers also coached participants on how to engage refugees in their storytelling, produce more compelling multimedia content, and verify information even with limited on-the-ground access. In addition, the training included information on freedom of movement in the time of COVID-19 and how the pandemic has impeded access to healthcare and other resources for refugees.
Mohamed Omar, News Partnerships Manager, Middle East and North Africa, at Facebook said: “We’re committed to journalists thriving in the changing world, through sharing digital best practices that support their safety. The in-depth reports show how the news industry is working hard, under extraordinary conditions, to keep people informed and updated. We applaud their efforts and are continuously working with our partners such as ICFJ to both understand their needs and support them the best we can."
“Journalists play a vital role in elevating the stories of people displaced from their homes, a number that continues to rise globally,” said Sharon Moshavi, senior vice president of new initiatives for ICFJ. “The reporters in our network have put a spotlight on refugee communities and deepened their coverage of these marginalized peoples, at a time when it is more important - and yet also more challenging - than ever.”
In 2020, more than 15 million people were living as refugees, asylum seekers or internally displaced persons in the MENA region, according to UNHCR. That’s almost 19 percent of the estimated 80 million-plus forcibly displaced people worldwide.
