New Skills for the Next Generation of Journalists
2017-1-HU01-KA203-036038
Worldwide, unprecedented numbers of people are on the move: In 2020, over 280 million people globally were migrants and refugees, an increase of almost 130 million people compared to 1990, according to the Migration Data Portal run by the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Migration and forced displacement are thus a crucial issue for journalism globally. But what do seasoned migration reporters expect from journalism education, whether university-based or at further education institutes? A recent study sheds light on their wishes.
To get inspiration for journalism training, four reporters from the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, and Portugal have been interviewed in spring 2021 in the framework of the EU-funded project NEWSREEL2 – New Teaching Fields for the Next Generation of Journalists. All of them have been reporting migration and forced displacement from an international angle, including research trips to Sub-Saharan Africa or Mediterranean countries.
The interviewees pointed to several shortcomings in international reporting about issues of migration and forced displacement, which map the agenda for a greater attention on this issue in journalism training. These include a rather elite-centred stance over-focussing on politicians and experts than giving voice to migrants and refugees themselves, as well as a focus on crises and cyclical attention rather than permanent coverage and long-term perspectives. “For me, important and interesting stories are those that show a longer time frame, where you don’t only catch up with people in the moment of crisis”, says Tomáš Lindner, Editor at the Czech weekly Respekt.
Even though migration is a “phenomenon that won't stop”, according to Catarina Santos from Portuguese online newspaper Observador, “there are no conditions at most of the newsrooms to have a journalist that is paying attention to this with the frequency that we should have”. While journalism education might have rather low impact on newsroom resources, it can though sensitize for reporting on migration and forced displacement.
The importance of correct terminologies
Tellingly, none of the interviewees had received any specific training related to that particular field during his or her career. While they agreed that some skills are impossible to “learn” within a classroom and need to be developed on the ground, they did point out that issues such as the professional ethics of covering migration and forced displacement as well as political, legal and geographic background knowledge would be quintessential for training.
One crucial point, according to the interviewees, is correct wording, as implied by using the terms “migration and forced displacement” and “migrants and refugees” distinctively rather than confoundingly. Classes preparing future or current journalists for reporting on the field should thus teach the legal frameworks underlying global migrant and refugee policies. These are complex; in a very basic definition, refugees are forced to leave their homes due to persecution, whereas migrants leave voluntarily – which does not mean that they do not have sound reasons to depart.
Our interviewees mentioned role conflicts that might arise when reporting about migration and forced displacement, challenging the self-positioning of journalists as neutral observers, such as being asked for money or other kinds of support from the people you report about. “It is a completely understandable survival strategy from them. But you really have to say no to this in my opinion”, Eszter Neuberger from Hungarian news portal 444.hu states.
Dealing with trauma
While such situations might be typical of any reporting on people in need, it is crucial to consider these ethically challenging situations during training. Catarina Santos recommends journalists to be transparent about their role just from the beginning of an interview with a migrant or refugee, to immediately respond to any hopes and expectations they might have in terms of getting support. Also, Julia Amberger, a German freelance reporter, suggests making clear which kind of support she as a journalist could offer, if any at all: “I can draw attention to your case, but I can’t solve it.”
Dealing with traumatized interviewees is another issue which could be integrated into teaching. “You simply need a lot of empathy. And I think you cannot really learn that, but if you deal with the psychological situation of these people in a seminar, this will help you to understand situations better”, says Julia Amberger, who suggests inviting a psychologist to the classroom on that purpose.
In reporting migration and forced displacement, NGOs or major international intergovernmental organizations do play an important role as sources of information, agenda-setters, and door-openers to sites of interest such as refugee camps. However, this may result in journalists to over-rely on the support of these organizations and a tendency to take on their framing rather than critically accompanying their role. This seems all the more true when reporters are sent to foreign countries they barely know for only a few days or even weeks.
Press trips organized by NGOs or foundations represent a welcome opportunity to fund travel in times of shrinking newsroom resources. Our interviewees though described such trips and the reliance on organizations as a double-edged sword, advising to stay for a few more days after the end of the official trip to research on one’s own and catch alternative viewpoints. As an alternative to relying on organizations, Julia Amberger recommends working with local journalists and live with locals in, let’s say, an AirBnB accommodation. Such encounters help her to reflect and understand what she experiences on the ground. This type of hands-on advice could also be integrated into journalism classes focussing on the issue, including hints on funding opportunities for reporting from foreign countries and how to apply for them, as Eszter Neuberger suggests.
Summing up, our interviews underline that journalism teachers should handle the terminologies of migration and forced displacement with care and pass on this thoroughness to their students. Journalism schools should prepare for the ethical dilemma reporters dealing with the issue often face, alongside informing about the traumatising experience of migrants and refugees. Teaching the political, legal and socioeconomic backgrounds, along with the cultural and psychological sensitivity needed would help to prepare young professionals to cover the issue responsibly. Certainly, the topic of migration and forced displacement would deserve greater attention in journalism curricula.
The full reports of the study are available within the recently published NEWSREEL2 research report.
This article was written by Dominik Speck (Erich Brost Institute).
Photo: Pixabay
